It has been 10 years since I left Japan.
I started my overseas business just two months after my father passed away. I was determined to do what I wanted to do. I have been involved in the "franchise" and "bar" business in Japan for nearly 30 years. And for the past 10 years, I have been looking overseas.
What I think is that there are still elements of growth in both Japanese food and franchising.
The number of Japanese restaurants worldwide has been growing at an accelerating rate over the past few years. There are 88,700 (2015) 118,000 (2017) 156,000 (2019) Japanese and Japanese food restaurants worldwide. (according to Nosui).
However, less than 5% of these restaurants are actually run by Japanese people.
Why? Why is that?
The world is looking for Japanese food, but no one is leaving, so the locals are developing Japanese food just to see what they can find.
That is not a bad thing. It is good that the base is expanding rapidly. The world's largest sushi chain is a Taiwanese company.
The number of tourists to Japan has finally exceeded 30 million thanks to the effects of the weak yen and inbound efforts such as visa exemptions.
Although the number of visitors to Japan is still small compared to the rest of the world... One of the most popular reasons for coming to Japan from all over the world is always "I want to eat Japanese food!
"I want to eat Japanese food!
This is how tourists eat real Japanese food.
They are fed up with the fake Japanese food they have been eating in their own countries and want to eat "real Japanese food". Even if they go back to their own country.
It is bound to happen!
In addition, JETRO conducted a survey of people around the world and asked them, "What is the dish you would like to eat other than the food of your own country?" The most popular answer was "Japanese food!
Japanese food!
Not French, Chinese, or Italian food, but Japanese food. Tailwind! Tailwind!
A tailwind for companies offering authentic Japanese food in Japan!
To ride the escalator up or not? It is up to the company, up to the president.
According to the needs of the world, Japanese food has the potential to become Japan's largest export industry. It is such an industrial field!
Assentia Holdings Pte.
Akira Tsuchiya