Event Report: “FOODIES LOVE JAPAN” promotional campaign held at six major airports across Japan to promote the appeal of Japanese food to foreign visitors

The overall number of foreign visitors participating in the campaign reached 19,143. They put out 5,213 social media posts. These posts, in conjunction with surveys conducted at event venues, suggested that standard Japanese foods such as ramen and sushi enjoy deep-seated popularity. At the same time, visitors actively tried food ingredients and dishes characteristic of the regions they visited. Regarding the triggers for wanting to eat certain Japanese foods, the posts and surveys demonstrate that many were influenced by social media or word-of-mouth, and that many decided on what they would eat after arriving in Japan.

(1) Event Period:

Fall: Monday, October 2-Sunday, October 15, 2023
Winter: Monday, December 18-Sunday, December 31, 2023

(2) Event Locations:

Campaign Outline

During the campaign, JFOODO asked foreign visitors to Japan to post photos of the Japanese foods they ate and liked the most during their visit on their own social media accounts using the official hashtag #foodieslovejapan. We also asked foreign visitors who visited our booths about their intentions regarding Japanese food after returning to their home countries.

Social Media Posts and Survey Outcomes

Many posted on social media (5,213 posts) about their food experiences in Japan. JFOODO also collected 6,684 surveys.
Note: The above figures are from the end of the fall and winter campaigns (as of December 31).

Ramen and sushi/seafood were the Japanese foods foreign visitors particularly liked on their trip. At the same time, region-specific food experiences were deeply popular

Participants posted on social media about the Japanese foods they particularly liked among all the foods they tried while visiting Japan. Most posted about ramen and sushi/seafood. The next most popular food was yakiniku (grilled meat), then udon/soba. Apart from those, there were posts about foods that are not yet commonly found on overseas markets, such as chawan mushi (steamed egg custard) and urchin. These outcomes show promise for further expansion into food markets overseas.
By expanding the venues of the present campaign into Japan’s outlying regions, the campaign made some discoveries about Japanese food-eating tendencies among foreign visitors while sightseeing in these locations. There were also differences among the target groups who participated across the various regions, and it was found that the numbers of visitors to outlying regions from overseas were higher among those from Asian countries, a group that visits Japan more often than others. In regard to social media posts too, a lot of people posted about their experiences of Japanese food in specific regions, which may be attributable to the insight frequently provided by participants that “when sightseeing in the outlying regions, they want to enjoy the Japanese food available only in those places.”

Nearly 80% of the visitors had bought Japanese food in their own country, even foods with a strong connection to the regions visited

The survey also revealed a picture of the habits among visitors around purchasing Japanese food and food products made in Japan in their home countries and regions. When asked “Have you purchased Japanese food products in your home country/region?”, 75.6% of the respondents answered “Yes,” which suggests that a lot of visitors experience Japanese foods in their home countries before they visit. More specifically, many replied that the food they had bought was sushi (755 replies) or ramen (721 replies), which again shows how deeply popular these are.
Of the seasonings, Okinawan brown sugar accounted for 26 replies, which is quite high compared to the 19 replies for soy sauce. All the visitors who answered “Okinawan brown sugar” had visited Okinawa Prefecture, which gives us a glimpse of its regional nature.

Triggers that make visitors want to eat Japanese food were mostly word-of-mouth information and social media platforms familiar to the consumer

When we asked visitors “What made you want to eat Japanese food?”, most replied “Instagram or other social media platforms.” The next most common reply was “Recommendation from a friend.” This shows that apart from personal research on social media, word-of-mouth information was often the trigger.

Nearly 80% of the visitors had bought Japanese food in their own country, even foods with a strong connection to the regions visited

The survey also revealed a picture of the habits among visitors around purchasing Japanese food and food products made in Japan in their home countries and regions. When asked “Have you purchased Japanese food products in your home country/region?”, 75.6% of the respondents answered “Yes,” which suggests that a lot of visitors experience Japanese foods in their home countries before they visit. More specifically, many replied that the food they had bought was sushi (755 replies) or ramen (721 replies), which again shows how deeply popular these are.
Of the seasonings, Okinawan brown sugar accounted for 26 replies, which is quite high compared to the 19 replies for soy sauce. All the visitors who answered “Okinawan brown sugar” had visited Okinawa Prefecture, which gives us a glimpse of its regional nature.

Comments from visitors (excerpts)

As part of the campaign, advertisements were also posted inside major railway and subway stations in Tokyo and outlying regions used by foreign visitors to access their accommodation and for sightseeing. The website specially set up for this campaign featured the appeal of Japanese food and Japanese food culture as well as regional delicacies. It also presented online stores from which foreign visitors could buy Japanese food in their home countries. JFOODO featured the events on its website, Taste of Japan,* which presents a variety of information related to Japanese food and cuisine in four languages for overseas consumers, thus endeavoring to maximize the campaign’s outcomes. *https://japan-food.jetro.go.jp/en.html

JFOODO will continue to promote Japanese food culture and Japanese agricultural, forestry, marine, and food products in order to expand their exports .

Inquiries

The Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO)