‘Grave of the Fireflies’ candy maker goes bust as costs soar

Sakumaseika's beloved Sakuma Drops are perhaps best known to people outside of Japan for their appearance in the 1988 animated film 'Grave of the Fireflies'. - Reuters

TOKYO (Bloomberg): Sakumaseika Co, the Japanese confectioner whose candy drops featured in the Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies, is calling it quits after 114 years due to soaring costs and a pandemic-induced fall in sales.

The Tokyo-based company will end operations on Jan 20, a spokeswoman said by phone, attributing the closure to rising raw material and energy prices as well as staff-hiring challenges. The unlisted company had a net loss of 152 million yen (RM4.9mil) in the fiscal year ended September 2021, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.