Letters from the CEO

Dear Valued Customers,

I’m honored to have been appointed to the position of CEO and President of Genji as of April 1. I am truly inspired to work with so many talented chefs and passionate ‘foodies’ who make up the Genji family, and look forward to introducing more and more American customers to Japanese-inspired cuisine.

This spring, we have several new items which I can’t wait for you to taste. These will be part of the “Power to the Purple” campaign because all of the items are healthy and nutritious, and because they’re all purplish in color.

For starters, we’re expanding our line of all-natural kosher dressings with a delicious low fat Japanese Plum Vinaigrette. This new recipe is a tangy yet fruity dressing that uses Japanese “ume” plums, and tastes really great on salads, grilled chicken, white fish and spring rolls.

At the same time, we’re also launching Crystal Plum Rolls. Loaded with mixed lettuce, red peppers, scallions, cucumbers and topped with radishes and your choice of either shrimp or vegan soy patty, these special rolls have our delicious new Japanese Plum Vinaigrette wrapped inside! They’re beautiful to look at and delicious to bite into.

For Earth Week, April 19th -25th, we’ll be contributing to one of our favorite causes: microcredit loans in the developing world. During this period, we’ll be donating 10% of all sales of several of our popular Pacific Northwest Wild Albacore items to the Whole Planet Foundation, which creates economic partnerships with the poor in developing world communities that supply Whole Foods Market stores with products. Together We Can Change the World.

We hope you’ll share our love of healthy, tasty Japanese cuisine, by stopping by the Genji sushi bar whenever you are in a Whole Foods Market (locations). Our chefs will be delighted to give you a sample of one of their creative new items, to help you find what you’re looking for in the sushi case, or to make your favorite sushi or sashimi “made-to-order.” Please always feel free to let us know your thoughts. Whether you have ideas, suggestions or just want to share your opinion of a Genji product, please email us at any time at info@genjiweb.com

Sincerely yours,

Shingo Kanai

CEO & President
Genji, Inc.

Genji Mission Statement: To help our customers lead a healthy daily lifestyle by serving the highest quality Japanese-inspired cuisine with all-natural, fresh and nutritious ingredients. At Genji, we follow the strictest food safety standards and seek out environmentally-friendly sources.

*For more information about environmental protection, please visit www.nrdc.org and find out how to get involved. Genji is not affiliated in any manner with the Natural Resources Defense Council or any of its programs, projects or websites.

Previous Letters from the CEO

2010

January

Dear Valued Customers,

I wish you a Happy New Year, filled with joy, prosperity and health! In 2010, we’ll be “taking health to a whole new level” at Genji by building on our commitment to a key tenet in our mission statement: “ seek out environmentally-friendly sources.”

Last year, we followed the spirit of our mission statement by contributing over $4,500 to the National Resource Defense Council, an organization that works to protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure a healthy environment for all life on earth.* In October, Genji replaced a portion of our bigeye tuna catch with sustainably-caught Pacific Northwest Albacore from American Tuna, whose harvesting has no impact on the ocean floor and produces almost no by-catch.

And in the first week of January 2010, we took another huge step for our planet’s health by switching the large majority of our sushi containers from plastic to natural fiber, made from bulrush and bamboo. These containers took nearly a year to design and develop with the help of our partners at Be Green Packaging, an industry leader in the field of environmentally-friendly food packaging. The bulrush trays are 100% compostable, and can be thrown into your back-yard compost pile or in a bin at your neighborhood Whole Foods Market store. Within 60-90 days, the containers will decompose completely, and will help create rich, fertile soil. We believe that these compostable trays are the first of their kind in the sushi industry, but we invite other companies to also seek more eco-friendly packaging solutions, so our collective impact will be greater.

Indeed, we acknowledge that Genji is only one company, and that we still have much to do, but we hope that by continuously looking for opportunities to make responsible business decisions that benefit our planet, we will encourage our peers, customers and suppliers to jump on the bandwagon with us. Together, our impact will be tremendous, and we will "take health to a whole new level."

