Reviewing Rice Price Surge and Rebuilding Supply Policies | Chapter 3Expanding Food Exports and Strengthening Japan’s Overseas Earning Power

As population decline and aging progress, incorporating overseas markets rather than relying solely on the domestic market is considered necessary to maintain the foundations of agricultural production and the food industry and secure food supply capacity. The Japanese government formulated the Strategy for the Expansion of Exports of Agricultural, Forestry, Fishery, and Food Products in November 2020 and revised it in May 2025.

In 2025, exports of agricultural, forestry, fishery, and food products rose 12.8% from the previous year to 1.7005 trillion yen, setting a new record. Factors included interest in Japanese cuisine, increased recognition resulting from the growth in visitors to Japan, health consciousness, and the acquisition of new commercial channels. However, exports fell short of the interim target of 2 trillion yen, and efforts will be accelerated toward the 2030 target of 5 trillion yen.

By product category, processed foods totaled 572.5 billion yen, fishery products 423.1 billion yen, and livestock products 142.8 billion yen. By country and region, exports to the United States were the largest at 528.3 billion yen, followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and South Korea. Export values reached record highs in the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and other markets.

Export expansion is positioned as a policy that creates new overseas demand, broadens revenue opportunities for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and the food industry, and helps maintain and strengthen production and related business foundations. If low-cost export production, branding, and higher value addition advance, conditions will be established for production areas and businesses to continue producing even as the domestic market contracts.

Regional impacts will expand through the formation of export-oriented production areas, attraction of visitors to rural communities, and tourism combining food culture and landscapes. By coordinating information dissemination and sales before travel, during visits, and after visitors return home, the concept seeks to mutually encourage food-related spending by visitors to Japan, stays in regional areas, purchases of Japanese food products after returning home, and repeat visits.

At the same time, exports are influenced by market and institutional changes, including United States tariff measures, regulations in destination markets, competition with Chinese and South Korean products, and shortages in logistics and human resources. Stable exports require avoiding excessive dependence on particular countries, expanding sales channels into non-Japanese markets and untapped regions, and combining intergovernmental consultations with business support.

The number of visitors to Japan reached 42.68 million in 2025, expanding opportunities to link food-related spending with securing revenue for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and the food industry, alongside exports.

Thirty-one priority export items have been designated, including beef, pork, chicken, chicken eggs, milk and dairy products, fruit, vegetables, rice, packaged rice, processed rice products, rice flour products, tea, fishery products, alcoholic beverages, confectionery, and timber. For each priority item, export targets, challenges, and measures addressing regulations and needs are clarified by target country and region to diversify export destinations.

As representative examples, the beef export value target will rise from 64.8 billion yen in 2024 to 113.2 billion yen in 2030, while the target for rice, packaged rice, and related products will rise from 13.6 billion yen to 92.2 billion yen. For beef, efforts will promote recognition, cutting options, facility development, and sales-channel development, with a goal of 25 flagship export production areas. For rice, large-scale, low-cost production areas, organic rice, processing facilities, certification, and sales channels targeting non-Japanese markets will be developed, with a goal of 30 production areas.

Among the main priority items in 2025, commercial rice totaled 13.88 billion yen, rice-related products including packaged rice totaled 15.9 billion yen, beef totaled 73.1 billion yen, and green tea totaled 72.1 billion yen. For green tea, exports under an organic-equivalence system increased to 2,999 tonnes in 2024, while milk and dairy products totaled 30.5 billion yen and fruit totaled 26.2 billion yen, both declining from the previous year.

Certified item organizations coordinate stakeholders from production through sales and undertake activities that individual businesses find difficult to conduct alone, such as market research and joint promotions. As of the end of March 2026, 15 organizations and 28 items had been certified. JETRO supports institutional information, consultations, trade fairs, and business meetings, while JFOODO creates demand through social media, digital advertising, and local public relations.

In important markets, support is provided for fairs at local retail stores, in-store and e-commerce promotions, business meetings with wholesalers, and the development and test marketing of new products. As of the end of March 2026, export support platforms had been established in 10 countries and regions at 16 locations, providing comprehensive support for local information, new commercial channels, and network formation.

Export businesses are supported throughout the period from facility investment to revenue generation by using financing under the Export Promotion Act, accelerated depreciation for assets used in export businesses, and funding for private-sector investment entities. The GFP membership totaled 11,262 as of February 2026. As of December 2025, there were 108 flagship export production areas nationwide.

Regulatory measures include intergovernmental consultations with destination countries, food safety management, intellectual property management, development of facilities compliant with HACCP, and animal and plant quarantine consultations. In 2025, export conditions improved for beef to Kuwait, polished rice to Brazil, and melons to Australia. Import restrictions related to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant remained in place in 5 countries and regions as of the end of March 2026.

For overseas expansion of the food industry, support is provided through the GFVC Public-Private Council, which includes approximately 1,000 companies and organizations, covering seminars, guidelines, overseas missions, and the development of logistics and commercial channels. For inbound tourism, SAVOR JAPAN, farm stays, gastronomy tourism, brewery tourism, and cross-border e-commerce are combined to adapt popular domestic products to regulations, halal requirements, vegan needs, and other conditions and connect them to exports.