Haruna Endo never saw it coming, but after over a decade of trial and error, she is finding success selling her konnyaku (devil's tongue) jelly by creating eye-catching products to consumers from both Japan and abroad.
"It was as if I was struck by lightning," Endo said of the first time eating konnyaku freshly prepared by her husband's uncle in Numata, Gunma Prefecture.
"It was so soft and completely changed my image of konnyaku. I wanted to spread the news," said the head of Kasho, a konnyaku-focused factory in Gunma Prefecture. The area is Japan's largest producer of the potato-like tubers, with a market share of around 90 percent.