Globalization of Japanese cuisine (Washoku) and prospect of the Japanese agricultural products export

The Current context of economic development among emerging nations and heightened awareness of health issues worldwide is seeing increasing demand for Japanese cuisine (washoku) and Japanese foodstuffs. In the past fiscal year, exports of agricultural products reached 550.6 billion yen (an increase of 22.4 % over the previous year), setting a record for the highest amount since statistics began to be complied in 1955. The main export destinations for Japanese foodstuffs are Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and other countries in the Asian region, which accounts for 70 % on the total export value. However, expanding exports of Japanese foodstuffs face a host of diverse challenges, including failures in trading mechanisms and on the policy front, as well as differences in business practices and consumer preferences in local markets. Problems also arise in export practices among domestic export producers with regard to sales at exhibitions and product fairs in local markets. There is a large number of single-commodity and small-volume exports of products with a single place of origin, as well as of exports that specialize in local brands, that are reliant on subsides, or are irregular or one-off in nature such that they lack either seasonal continuity or stable provision throughout the year, complicating the cultivation of an export business model. In the context of Japan's current population decline and the reality of a shrinking domestic [added for clarity] food market, the key to agricultural and food exports will be the ability to capture the purchasing power of emerging markets that are expected to mature both in terms of population increase and rising income. To bring about future success in agricultural exports among Japan's export producers, it will be important to build strong relationships of trust with local consumers and to make an active commitment to a dynamic and fluid global food market and the respective characters of its diverse export markets.