Hiyayakko is shifting from a summer side dish to a year-round snack, as tofu makers like Takano Foods, Sagamiya Shokuryo, and Sato no Yuki Foods launch flavorful, sauce-based products to capture home-drinking demand.
At FOODEX JAPAN 2026, Italy fielded a record 250 companies, the largest overseas pavilion, boosted by December's UNESCO heritage listing and a new Italian rice corner targeting Japan's discerning market.
Japan's fiscal 2025 ice cream market is set for a record sixth straight year near 650–660 billion yen, as makers shift from heat-driven seasonal sales to year-round cream-based products amid changing consumer behavior.
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Nestlé Japan launched Starbucks Coffee Craft on March 1, a 260 ml 100% Arabica concentrate in Unsweetened and Caramel that dilutes 6x for about eight at-home iced café drinks.
Nestlé Japan launched Starbucks Coffee Craft on March 1, a 260 ml 100% Arabica concentrate in Unsweetened and Caramel that dilutes 6x for about eight at-home iced café drinks.
Kagome will launch on March 10 a 195 ml orange-flavored 100% juice with no orange juice, blending New Zealand yellow carrots with apple, pineapple, lemon, and mango amid soaring OJ prices.
Suntory Beverage & Food will accelerate new brands in health-oriented energy drinks and functional hydration, adding a Thailand aseptic line and reformulating for sugar taxes as Gen Z tastes shift.
Japan’s 2025 soymilk production hit a record 444,552 kiloliters, led by unadjusted soymilk at 156,927 kL, as health-focused campaigns revived demand after the post-2020 slump.
Japan’s 2025 agri-food exports hit a record 1.7005 trillion yen, with green tea nearly doubling to 72.1 billion yen as matcha demand surged in the U.S., Europe, and ASEAN.
S&B Foods is building a new factory in Chonburi, Thailand, to produce halal-ready instant curry products from fiscal 2027, strengthening supply, logistics efficiency, and sustainable growth across Southeast Asia and Oceania.
SEAPA Japan sees growing potential for single-seed oyster farming, supported by rising demand for premium in-shell oysters, artificial seed production, automated microalgae cultivation, and advanced purification systems that improve safety, quality, and shipment control.
SEAPA Japan sees growing potential for single-seed oyster farming, supported by rising demand for premium in-shell oysters, artificial seed production, automated microalgae cultivation, and advanced purification systems that improve safety, quality, and shipment control.
As mass oyster deaths hit the Seto Inland Sea, single-seed farming is drawing attention for efficiently producing premium, traceable in-shell oysters—meeting growing demand from restaurants, retail, and overseas markets while supporting more resilient aquaculture.
AEON is accelerating supermarket reform in Kanto through U.S.M.H. and Aeon Food Style, investing in fresh deli, process-center optimization, common procurement, and PB expansion to build a stronger profit model and sustainable growth cycle.
Monte Bussan will launch Italian beers Castello and Dolomiti in Japan from February, bringing six styles brewed with Dolomiti Valley snowmelt water and Italian malt—ranging from crisp lagers to rich doppio malto—for everyday enjoyment and food pairing.
Amid rising rice prices and weaker demand for fried foods, Japan’s breadcrumb output fell 11% in August 2025, and industry leaders say higher labor, logistics, and energy costs will make price hikes—especially for household PB products—unavoidable from spring.
Japan’s FY2025 sugar consumption forecast remains at 1.75 million tons, with steady industrial demand offset by weak household demand, higher prices, and the lingering impact of price revisions, keeping the market nearly flat.
