Behind the scenes of popcorn development: how TOHO Cinemas makes its popcorn - Part Two

At the concession stand at TOHO Cinemas, popcorn can be hard to resist. Classic salted and caramel flavors keep you coming back for another handful, while limited-edition varieties surprise with combinations you might never expect. Behind these flavors is the TOHO Cinemas product development team, working to make popcorn an essential part of the moviegoing experience.

We spoke with members of the team about the trial and error behind each new flavor, and what it takes to create popcorn that keeps moviegoers coming back for more.

From left: Atsushi Shimizu, Yoshihiro Yanagihara, Tadashi Tsutsui, Atsushi Horikoshi, and Tatsushi Inaho (Product Development Department, Food and Beverage Dept., TOHO Cinemas Ltd.)

All about popcorn: Meet the product development team

――How did popcorn become part of your careers?

Shimizu: I joined the Product Development Department in 2007, but my involvement with TOHO Cinemas' popcorn goes back much further. I was there from the early days, even helping with the procurement of ingredients. Today, as head of the department, I oversee product development across the board. 

Tsutsui: This is my 35th year in the movie theater business. I worked as a theater manager and supervisor before joining the Food Product Development Office about five years ago. I now lead the team. I've spent more than half my life in movie theaters, and popcorn has been there throughout it all. You could say it's been a constant presence in my life.

Horikoshi: I joined this department in November 2025, after spending most of my career working in theaters, more than half of it in food and beverage operations. I'm now a manager in the Food Product Development Office. Having worked on the sales side, I hope to bring that experience and a customer's perspective to the products we develop.

Yanagihara: I work on everything from planning and selling popcorn boxes and drink cups to developing tie-in products. Before that, I spent many years working in food and beverage operations at theaters. I've always loved popcorn, and sometimes wonder if I might be the biggest popcorn fan in the company. That's how much it means to me.

Inaho: I've been with this department for about a year, working on menu development, including new flavors. I also spent time working in theaters, where one thing was drilled into me: we must never run out of popcorn. It's one of our signature products, after all. Now that I'm involved in its development, I've come to appreciate just how much thought goes into the ingredients and preparation. The more I learn, the more I feel that popcorn really captures the essence of TOHO Cinemas.

Shimizu's favorite way to enjoy popcorn: “I keep adding the free butter-flavored oil topping until I finally think, ‘Okay, that's probably enough!’ (laughs) I like my popcorn absolutely drenched in it. That's when it tastes best.”

Balancing great taste with easy preparation: the strength of a team with hands-on theater experience

――How do you develop your popcorn products?

Tsutsui: Our product development work broadly falls into two areas. The first is improving our classic products, such as salted and caramel popcorn.

These flavors have been popular for many years, but we're never satisfied with simply leaving them as they are. We are constantly looking for ways to make them better. We taste-test different varieties of corn, oils, salts, caramel seasonings, and other ingredients, experimenting with different combinations to find what works best.

The second is developing new flavors and special products tied to film releases. Seasonal events, emerging trends, and upcoming films can all spark ideas. We think about what people might want to enjoy at a particular moment, then work with our partners to turn those ideas into products that bring the concept to life.

Inaho takes the lead on flavor development, but ideas come from everyone on the team. We discuss, test, and refine them together until we are happy with the result.

Shimizu: Great taste is essential, of course, but it has to work in the real world of a busy theater, too. When we develop a product, we need to make sure that any staff member can prepare it smoothly and consistently deliver the same quality, every time.

Everyone on the team has hands-on experience preparing and serving food in theaters, and that practical knowledge is invaluable. 

Tsutsui's favorite way to enjoy popcorn: “When I buy a half-and-half serving of salted and caramel popcorn, I take out the divider and dig in without looking. Will the next bite be salted, caramel, or a bit of both? I love the anticipation of not knowing what I'll get.”

Every failure brings us closer: inside the trial-and-error process of product development

――What experiences from product development stand out most to you?

Yanagihara: I remember one time when we were developing a new flavor. Making popcorn in the kettle always produces some smoke, but that day, there was much more smoke than usual, and everyone’s eyes ended up red. (laughs)

Even so, we refused to compromise and kept testing through all the smoke. It wasn’t just about getting the flavor right. We were also trying to improve the product so it could be prepared in theaters with less smoke.

