The azuki bean has long been an important element of Japanese cuisine, used as a raw material for the red bean paste found in Japanese-style sweets, in sekihan red beans and rice, and in zenzai soup. The azuki bean has also been receiving attention recently as a healthy food. The annual production of azuki beans in Japan is approximately 90,000 tons, more than 80% of which are produced in Hokkaido. Japan consumes more than 100,000 tons annually, importing azuki beans from countries like China to supplement domestic production.