Mika Shino, Founder of Issei Mochi Gummies, is blending Japanese-inspired texture with contemporary confectionery trends to create a new category of chewy sweets
The global confectionery market is increasingly driven by novelty, texture and cultural influence, as brands look beyond flavour alone to create more engaging eating experiences. One emerging concept capturing this shift is mochi-inspired confectionery, which brings the distinctive chew and elasticity of the traditional Japanese rice cake into a modern gummy format. At the forefront of this movement is Mika Shino, Founder of Issei Mochi Gummies, whose products aim to introduce a new sensory dimension to the gummy aisle. By blending heritage, family inspiration and food innovation, Shino has developed a confectionery concept centred on texture as much as taste.
Mika, to begin, could you share a little about your background and the experiences that shaped your path into food innovation and confectionery?
My journey into confectionery didn’t start in a factory – it started with my two boys, in my kitchen.
I grew up loving mochi in Japan. Not just eating it, but experiencing it. The stretch, softness. Mochi always felt emotional to me – it carried celebration, comfort, and culture in a single bite. But I never imagined I would end up in the food business.
From the moment my boys were born, I was conscious of everything they ate. I read labels. I questioned ingredients. I wanted their food to feel thoughtful, intentional. So when they got a little older and started asking for treats – specifically something sweet and chewy – I felt torn. I understood the joy of candy, but I was dismayed by the options. The gummy aisle felt loud, artificial, and strangely repetitive.
They wanted a chewy snack. So I went back to what I knew.
I started baking mochi cakes in my kitchen. I would cut them into tiny bite-sized pieces and tell my boys they were “gummies.” They loved them. And I remember watching them and thinking – why doesn’t this exist on shelves?
Before Issei, I was constantly searching for better candies for my kids. And I kept wondering why certain categories hadn’t evolved. Why does every gummy chew exactly the same? Why is innovation limited to flavor and shape, but never texture? Why can’t Asian ingredients and know-how be considered just as foundational and valid as the European traditions that built the modern candy aisle?
Those questions stayed with me. Issei was born from them.
It started in my kitchen. With my kids. And with a simple, stubborn belief that chewy could be something more.
What inspired you to create Issei Mochi Gummies, and what gap or opportunity did you see in the market that sparked their development?
The inspiration was deeply emotional – and rooted in my kids.
Traditional mochi is beautiful, but it isn’t designed for modern family life. It’s sold fresh and lasts a day or two. Otherwise it’s frozen or filled with preservatives. It’s also usually neutral in flavor because the experience centers on the filling – red bean, cream, ice cream. The magic is in the chew, not the taste.
At the same time, my boys were asking for gummies. Sweet, chewy, colorful gummies – the kind every child sees at school or in stores. But when I walked down the candy aisle, I felt underwhelmed. Different shapes, different flavors – but the same chew, the same base ingredients, over and over.
I wanted a candy I would feel good putting in their lunchboxes. Something playful and portable, but rooted in the texture I grew up loving.
In Japan, mochi is a cake. You sit down with tea and enjoy it slowly. But my life in the U.S. looked different – soccer practices, car rides, snacks on the go. I didn’t need a plated dessert. I needed something I could throw into a bag. So I adapted mochi to fit our lifestyle. I called them “gummies,” not cakes, because that’s what my boys were asking for. I wanted them to see it as a candy.
I still remember baking that first strawberry batch in my kitchen. It had that soft, bouncy stretch. It wasn’t perfect – but it was close. I held it in my hand and thought, this could be the candy I’ve been looking for.
That was the moment it became real. Because once you create something your kids love – something you believe in – you can’t ignore it.