To our new friends in Memphis, Andover, Bishops Corner, Westport, Woodmere, Upper Arlington, Mason, Cincinnati, Plymouth Meeting and Lexington, thank-you for inviting us into your communities to share our passion for sushi and Japanese food with you. Please stop by the Genji sushi counter at Whole Foods Market to say hi!

We look forward to a great 2010, with more products and programs that contribute to the earth’s health and to our customers’. We hope you’ll share our love of healthy, tasty Japanese cuisine, by stopping by the Genji sushi bar whenever you are in a Whole Foods Market (Genji store locator). Our chefs will be delighted to give you a sample of one of their creative new items, to help you find what you’re looking for in the sushi case, or to make your favorite sushi or sashimi “made-to-order.” Please always feel free to let us know your thoughts. Whether you have ideas, suggestions or just want to share your opinion of a Genji product, please email us at any time at info@genjiweb.com

Sincerely yours,

Takeshi Yamakawa

CEO & President
Genji, Inc.

Genji Mission Statement: To help our customers lead a healthy daily lifestyle by serving the highest quality Japanese-inspired cuisine with all-natural, fresh and nutritious ingredients. At Genji, we follow the strictest food safety standards and seek out environmentally-friendly sources.

2009

January

Dear Valued Customers,

On behalf of the entire Genji family, I’d like to thank you for visiting Genji, Inc.’s sushi bars in 2008. During the past year, I have been thrilled to receive many emails from customers who have praised Genji’s quality, products and service. I shall encourage the Genji team to continue to create authentic Japanese-inspired dishes of the highest quality and freshness in order to support a healthy daily lifestyle for our customers.

In 2009, we have begun to roll out a broad line of new sushi and non-sushi items. We have added Spicy Ginger Miso Dressing to our already popular original Ginger Miso Dressing, we are introducing Shirataki Noodles, often dubbed Japan’s “diet secret miracle noodles” for their high-fiber/low-calorie content, and are launching Japanese gluten-free, vegan tofu burgers. These and other innovative items are our way of sharing our passion for the delicious and healthy aspects of Japanese cuisine with you.

At Genji, we are also strongly committed to following the strictest food safety standards in everything we do. We understand that sushi and sashimi, in particular, require unerring discipline in finding the best vendors, sourcing the freshest ingredients, and adhering to the most rigorous food-handling procedures. Our seafood vendors are approved by Whole Foods Market, a pioneer in establishing standards for sustainable fishing practices. The ingredients we use are always all-natural and without artificial preservatives or flavor enhancers. I am especially proud of the fact that we consistently rate very highly in 3rd-party auditor inspections which are conducted monthly at all our facilities.

I invite you to visit the Genji sushi bar whenever you are in a Whole Foods Market (Genji store locator), and try one of our creative new items in addition to your favorite sushi or sashimi. And please always feel free to let us know your thoughts. Whether you have ideas or suggestions or just want to share your opinion of a Genji product, please email us at any time at info@genjiweb.com

Sincerely yours,

Takeshi Yamakawa

CEO & President
Genji, Inc.

Genji Mission Statement: To help our customers lead a healthy daily lifestyle by serving the highest quality Japanese-inspired cuisine with all-natural, fresh and nutritious ingredients. At Genji, we follow the strictest food safety standards and seek out environmentally-friendly sources.

April

Dear Valued Customers,

Have you noticed that in addition to the best all-natural sushi in town, some new and eye-catching products have begun to show up in your local Genji sushi case? For starters, Spicy Ginger Miso Dressing is heating things up. We added our own unique blend of kosher shichimi powder to our already popular regular Ginger Miso Dressing, and the result is an authentic Japanese dressing with a kick! Both vegan Ginger Miso Dressing flavors are now Kosher-certified and Pareve!

For Valentine’s Day, we introduced two items featuring heart-shaped sushi. The Cupid’s Combos were a huge hit, which confirms what I’ve always suspected: that sushi lovers are true romantics at heart!

