Nestle Japan's first-half profit up 11.3%

Nestle Japan said Monday its first-half profit for fiscal 2015 was up 11.3% over the same period last year, but did not reveal the exact figures.

Nestle Japan CEO Kozo Takaoka told a news conference that the company's improved business performance was due to the success of the its two main lines -- Nescafe instant coffee and KitKat chocolates which are immensely popular in Japan with many flavors unique to each region.

Takaoka and master chef Takashi Tamura introduced a new instant coffee called Nescafe Komibaisen Kiwami. Takaoka said the new coffee has even more aroma than existing brands such as Nescafe Gold Blend, and was created with the cooperation of Tamura.

Takaoka said Nestle plans to shift its focus from manufacturing products to the service industry, utilizing e-commerce and providing delivery infrastructure by tying up with companies like Askul.

SoftBank's robot Pepper also made an appearance at the event held at the company's Harajuku store in Tokyo. Nestle uses Pepper to help sell its coffee makers at electronics stores across Japan.

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