Calbee, the company behind Kappa Ebisen shrimp chips and Jagabee potato sticks, has announced its most ambitious global expansion plan yet. The goal: lift overseas and new-category sales from about 30% to 50% of total revenue by the fiscal year ending March 2036. The target is North America's $4 billion BFY (Better For You) snack market, backed by more than ¥100 billion (about $620 million) in M&A investment.

What Is "Accelerate the Future"?

In April 2026, Calbee unveiled its new long-term growth strategy called "Accelerate the Future", a 10-year plan running through fiscal year 2036. It represents a major shift from the company's previous "Change 2025" strategy, which focused primarily on strengthening domestic profitability.

That domestic restructuring paid off handsomely. Under CEO Makoto Ehara, Calbee posted record-breaking sales and operating profits for two consecutive years (FY2024 and FY2025) by raising prices strategically while simultaneously boosting brand value, shifting from "volume growth" to "quality growth."

However, the overseas business didn't keep pace. Ehara was candid: resources were spread too thin, talent development fell short, and the company failed to leverage its domestic expertise and assets internationally. The new strategy tackles these shortcomings head-on.

The North American BFY Play

North America is Calbee's top strategic priority. The company already operates there through Calbee America, Inc., headquartered in Fairfield, California, with its flagship brand Harvest Snaps, baked snacks made primarily from green peas and red lentils.

BFY (Better For You) snacks are products that offer lower calories, fat, and sodium compared to traditional chips, while packing in more protein and fiber. It's one of the fastest-growing segments in the American snack market, worth an estimated $4 billion.

Harvest Snaps has carved out a unique position: it's one of the few snack brands you'll find in the produce aisle rather than the chip aisle. The brand ranks #4 in dollar sales in the BFY Puffed Snacks category, with 10.7% year-over-year growth. The snacks are always baked (never fried), Non-GMO certified, and gluten-free. Recent innovations include Crunchy Loops made from red lentils and a line of Baked Navy Bean Snacks.

Calbee plans to expand Harvest Snaps' lineup and extend the brand into new subcategories to capture a larger share of this massive market.

The ¥100 Billion M&A War Chest

Over the five years from FY2027 to FY2031, Calbee has set aside more than ¥100 billion (about $620 million) for mergers and acquisitions. But CEO Ehara emphasized this won't be a shopping spree for popular brands.

Instead, Calbee is looking for companies with R&D technology that can accelerate Harvest Snaps' development, or companies with strong distribution networks in North America. "We want acquisition targets where our strengths create a multiplier effect," Ehara said. "From the selection stage, we'll monitor synergy potential and build out a dedicated PMI (post-merger integration) team."

This is a clear evolution from Calbee's earlier overseas deals. The company acquired UK-based Seabrook Crisps in 2018 and US-based Warnock Food Products in 2019, deals focused mainly on securing production capacity. The new approach prioritizes strategic fit over scale.

Domestic Innovation: Calbee Meets Frisk and Mentos

The transformation isn't limited to overseas markets. Starting November 2026, Calbee will become the exclusive Japanese distributor for Perfetti Van Melle, the Dutch-Italian confectionery giant behind Frisk, Mentos, and Chupa Chups. This deal, estimated at ¥15 billion ($100 million) in annual sales, marks Calbee's entry into the tablet candy category, diversifying beyond its traditional snack portfolio.

Calbee already distributes Frito-Lay products in Japan through its subsidiary Japan Frito-Lay. Adding Perfetti Van Melle's iconic brands significantly expands its product range and retail touchpoints.

Why the Urgency? The Hokkaido Potato Crisis

Behind the strategy shift is a hard lesson about supply chain risk. Calbee's signature potato chips rely heavily on Hokkaido-grown potatoes, and a poor harvest sent the company's 2025 fiscal year performance into a tailspin, making the "Change 2025" growth targets unreachable.

The experience crystallized a realization: over-dependence on a single raw material in a single region is a vulnerability Calbee can no longer afford. The pivot toward pea-based, lentil-based, and other non-potato snack categories is as much about risk management as it is about growth.

Calbee Products You Can Find Around the World

Calbee operates in 9 countries and regions worldwide. Here's a guide to what you might find near you:

North America: Harvest Snaps (baked pea crisps), Shrimp Chips (the legendary Kappa Ebisen), Jagarico (potato sticks) China: Frugra (granola cereal), Jagabee (potato sticks), Jagarico South Korea: Honey Butter Chip (a viral sensation since 2014), Jagabee Hong Kong & Taiwan: Hot & Spicy Potato Chips, Kappa Ebisen (dominant market share in Hong Kong) Thailand & Indonesia: Jaxx (potato sticks with dipping sauce, a Thai original), Kappa Ebisen, Bamba (pea snacks) United Kingdom: Seabrook brand crisps, pea snacks Australia & New Zealand: Harvest Snaps (baked pea crisps)

The company is also pushing to make Jagarico, its cup-shaped potato stick snack beloved in Japan, into a true global brand, with expansion in Asia and North America.

From Hiroshima to the World: A Brief History

Calbee was founded in Hiroshima in 1949. The name combines "Cal" (calcium) and "Bee" (vitamin B), nutrients that were scarce in postwar Japan. The company launched Kappa Ebisen in 1964 with the iconic tagline "Yamerarenai, Tomaranai" ("Can't stop, won't stop"), establishing itself as Japan's dominant snack maker.

International expansion came early: Calbee exhibited at a New York food show in 1967 and established Calbee America in Los Angeles in 1970. A landmark 2009 partnership with PepsiCo brought Frito-Lay products to Japan and gave Calbee a global distribution ally. The company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's First Section in 2011, using the capital to fund overseas acquisitions.

What sets the plan apart is that it is not the usual "export Japanese snacks" playbook. Calbee is aiming at a demand that already exists in North America, the health-conscious BFY shelf, and trying to win it with its own processing technology and ingredients: not as an exotic import, but as a mainstream competitor.

What Japanese snack brands can you find in your country? Have you tried Harvest Snaps, Kappa Ebisen, or Jagabee? We'd love to hear what Japanese snacks are available where you live, and which ones you wish were.

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