"Ahjikan launches 'GOVOCE Milk,' a new cocoa-free burdock-root sweet with milk and vanilla for a milder taste, expanding the GOVOCE line to appeal to children and a wider range of generations."

"Otsuka Foods' new 'Japanese-Style Bon Curry' blends katsuobushi, kombu, and niboshi dashi for a rich umami curry that pairs with both rice and noodles, targeting women in their 40s–60s and inbound demand."

Kokubu Group marks DeLoach Vineyards' 50th anniversary and 25 years with Boisset at a Tokyo event, highlighting terroir-driven winemaking and sustainability, including organic and biodynamic farming.

Niigata’s Aoi Shuzo (Nagaoka) enters its second brewing year and launches “Domaine Aoi,” sake made with in-house grown rice. President Risa Aoki shares her vision for clean, modern flavors and reaching new drinkers.

Meiji Holdings President Katsuya Matsuda outlines strategies to reignite probiotic yogurt growth by stressing “core value,” while Meiji’s chocolate business grows through smart pricing and cacao polyphenol messaging amid rising ingredient costs.

The Italian Trade Agency hosted a press luncheon in Tokyo for the “World Week of Italian Cuisine,” spotlighting essential Italian seasonings—olive oil, wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and sea salt—through a chef-led course menu and talks on health, culture and innovation.

Lindt launches its first-ever artisan praline collection “Signature Pralinés” in Japan on Nov. 27, crafted over two years by Maître Chocolatier Arnaud Ragot and offered in seven flavors including Dark Yuzu. The line targets more formal gifting and will be sold at 25 Lindt Chocolat Boutiques nationwide plus a limited-time pop-up at Shibuya Scramble Square.

Itochu Shokuhin and Otsuka Warehouse began full-scale electronic delivery slip operations on Nov. 11 at the Itochu Shokuhin Akishima Logistics Center in Tokyo, using Japan Pallet Rental’s “DD Plus” e-slip and information-sharing system. The project targets digitizing slips for about 20 companies (roughly half) out of around 40 manufacturers delivering to the center daily by the end of FY2026, with plans to expand to other centers.

Showa Sangyo and Nestlé Japan launched a loop “round-trip” transportation scheme in October, carrying flour from Showa’s Kashima Plant to its Shizuoka Sales Office and hauling coffee from Nestlé’s nearby Shimada Plant back to a Kanto warehouse in Chiba. With three runs per week, the companies expect to cut truck usage on these routes by about 50% by reducing empty return legs.

Sanden Retail Systems unveils a prototype “Oshikatsu Retail Trailer House,” a mobile, fully cashless pop-up store with five merchandise vending machines—co-developed with Trailer House Development and wrapped in the “Maebashi Witches” anime design to reduce event queues and labor.

Asahi Group Holdings says ordering and shipping operations disrupted by a ransomware cyberattack since Sept. 29 will return to system-based processing starting in December, with full normalization expected to progress sequentially through next spring as SKU and lead-time constraints remain.

Suigei Shuzo marks the 10th anniversary of its ultra-premium Junmai Daiginjo “DAITO” with the 2025 release featuring a dragon design based on woodblock artist Tomikichiro Tokuriki’s original work; brewed with Special-A Yamada Nishiki (Kato, Hyogo) polished to 30%.

Ezaki Glico expands its “Tunmel” chocolate brand with new “Tunmel Bonbon Chocolat Cacao Selection,” featuring 80%+ cacao ganache made via Oro de Cacao’s Cold Extraction method for smooth, low-bitterness taste—without sugar alcohols, emulsifiers, or stabilizers.

Seven‑Eleven Japan rolls out “Freshly Finished Noodles In‑Store,” using SoftBank Robotics’ steam-cooking robot STEAMA to cook frozen noodles to restaurant quality in about 90 seconds—capturing late-night demand while reducing labor and food waste.

Nippon Ham deepens its alliance with Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) by forming a pork-processing joint venture, combining CPF’s Asia-wide sales and raw-material supply networks with Nippon Ham’s product development, manufacturing and quality assurance strengths.

Fuji Nihon launches “SAYUNOMI,” a Food with Functional Claims featuring its proprietary inulin, designed to mix into morning hot water (sayu) to support bowel movements and skin hydration/elasticity, with lemon and ginger powders and no artificial additives or caffeine.