Most recently, we introduced Soba Sushi, made with buckwheat noodles, a favorite in Japan, for their taste, texture and versatility. We chill the noodles and roll them inside sushi rolls, instead of using rice. The Soba Vegetable Tempura Roll and the Soba California Roll have a hearty, ‘nutty’ flavor. A great thing about buckwheat is that it has lots of antioxidants and vitamin B-1, which is good for the skin and increases the body’s metabolic rate. Personally, I think Soba Sushi makes a great Spring/Summer snack, with a side of Spicy Ginger Miso Dressing.

I invite you to visit the Genji sushi bar whenever you are in a Whole Foods Market (Genji store locator), and try one of our creative new items in addition to your favorite sushi or sashimi. And please always feel free to let us know your thoughts. Whether you have ideas or suggestions or just want to share your opinion of a Genji product, please email us at any time at info@genjiweb.com

Sincerely yours,

Takeshi Yamakawa

CEO & President
Genji, Inc.

Genji Mission Statement: To help our customers lead a healthy daily lifestyle by serving the highest quality Japanese-inspired cuisine with all-natural, fresh and nutritious ingredients. At Genji, we follow the strictest food safety standards and seek out environmentally-friendly sources.

July

Dear Valued Customers,

I’m thrilled to announce that both our original and spicy Ginger Miso Dressings are now Kosher-certified and Pareve! Since we use all-natural and garden-fresh ingredients of the highest quality, we were delighted to put our two best-selling dressings to the kosher test. With just a few minor modifications to our state-of-the-art kitchen, we are now able to proudly state that we have met all the requirements of the Orthodox Union, and that our bottles now carry the “OU” symbol of quality and purity.

In addition to making our present items even better; we’re also continuing to introduce our customers to new and delicious Japanese-inspired dishes. Most recently, we introduced Calamari Salad, a progressive Asian interpretation of squid salad, with seasoned ginger, kikurage mushrooms and red peppers, lightly tossed in a rice wine-sesame oil dressing. It’s a great side-salad that will go perfectly with any sushi item.

We are also introducing an all new category of items, just in time for the hot summer months: Firecracker Snackers. These little wraps come in 4 big flavors: Shichimi-Churri Chicken, Chicken Aka-Mesco, Spicy Rock Shrimp and Miso Teriyaki Soy Patty. All four are wrapped in a chili-pepper soy wrap that will add just the right amount of punch to your lunch. The Firecracker Snackers make great finger-food (no chopsticks required), and are a great side for sushi. My favorite is the Chicken Aka-Mesco, made with all-natural chicken, buttery avocado, white sushi rice, mixed lettuce, cilantro and a mouth-watering roasted-red-pepper sauce. It’s a “Far-East-meets-South-West” experience! Don’t forget to stop by a participating Genji location to pick up your Firecracker Snacker, starting July 8th, and enter our sweepstakes, for the chance to win a $100 Whole Foods Market gift card.

As always, I invite you to visit the Genji sushi bar whenever you are in a Whole Foods Market (Genji store locator), and try one of our creative new items in addition to your favorite sushi or sashimi. And please always feel free to let us know your thoughts. Whether you have ideas or suggestions or just want to share your opinion of a Genji product, please email us at any time at info@genjiweb.com

Sincerely yours,

Takeshi Yamakawa

CEO & President
Genji, Inc.

Genji Mission Statement: To help our customers lead a healthy daily lifestyle by serving the highest quality Japanese-inspired cuisine with all-natural, fresh and nutritious ingredients. At Genji, we follow the strictest food safety standards and seek out environmentally-friendly sources.

September

Dear Valued Customers,

As Summer winds down, and the kids are back in school, we're still sizzling....

The Firecracker Snacker Sweepstakes was very successful, as nearly 2,500 brave customers filed mock "waivers," and entered for a chance to win. We recently held a grand drawing, and four winners were randomly selected (one for each of the geographical regions which participated in the sweepstakes). The four winning courageous chili-pepper pioneers will each receive a $100 gift card to Whole Foods Market, where they'll find an enormous selection of the world's best all-natural and organic foods, and of-course, Genji sushi. Since the Snackers are part of our Summer menu, they'll be back next year to spice up your Summer.

But that doesn't mean we're cooling down just yet...

Things are still heating up in kitchens across the East Coast, as Genji's "Dress It Up" with Ginger Miso Dressing Marinade recipe contest picks up steam and amateur chefs get cooking! For the event, we've created a bundle pack of Ginger Miso Dressing, available for a limited time at the special price of 2 for $8.99. The contest challenges participants to come up with clever ways of using either Original or Spicy Ginger Miso Dressing as a marinade or topping sauce. Creative concoctions are coming in from all over the country, and we're looking forward to tasting the finals, in order to select the grand-prize winner and the two runners-up. Contestants will be judged on the originality and practicality of their recipes. Winners will receive Whole Foods Market gift cards in the amount of $100 (2nd Runner-Up), $200 (1st Runner-Up) and $300 (Grand Prize Winner)! The contest deadline has just been extended until November 30th, so more participants have the time to submit lots of delicious Ginger Miso masterpieces.

As always, I invite you to stop by the Genji sushi bar whenever you are in a Whole Foods Market (Genji store locator), and say hi to the chefs. They'll be delighted to give you a sample of one of their creative new items, to help you find what you're looking for in the sushi case, or to make your favorite sushi or sashimi on the spot, made-to-order. Please always feel free to let us know your thoughts. Whether you have ideas, suggestions or just want to share your opinion of a Genji product, please email us any time at info@genjiweb.com

Sincerely yours,

Takeshi Yamakawa

CEO & President
Genji, Inc.

Genji Mission Statement: To help our customers lead a healthy daily lifestyle by serving the highest quality Japanese-inspired cuisine with all-natural, fresh and nutritious ingredients. At Genji, we follow the strictest food safety standards and seek out environmentally-friendly sources.

December

Dear Valued Customers,

We would like to wish you and your family Happy Holidays by offering you the Sushi Holiday Savings Book, available at any US Whole Foods Market served by Genji. It’s an easy way to save some dough on your favorite Genji rolls.

We’ve really had a lot of fun in 2009, bringing our customers lots of new items and promotional events.

Genji went wild in October! We introduced Pacific Northwest Wild Albacore, which is consistently listed as one of the most sustainable fishes available with seafood watch organizations. I’m delighted to announce that thanks to your purchases, Genji was able to donate $3,534 to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a non-profit organization working to preserve and protect the environment.

In November, we opened up our first Shabu-Shabu restaurant at Whole Foods Market’s High Street Kensington location in London, UK. It’s been an overnight success! Shabu Shabu is a style of Japanese cuisine that uses a hot-pot style of cooking and the freshest ingredients to create a fun and interactive dining experience. It’s similar to fondu, except that it uses a delicious broth and delicious side-sauces to flavor the ingredients, which means it is relatively low in calories. If you live in London or if you’re travelling there, please stop by to see what all the buzz is about.

We look forward to having even more fun in 2010 with new items and more events and promotions. We invite you to participate with us, and share our love of healthy, tasty Japanese cuisine, by stopping by the Genji sushi bar whenever you are in a Whole Foods Market (Genji store locator). Our chefs will be delighted to give you a sample of one of their creative new items, to help you find what you’re looking for in the sushi case, or to make your favorite sushi or sashimi “made-to-order.” Please always feel free to let us know your thoughts. Whether you have ideas, suggestions or just want to share your opinion of a Genji product, please email us at any time at info@genjiweb.com

Sincerely yours,

Takeshi Yamakawa

CEO & President
Genji, Inc.

Genji Mission Statement: To help our customers lead a healthy daily lifestyle by serving the highest quality Japanese-inspired cuisine with all-natural, fresh and nutritious ingredients. At Genji, we follow the strictest food safety standards and seek out environmentally-friendly sources.