Inoue Seikoen began as a single olive tree planted in 1946 by Tasuji Inoue in an effort to reclaim a wooded area on a south facing mountain slope. Thanks to the mild weather of the Shodoshima Island, located in the Seto Inland Sea, which is similar to the Mediterranean, the olive tree flourished. By 1955, he harvested olives for the first time.
In the early 1970s when they were busy with farm work and the making and selling olive oil products for cooking, Tasuji's son, Katsuyoshi Inoue, tried applying olive oil on his rough hands after his bath. He observed how his skin became smoother. Since then, the Inoue family has been using olive oil for skin treatment, especially during the dry winter season. In the late 1970s, the company started its cosmetic line of products starting with Beauty Olive Oil.
Today, there are more than 3,200 olive trees and 14 kinds of citrus grown in the Inoue Seikoen farm.
The company's name, 井上誠耕園 ( Inoue Seikoen ), reflects their philosphy. 誠 ( sei ) means sincerity and 耕す ( tagayasu ) means to cultivate. Katsuyoshi Inoue was filled with deep appreciation for the sun and the rain that make it possible for the olive trees to consistently bloom and bear fruit year after year. It is in this spirit of genuine gratitude, love, and care that they farm the land and make the best products of the finest quality. Unlike other production areas that use machines, olives here are harvested and selected carefully by hand to prevent bruising.
Pamper your taste buds and your skin with products made from olive fruits that have soaked up the Shodoshima sunlight.