Aimono Kombu was founded in 1949 in Kurobe, in Toyama Prefecture, as a processing plant before specializing in grated kombu. The name “Aimono” refers to the old name for kombu. Now run by the third generation, the company is deeply rooted in the history of Toyama, Japan’s largest consumer of kombu, even though the seaweed does not grow in the region. Since the Edo period, Toyama has been a key stop on the “kombu route,” connecting Hokkaido, home to 90% of production, to Osaka via Kitamaebune ships. The large-scale emigration of fishermen from Toyama to Hokkaido in the 19th century also reinforced the adoption of kombu in the region. Committed to sustainable fishing, Aimono Kombu rigorously selects its raw materials from renowned regions such as Rausu and Rishiri in Hokkaido, to offer refined products and promote the benefits of kombu.