Japan Promotes Its Food in New York
Overview
On September 22, the Japan-U.S. Tourism and Culinary Night, hosted by the Japan Tourism Agency and co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, was held in New York City and welcomed about 220 attendees. JFOODO and JETRO introduced the appeal of Japanese food through dishes and beverages made with Japanese ingredients and booth exhibits, aiming to create opportunities to expand local sales channels and exports. Starting the following day, Japan Restaurant Week NYC 2026 was also held at about 20 venues across the city.
Key points
- The Japan-U.S. Tourism and Culinary Night was held in New York City on September 22 and welcomed about 220 attendees.
- Ingredients from across Japan, nongluten rice flour, and beverages were featured in dishes and at booths.
- For 12 days from the day after the event, Japan Restaurant Week NYC 2026 is being held at about 20 venues across the city.
Overview
The event took advantage of the United Nations General Assembly, when government, business, and media representatives from around the world gather in New York, to present the appeal of tourism and food together.
The Japan Tourism Agency hosted the event, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as co-host. The Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO) and JETRO's New York office introduced Japanese ingredients and other products.
Impact
By offering menus made with Japanese ingredients at local restaurants, the event is promoting sustained growth in consumption and wider handling of Japanese food.
Information provided at the booths aimed to deepen local buyers' understanding of Japanese ingredients and increase their interest in handling them.
A promotional initiative in partnership with local retailers in the United States aimed to create opportunities to expand sales channels and exports for Japanese food products.
Details
The program included a dance performance by kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro, a presentation of dishes by chefs, and introductions to sake and shochu by sake samurai and others. Prime Minister Takaichi's video message also featured nongluten rice flour and ingredients from across Japan.
Chef Noriaki Misawa, representing Chef Yoshihiko Fukuda, and Chef Shuichi Kotani, among others, served dishes made with nongluten rice flour. Under the Japan Rice Flour Association's labeling system, this flour is verified and certified to contain no more than 1 ppm of gluten, among other criteria. Special menus featured Aomori scallops, Ehime yellowtail and sea bream, Iwate wagyu, and Shizuoka Crown Melon, along with Japanese tea, juice made from domestically grown fruit, and Japanese alcoholic beverages.
At booths run by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, JFOODO, and JETRO, videos were shown and pamphlets distributed. The booths provided information about nongluten rice flour and the flagship export production areas for ingredients used in the dishes.
The government established JFOODO in 2017 as an organization responsible for Japan-wide consumer promotions to expand exports and build the brand of Japanese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and food.