In 1947, Yukiyasu Ishimizu started a small company in the city of Sapporo in the Northern part of Japan, producing and selling Japanese traditional candies. The company expanded in producing various confectionary products and in 1959 Ishiya Seika Co., Ltd was founded.

It was in the late '60s, when Yukiyasu's son and today's Chairman Isao joined the company, after having completed his studies in Tokyo. From 1972 after the success of "shelter" cookies and every December a new product would be launched gaining similar success.

For young Isao, that was not enough. He wanted to produce a product that would become synonym with Hokkaido, his birthplace that he loved so much. He could see the general trend and love that had grown among Japanese people on white chocolate from "pure and green Hokkaido", but he wanted to produce something more delicate, easy to eat and more sophisticated than "just some other chocolate". So, in the summer of 1976 the "White chocolate in between Smooth Cookies" concept was born, but it had no name...

It was an early December night when Isao's father, who had started the habit of "walking-skiing", came home from his walk at the park. Before entering the house, beautiful snow started to appear and Yukiyasu told his son "Isao, look! Our white beloved ones (Shiroi Koibito) started to fall from the sky...".

Isao thought no more. He knew that this "Shiroi Koibito" (=White Beloved Ones) was the name for his precious unique choco-cookies.

Since then "Shiroi Koibito" became and continues to be the Company's hit product, covering more than 90% of the total production. It surely became synonym with "present from Hokkaido" satisfying the needs of the most demanding customers and selling more than 150 million pieces per year.

From that day and on, it still remains the Company's policy to sell only in Isao's beloved Hokkaido.

Today, following the request from its customers to taste once again the delicious "Shiroi Koibito" from not only all over Japan but the rest of the World, the Company launched the Ishiya Online Shop.