Inaho: One experience that really stands out is the caramel popcorn renewal in 2025. We wanted every bite to have a rich caramel flavor, so we decided to double the amount of caramel flavoring used in the previous recipe.

The problem was that the more caramel we added, the more easily it would burn and stick to the kettle. So we also began developing an oil that would help prevent the caramel from sticking.

Yanagihara and I would make a batch, clean the kettle, then make another batch and clean it again. Sometimes we repeated that process as many as 50 times in a single day. Our arms were aching by the end of it.

But all that trial and error paid off. We eventually created an oil that gave us both the rich flavor we wanted and easier preparation in the theater. I was really happy when we finally got there.

Tsutsui: Product development really is a constant cycle of trial and error. We may fail more often than we succeed.

But we refuse to compromise because we know our colleagues in the theaters are the ones who will be handing these products directly to our guests. That sense of responsibility, to our theater teams as well as our guests, is what drives our work.

Horikoshi’s favorite way to enjoy popcorn: “My favorite combination is caramel popcorn and cola. I especially enjoy sitting back with some popcorn and watching a movie when the theater isn’t too busy.”

Social media reactions and praise from professionals: nothing makes us happier than hearing “It’s delicious!”

――What moments make you happiest in product development?

Horikoshi: It’s always encouraging to hear what our guests think. I remember listening to a radio program one day when, completely by chance, they started talking about how good TOHO Cinemas popcorn was. I was really happy to hear people enjoying something we had helped create.

Yanagihara: I feel the same way. Nothing makes me happier than hearing that guests are enjoying something we helped create.

This year, we began offering Party Pop through our collaboration with Uber Eats. When I see people posting on social media about how happy they are to have Party Pop delivered to their homes, it makes me really happy. Some are even excited that it comes with butter-flavored oil. Seeing those reactions makes me feel that launching the service was worthwhile.

Inaho: For me, the most rewarding part is knowing that something I helped create has found its way into someone’s happy memories. 

Shimizu: I also get a real sense of pride when our popcorn is appreciated by people who know the product inside and out. On one occasion, representatives from an agricultural organization in Nebraska, one of the major corn-producing regions in the United States, visited us.

They tried TOHO Cinemas popcorn and enjoyed it so much that they ate every last piece. Seeing that was an unforgettable moment. To have professionals from one of the world's major corn-producing regions enjoy our popcorn gave us a real boost of confidence.

Yanagihara’s favorite way to enjoy popcorn: “I start with a caramel popcorn set and finish it during the trailers, before the film starts. Then, once the movie begins, I get another serving, Cinemike Popcorn *1 in rich Hokkaido butter soy sauce flavor, and enjoy it throughout the main feature. That’s my favorite way to enjoy popcorn.”

Making the popcorn part of the memory

――What kind of value do you hope to create in the future?

Horikoshi: I want to give people new popcorn flavors to discover and new ways to enjoy them. We want to create experiences that people can only have with TOHO Cinemas popcorn, from the ground up.

Inaho: In addition to Birthday Popcorn^*2 for children, I would like to turn many more ideas into reality, such as After-School Popcorn^*3 for students. We want to give more people the chance to discover just how delicious and fun TOHO Cinemas popcorn can be.

Shimizu: The memories we make at the movies aren't created by what happens on the screen alone. There's the toasted aroma at the concession stand, the popcorn you reach for in the darkened theater, and the taste that stays with you on the way home. All of these little moments become part of the moviegoing experience.

We hope our popcorn can become part of those memories, something that makes people look back and say, “The film was great, and so was the popcorn.”

Inaho’s favorite way to enjoy popcorn: “With Party Popcorn, you can choose any combination of up to three flavors: salted, caramel, and Cinemike. My favorite combination is caramel on top and truffle butter underneath. I love the balance of sweet and savory, and once I start eating, I can’t stop!”

*1 Cinemike Popcorn: Developed in collaboration with Japan Frito-Lay

*2 Birthday Popcorn: A limited-time campaign offering children aged 12 and under a free mini popcorn during their birthday month.

*3 After-School Popcorn: A limited-time campaign offering junior high and high school students a free mini popcorn after school. The campaign has now ended.

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