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Healthy Japan and The Rise of the Organic Food Market

In Japan where most people are considered thin and healthy, this would be the last place you would least expect to find people looking for the latest health and diet ideas. However, you would be hard pushed to find those more interested in finding ways to lose weight than in this part of the world.

Aerobics, dancing and boxing interactive DVDs have done extremely well in the market showing that although there has been a massive influx of Western fast food chains, Japanese consumers still appreciate a healthy body. There is a keen understanding of what is healthy and ecological in these changing times. The recent expansion of organic stores is no surprise as the Japanese consumers look for healthier ways to live.

Fish, soy products, wheat, tea and fundamentally the size of portions of food are important in Japanese dietary habits. Organic food produce is also a key factor of recent times. Natural House, which is a chain of organic and natural supermarkets specializing in organic produce (with over 40 stores in Japan), clearly shows the growing tendency in Japan.

A representative of JONA (Japan Organic and Natural Foods Association) said that despite the economic crisis there is still steady growth within the organic food industry. There are in excess of 3200 organic farms primarily in the Okayama and Kumamoto prefectures. It is expected that the area of organic land will eventually double. However, lack of arable land makes organic farming difficult. This gives rise to imported produce.

BioFach Japan which is the oldest daughter of the world trade fair BioFach (Nuremburg) has been taking place in Japan since 2001. The 2009 fair had 17 foreign participating countries. The subsequent survey showed that 71% of the international exhibitors made a good number of business connections during the fair. 62% felt there was an excellent market potential for their products in Japan.

For foreign producers and exporters, there seems to be a promising future. Many products in the market currently tend to focus on the organic, fresh and healthy approach. So by understanding the basic requirements (from the above), showing a strong focus on ecology and appealing to the Japanese consumers’ search for a healthy lifestyle; there is an exciting market open for foreign companies looking to expand in Japan.

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