Sanpo Yoshi food sharing platform Kuradashi to reduce food waste

From the Edo to Meiji periods, merchants called Omi-shonin (Omi is a province currently known as Shiga) traveled parts of the main island of Japan by foot to sell merchandise such as kimono, fabric and linen. The philosophy of their business was known as “Sanpo Yoshi.”

Sanpo Yoshi – benefitting business, people and society

Sanpo Yoshi literally means “three-way satisfaction,” a business model that benefits the seller, consumer and society. Omi-shonin sold satisfying and fine goods that pleased the consumers, thus being highly valued and were successful. Not only so, these merchants returned their profits to society by building schools and bridges that benefited the community. Omi-shonin valued the importance of giving back their profit and contributing to society because they believed that they owed their success to the local community. And this way, the Omi-shonin manifested the three-way satisfaction principle, Sanpo Yoshi, which is still highly valued in the management philosophy in modern Japan.

Economic activities cannot be separated from the individuals who make up the society and local communities. So as the world moves toward sustainability, the principle of Sanpo Yoshi will become even more significant. Benefiting the community is an added value that is expected from businesses in society today. And, of course, Sanpo Yoshi doesn’t necessarily have to start from a business-consumer relationship. It can begin from benefiting the community.

How Kuradashi is benefitting society

An excellent example of this model is a food-sharing platform in Japan called Kuradashi. It runs an online shopping site that sells products that cannot be sold through regular sales channels because of seasonal packaging or the products are close to expiry.

Some six million tons of food are wasted each year in Japan, and more than half of the amount is discarded by the food industry. Kuradashi aims to reduce food loss by saving products that are still good and safe to eat, despite not meeting the criteria for regular sales channels.

Its main aim is to solve the food loss problem, but this food sharing platform realizes Sanpo Yoshi with unique ingenuity. Cooperating manufacturers can reduce food loss by providing these products to Kuradashi at a special price, which benefits society. This contribution also improves the corporate image, which benefits the business itself. Moreover, consumers benefit from purchasing at Kuradashi, because the products are sold up to 97% off the original market price. Consumers can also contribute to society from their purchase since Kuradashi donates 3-5% of their revenue to 19 social contribution activities such as environmental conservation and animal protection.

Evolving business in a modern world

In modern society, how sustainable or ethical a business is matters. Many are conscious of the consequences and impact that past economic activities and lifestyle have given to our world. Therefore, whether one starts a business to solve social issues or aims to become a successful business model, they need to learn from Sanpo Yoshi and put it into practice. Only by doing so can we get a handle on the various social problems without losing any more valuable and substantial elements in our lives and society. And hopefully, Sanpo Yoshi will become a term just as famous as the Japanese term “mottainai,” which plays an active role in spreading sustainable values around the world today.