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Quick Facts

• Population of 126 million people.
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$3.2 trillion, making the third largest economy in the world.
• Per Capita GDP of US$23,400.
• Landmass slightly less than that of California.

During the past decade, Japan’s economy has been in a period of recession or economic stagnation. Japan’s economy continues to be very sluggish with a relatively small projected GDP growth rate.

General Characteristics of Market and Culture

• Agriculture equals 2 percent of the nation’s GDP or US$64 billion.
• Poultry production equals 1.2 million metric tons annually.
• Pork production equals 1.3 million metric tons annually.
• Eleven percent of the landmass is arable.
• Soybean imports from the U.S. equal 3.6 million metric tons. Food soybeans are used for tofu, miso, natto, and other food uses such as boiled soybeans and soy sauce. IP soybeans include organic and non-organic food grade soybeans, variety-specific soybeans, IOM soybeans, and other premium grade soybeans.  Soybean meal is used for feed, industrial purposes, and food products such as soy protein and soy sauce.
• Corn imports from the U.S. equal 14.8 million metric tons. Corn is the major ingredient used in compound and mixed feed production. Approximately 44 percent of the corn used for feed is used for the poultry industry.  Total production of feed is forecasted to decline due to decreased livestock production.
• Wheat imports from the U.S. equal 3.1 million metric tons. The market is known for its demand for exceptionally high quality in the wheat it uses.  By class, Japan is a large user of hard red spring as well as a major user of hard red, winter and soft white wheat.

Food Self-Sufficiency Policy

Japan currently imports over 60 percent of its food requirements.  The government has set a food self-sufficiency target of 45 percent by 2010.  However, there is a trend toward increased imports due to decreases in domestic production and rapidly evolving dietary habits that continue to drive imports upwards. Japanese agricultural imports have been increasing five times more rapidly than the nation’s GDP. Agricultural production is steadily contracting.

IP Crops

Japan has been a traditional market for IP crops.

• Japan is the world’s largest importer of IP food grade soybeans with a use of 1.0 million metric tons annually. 
• The U.S. is the largest import supplier of IP food grade and organic product to the market. 
• Japan has an organic food market valued at US$4 billion annually, which has been growing at annual rate of over 20 percent.

Trends

Japanese consumers are becoming more value conscious and focusing more on “Kirei” (clean), “Kenko” (healthy), and “Kodawari” (good value) foods. Accountability and traceability are becoming a requirement for food inputs. The demand for organic or natural foods is growing due to consumer concerns about environment, health, and nutrition.

The above is a summary of the market profile. 
View the Detailed Japan Market Profile Here. html | pdf

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