Japan has been host to three major annual international exhibitions related to food for some time now. The 37th FOODEX Japan, showcasing the food and beverage industry, is being held from 6-9 March at Makuhari Messe, Chiba. The 17th ifia, an exhibition of international food ingredients and additives, and the 10th HFE, the health food exposition and conference, take place at Tokyo Big Sight from 23-25 May. The 12th BioFach Japan – focused on organic food, natural cosmetics and organic textiles – runs from 21-23 November at Tokyo Big Sight.
According to JETRO on the BioFach website, Japan is classified as the third-largest consumer market for organic and natural products, and experts forecast high growth rates in the years ahead. The exhibition organizers point out that the area of land usable for organic farming here is limited to about 12,500 acres, and that the archipelago is the world’s largest food importer, securing over 60% of its food supply through imports.
As mentioned on the ifia website, due to the sharp rise in prices for raw food materials, never before has the demand for additives and alternative ingredients been so high in Japan. Regarding the health food expo, the Japanese market has shown increased focus on the benefits of healthy diets, balanced meals and other nutritional means, resulting in such trends playing a major role in the consumer selection process.
FOODEX remains the most comprehensive F&B marketplace where 10,000 buyers from over 30 countries and regions gather to seek out products to sell in Asia. There is a “corner” in the expansive exhibition space, for example, where Japanese wine professionals will promote your wine after just filling out a simple form and bringing two bottles of your not-yet-imported-to-Japan premium wines. If buyers are interested, the Japanese wine professionals will assist in the import procedure, no matter the volume of the trade.