Shizuoka has launched the global premium tea brand “JAPAN TEA SHIZUOKA,” defined by 100% first-harvest tea grown and finished in the prefecture, with a Kashiwa Sato-designed “modern Rangiji” logo.
Japan faces a domestic honey shortage as honeybees disappear from hives, threatening harvests and crop pollination, while tests flag suspected adulteration in more than 10 imported products labeled 100% pure honey.
Ajikan launched powdered “Delicious Whole Burdock Tea, Including the Skin” in 2.2 g sticks for drinks, rice, ice cream, and lattes, alongside inulin green juice with claims for bowel and triglyceride support.
A-Plus operates Farm & Factory TAMURA in Fukushima, a fully automated plant factory producing 12,000 pesticide-free lettuce heads daily, while expanding into cup salads, strawberries, and global consulting.
Ise So launched a 1 kg commercial chūniang seasoning on April 20 after supply disruptions hit Chinese restaurants, offering rice-and-koji fermented richness and acidity for dishes such as shrimp chili sauce.
Japan’s halal food exports rose 3.67% in 2025 as Mega Halal Bangkok 2026 targets 400+ exhibitors and 15,000 buyers, while Tokyo’s Halal Inbound & Outbound Expo Japan returns May 19–20.
Oriental Sake Awards 2026, Asia's largest sake competition outside Japan, will hold judging in Hong Kong on August 18-20 with 39 experts from 10 regions, winners announced September 9.
Japanese rice cracker makers, led by Kameda Seika's full acquisition of North America's TH FOODS, are expanding overseas as gluten-free snacks gain traction in health-conscious markets in the US, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Lindt Japan will sell "Tenkū no Matcha Kiwami Chocolat Drink" (1,200 yen) and "Crema Gelata Tenkū no Matcha" (890 yen) from April 10 through May 31, marking a 7th consecutive year of collaboration with Shizuoka's Oyaizu Seiichi Shoten.
Key Coffee's Italian brand illy has been adopted by "bean by the bay," a new lobby café at Hilton Tokyo Bay that opened March 18, offering premium espresso alongside customizable sandwiches and ramen.
Suntory's "Guilty Carbonated NOPE" shipped 20 million bottles within one week of its March 24 launch, the fastest ever for a Reiwa-era Suntory carbonated drink, driven by its complex 99-flavor blend.
Marubeni Foods has signed a strategic partnership with Vietnam's largest tea maker VINATEA to develop and produce green tea for Japan, addressing rising domestic prices amid the global matcha boom.
Asahi Shuzo will ship "Kobare," an 8% ABV junmai daiginjo sake, to supermarkets in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, and Niigata from April 6, offering a light, floral, low-alcohol alternative for daily life.
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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.
