About Habanero Man

About Us

Nice to meet you. I’m Taku "Habaneroman" Kondo.

From cultivating the habaneros to bottling, shipping, label design, and even building this website—I handle every single step myself.

Every habanero used in Mellow Habanero is grown in healthy Japanese soil. Each year, I raise about 1,800 plants. For me, this is the perfect scale to remain creative and maintain the highest quality. My main farm is tucked away in the mountains of southern Osaka, where I get my hands in the dirt personally. I also have trusted friends—fellow farmers in Awaji Island (Hyogo) and Saku (Nagano)—who grow our peppers with love and care. Of course, everything is 100% pesticide-free.

- The Encounter -

In 2002, a friend gave me a single habanero pepper. I was utterly, completely captivated.

The color, the shape, the texture, and the taste. First came a floral aroma and a fruity sweetness, followed by a heat so intense and spicy it made my mind go blank.

I carefully saved the seeds and increased my crop year after year. Back then, I never dreamed of becoming a hot sauce maker; I simply wanted to see a field filled with golden habaneros. (As of 2026, I am growing the 24th generation from those original seeds.)

- Crafting Hot Sauce -

I began researching and blending various habanero sauces for myself and my friends, choosing the bottles and designing the labels. Eventually, I built a small facility and obtained a manufacturing license.

Through Instagram, I discovered a whole new world. I realized there were people in the U.S. making hot sauce on a small scale, just like me. For a self-taught maker, this was a shock. I wasn’t alone! There were even hot sauce competitions!

I set three goals for myself:

Create a unique hot sauce unlike any other.
Win a major competition.
Become a maker loved by people all over the world.

- About Habaneroman -

My name is Taku Kondo. Born in Tokyo, 1973. I’ve loved spicy food and Tabasco since I was a kid.

In my 20s, one spring—with only 5,000 yen (about $35) to my name—I started a tiny mobile curry business called "Daishaya" (Cart Shop) on the sidewalk in Shibuya, Tokyo. I rigged a platform onto a handcart, loaded a portable stove, pots, and kept the rice hot in a cooler box. I pushed that cart through the streets, selling daily original-recipe curries. I handed out flyers to commuters at Shibuya Station every morning. Slowly, people began to line up for my curry. Eventually, magazines and TV crews came calling, and the lines grew even longer.

Once I saved enough to buy a used van, I converted it into a food truck. I expanded beyond Shibuya to Marunouchi and Sendagaya. It was a huge success. After three years of running the cart shop, I decided it was time to move to the place of my dreams.

In 2001, I moved from Tokyo to Ishigaki Island in search of a natural lifestyle. I bought 1,500 tsubo (about 1.2 acres) of subtropical jungle for just 710,000 yen and built a cabin by hand (D.I.Y.). I cooked over wood fires and drank water from the stream. I lived the primitive life I had dreamed of since childhood. But over time, the "endless summer vacation" lost its spark. That’s when a friend gave me that single habanero. It changed my life. I became so obsessed that I boarded a plane with 48 baby habanero seedlings to start a new chapter.

In 2004, I moved to Tanba Sasayama (Hyogo), known for its vast farmland. Year by year, I expanded my habanero fields and grew the Mellow Habanero lineup. I’ve been blessed with wonderful customers ever since. (Thank you so much!)

In 2017, I won the World Hot Sauce Awards in Louisiana, USA. The winner was "Hop in Heaven"—my Mellow Habanero Heaven infused with hops. I developed it specifically to win. Aroma, heat, bitterness—I wanted to create a striking personality that would stick in the judges' minds. I source my hops from Shiga Kogen Beer. We were the first in the world to put hops in hot sauce. Winning that title was an incredible moment.

In 2018, two major hurricanes struck, flooding my fields and forcing me to suspend operations.

In 2019, during that hiatus, I moved the company to central Osaka. The space I rented was a raw concrete shell. Once again, it was time for D.I.Y. I started by building the toilet (essential!), then the processing plant. I even hand-crafted a habanero-themed stained glass window. It became a comfortable, efficient workspace.

In 2025, I moved to Izumisano in southern Osaka, right near Kansai International Airport (KIX). This time, I D.I.Y.-ed the entire house, combining my home and workshop into one. I don't think I'll move again. My habanero farm is located in the nearby mountains of Osaka.

History

2002: Started habanero cultivation on Ishigaki Island.
2004: Moved to Hyogo; began researching Mellow Habanero.
2005: Began selling "Mild" & "Extra" at the Hyakumanben handicraft market in Kyoto.
2008: Launched "Heaven"; incorporated Turnm Farm LLC.
2013: Launched "Smoky"; began international sales.
2015: Held a talk show at HEATONIST in New York, the world's first hot sauce specialty shop.
2016: Launched "Goma La-jan" (Sesame Chili Sauce).
2017: Launched "Hop in Heaven"; Won the World Hot Sauce Awards (USA).
2018: Fields destroyed by hurricanes and floods; temporary closure.
2019: Moved office and facility from Hyogo to central Osaka.
2020: Launched Habanero Chocolate. Collaborated with HEATONIST (NY) to launch "YUZU Heaven."
2022: Launched the Japan-edition bottle of YUZU Heaven.
2023: Launched "Super MINT."
2025: Relocated office and facility to Izumisano, southern Osaka. Launched "R."

Lastly...

I want to spread the culture of using hot sauce in Japan. I want to clear the misunderstanding that habaneros are "just about the heat." My goal is to be a maker loved by people all over the world.

Hot sauce makes meals fun. Thank you for your support!

Taku "Habaneroman" Kondo Ta-nm Farm LLC