Japan - Agricultural Sector Japan - Agricultural Sector
Overview
The United States remained Japan’s top supplier of agricultural products, with a 25% market share in 2018. In recent years, however, competition has increased from alternate suppliers such as China, Australia, Thailand, Canada, and Brazil. With the recent implementation of the CPTPP agreement and the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, competition is expected to further increase. In 2018, U.S. farm, forestry and fishery exports to Japan totaled $14.7 billion, an 8.4 percent increase over 2017. U.S. exports of consumer-ready products reached $6.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 3.6 percent. That category’s growth was driven mainly by increased Japanese purchases of U.S. beef, processed fruit, fresh vegetables, tree nuts, and pet food. At the same time, Japan’s imports of U.S. intermediate products for further processing rose 8.6 percent to $1.4 billion and imports of bulk commodities increased 16.4 percent to $4.9 billion, driven by abundant U.S. corn supplies and a lack of global competition in 2018. For additional information, please visit the website of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) at www.fas.usda.gov or FAS’s Tokyo Office of Agricultural Affairs at www.usdajapan.org.
Opportunities
Opportunities exist for a range of agricultural products, in particular, processed and consumer-ready foods. Japan is the largest market in Asia for U.S. consumer-ready products. In order for U.S. companies to tap into this dynamic market, they should be aware of several key trends affecting food purchases. These include a heavy dependence on imported food items; a diversification of eating habits; declining family size and increased labor force participation by women- both supporting increased demand for convenient/ready-to-eat meal options; a rapidly aging population; high expectations for product quality; and widespread preoccupation with food safety.
Potential exporters interested in learning more about the Japanese market may wish to consider attending or exhibiting at one of the large annual trade shows in Japan: the Supermarket Trade Show and FOODEX Japan. For more information on the market, see the FAS Japan Exporter Guide (https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/japan-exporter-guide-3) or contact the Agricultural Trade Office in Tokyo at ATOTokyo@usda.gov.
Leading Sub-Sectors
According to Japan’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, by 2025, 30 percent of the population will be 65 years of age or older. Coupled with the fact that Japanese life expectancy is the highest in the world, this creates a strong demand for “healthy foods.” Foods that offer specific health benefits, such as reducing cholesterol, or containing high levels of antioxidants are well received in the Japanese marketplace. Concepts such as “functional food” are well understood by consumers and products certified by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare as FOSHU (Food for Specific Health Use) are commonly consumed. Local supermarkets frequently carry an assortment of functional foods that include energy drinks, nutritional dense snack bars, and pre-prepared snacks with dried fruit and nuts.
With the aging of the Japanese population, as well as the decline in family size, increased participation of Japanese women in the labor force and declining marriage rate, people are increasingly less likely to eat meals prepared at home. As a result, sales of ready-to-eat meals - already common in Japan, and critical to the profitability of both traditional retail and the booming convenience store segments - continue their strong growth. These sales are complemented by the growth in institutional catering serving schools, hospitals, and the elderly with pre-prepared meals which are generally served in a traditional bento box combining a main dish (meat, fish, tofu, etc.) with rice and vegetables.
Since the 1960s, the Japanese diet has become more diverse. Both traditionally western dietary items (e.g. bread, dairy) and meat have become increasingly prominent in the Japanese diet while traditional items such as fish, tofu, and rice are seeing their role in the Japanese diet gradually decline. Recent years have seen an enormous expansion in inbound tourism to Japan which has also contributed to an increasingly diverse culinary scene. In major urban areas, a broad panorama of international foods is available not only in restaurants, but increasingly in supermarkets and convenience stores as well.
Food Trade Shows
In addition to the FAS Office of Agricultural Affairs in Tokyo, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service also maintains two Agricultural Trade Offices (ATOs) in Japan: one in Osaka and the other in Tokyo. These offices provide market familiarization services to potential U.S. exporters including background information on their market sectors, suggestions on potential Japanese partners and support in attending Japan-based trade shows. The food and agri-business sector in Japan is very competitive and trade show participation is generally regarded as a good avenue for companies to learn about and gain exposure to the Japan marketplace. Two of the largest annual food-related trade shows in Asia are held each year in Tokyo: Supermarket Trade Show (in February) and FOODEX Japan (in March). In addition, a number of smaller, and more focused, shows target sectors such as the wine, organics, seafood and bakery industries. For more information, feel free to contact the Agricultural Trade Office in Tokyo at ATOTokyo@usda.gov.
Web Resources
FAS Japan Exporter Guide
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service/Japan
The Supermarket Trade Show - Held annually in February at Makuhari Messe Convention Center on the outskirts of Tokyo.
FOODEX Japan - Held annually in March at Makuhari Messe Convention Center on the outskirts of Tokyo.