For Italian food, Tokyo is the most strategic Asian marketplace

Wine, extra virgin olive oil, preserved tomatoes, fresh cheeses: with over one billion euros of exports in 2024, for Made in Italy agro-foods, Japan is now the leading Asian market. An even heavier basin than that of China, made up of 122 million consumers with a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. This is why the Osaka Expo is an important opportunity to strengthen Italy's image in Japan, even more strategic at a time when another high-profile market, the United States, is on the contrary raising its barriers against Made in Italy exports.

"Italian agrifood enjoys an excellent reputation in Japan,' says Gianpaolo Bruno, director of Ice in Tokyo. 'The Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, already came here in March on the occasion of Foodex, the most important agrifood fair in the whole of Asia Pacific. The event was attended by 220 Italian companies: it was the largest delegation of all the foreign companies present at the fair'. The minister will return to Japan in June, as part of an extensive mission that will start from Tokyo and arrive at the Osaka Expo to coincide with World Environment Day and Food Safety Day.

Despite the constant depreciation of the yen - which began in April 2022 - making Italian exports to Japan more expensive, Italian food & wine exports grew by 9.9% in 2024. 'The best-selling product is wine,' explains Director Bruno, 'but the highest growth rate last year was in extra virgin olive oil, which was 55% higher in value than the previous year. Exports of preserved tomatoes also increased by more than 20%, as did those of sweets and chocolate, while cheeses grew by 8% thanks mainly to mozzarella and other fresh products. What Japanese consumers are most interested in are products linked to the Mediterranean diet, because they have to do with health, a guiding principle of their food choices as much as ours'.

Only ten years ago, Italian agri-food exports to Tokyo grossed less than EUR 800 million: 'Much of the credit for the growth undoubtedly goes to the free trade treaty between the EU and Japan, which came into force in 2019,' says Bruno, demonstrating that barriers to trade benefit no one. 'However, there are still some non-tariff barriers on which Italy is working to further facilitate trade, such as overly stringent regulations on cured meats or some mandatory labelling requirements.

Bureaucratic obstacles aside, says the Ice director, the potential of the Japanese market is high: 'In addition to the healthy segment, another promising trend is that of ready meals, since the Japanese are not very used to eating at home'. Regional Italian cuisine is also becoming increasingly popular: 'Sardinian cuisine, for example, is enjoying growing success,' says Bruno. 'It used to be little known, but recently several Sardinian cuisine restaurants have been opening in Tokyo. At the Foodex in March, the island's companies were particularly well represented and the Japanese Minister of Agriculture visited their stand to taste the Pecorino Romano cheese'.