This study introduces the concept of “acceptance gap” for cultured meat, defined as the disparity between the daily consumption frequency of conventional animal products and the intention to consume their cultured counterparts daily. This study elucidates the type-specific acceptability of cultured livestock meat (beef and chicken) and cultured seafood (tuna and horse mackerel) among Japanese consumers. To this end, an online survey is administered to Japanese consumers to ascertain their attitudes towards conventional products and measure the acceptance gap. The study’s results indicate a substantial discrepancy in acceptance intention between cultured livestock meat and cultured seafood. In addition, the results illustrate a substantial acceptance gap for cultured livestock meat but no distinct gap for cultured seafood. These findings suggest that cultured livestock meat is less likely to be perceived as a direct substitute for conventional meat, whereas cultured seafood has a higher potential for such a substitution. This study significantly contributes to the literature on cultured meat acceptance by introducing the perspective of “acceptance change,” a concept that stands in contrast to the primary focus of the extant literature on acceptance formation. Furthermore, the study provides a valuable empirical foundation for further research on cultured meat acceptance by demonstrating the varying acceptability across different types of cultured meat. Lastly, the findings offer novel insights for consumer acceptance studies and can inform future efforts towards the practical application of cultured meat.

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This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the economic system of green tea and matcha in Kyoto, Japan, namely Uji tea (Uji-cha), with a particular focus on distribution structure and quality coordination. Various statistical data and literature were analyzed while incorporating interviews with 13 business operators from producers to tea merchants, wholesale markets, and public entities. At the production stage, replanting and scale expansion have progressed since the 1970s, but new challenges have emerged, including workforce development, the preservation of traditional production methods, and adjustments to the growing commercial demand of matcha. At the distribution stage, the enhancement of public functions (such as price formation) in the tea wholesale market has made the “agricultural cooperative-tea wholesale market” route as the major distribution channel. At the same time, transactions outside the market have also played a distinctive role in ensuring a stable supply of high-quality crude tea leaves. Furthermore, along with the functions of the tea market, the technical system of gōgumi (blending) employed by tea merchants has played a crucial role in the quality coordination of Uji tea. Various economic issues remain to be addressed, including how to design a quality assurance system that accommodates the diversification of what constitutes Uji tea, and how to express its sensory characteristics and terroir.

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In Indonesia, healthy food intake is promoted by encouraging the consumption of traditional foods that have been passed down over several generations in each region. Using qualitative research methods, this study surveyed four women in a rice farming village to examine how and why traditional food making has persisted. The results clarified the following two points. First, common experiences-from the subjects’ childhood to the present day-have encouraged the continuation of traditional food making. Because the subjects have enjoyed the taste of traditional foods since childhood, even after they began eating modern foods, they believed that traditional foods were superior in terms of healthiness and availability. They taught their daughters to make traditional foods, passing down their value to them. They also harbored an active desire to continue making traditional foods for their family’s health. The subjects learned and practiced traditional food making at home and school, as well as in the local community. After marriage, they improved their skills, making use of media and seeking information on healthy food. Second, the diverse life paths of the participants was evident. While some were highly oriented toward traditional foods and actively-even spontaneously-engaged in their preparation, others preferred the taste of modern foods, making traditional foods-centered meal preparations a passive aspect of their daily lives. Some began making traditional foods in earnest before marriage, while others did so after marriage. While some used media and information on healthy food to improve their ability, others did not make much use of information. Within the survey participants’ environment, many experiences increased their awareness and ability to prepare traditional foods. However, some attitudes and experiences that caused them to stop making traditional foods and replace them with modern foods were also observed.

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Efforts to attract tourists to rural Japan emphasize cultural assets such as sake tourism. UNESCO’s designation of washoku in 2013 and traditional sake brewing in 2024 as intangible cultural heritage has increased interest in Japanese cuisine and sake. Visiting a local sake brewery can be considered experiential tourism content unique to specific regions of Japan and allows tourists experience geographical diversity and cultural differences. Sake tourism is a form of travel in which people visit sake breweries, interact with local people, taste sake, and stroll around the land in which the sake is grown while enjoying the local cuisine and traditional culture unique to that area. This study aims to consider, from the perspective of marketing and management, the role of regional DMOs, which are closely tied to the community, play through sake tourism, which affects a variety of stakeholders.

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The entry of Japanese companies into overseas agriculture and their investment therein have primarily been aimed at a develop-and-import scheme. However, with the development of new food systems driven by economic growth in East and Southeast Asia, Japanese companies are shifting toward expanding their businesses as consumer markets in these regions. Are these trends also observable among Japanese farmers? If Japanese farmers were to enter overseas agriculture and expand overseas markets, under what conditions would such initiatives be implemented, and what business strategies might be anticipated? Additionally, what impact will overseas production by Japanese farmers and the development of local markets have on Japanese agriculture? This symposium features reports from researchers and business practitioners on the participation of Japanese farmers in overseas agriculture, the agricultural products exporteds, and the characteristics of Japanese agricultural and food manufacturing companies. On the basis of these reports, we hope aim to discuss the future of food systems in a complex and increasingly interconnected global society.

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This study analyzes the objectives and strategic contexts of Japanese corporations’ entry into overseas agricultural sectors. Historically, Japanese overseas agriculture has evolved from early emigrant farmers to contemporary high value-added corporates, characterized by a marked increase in agricultural subsidiary formation, particularly within Asia. This study is situated against the backdrop of domestic market contraction and governmental support measures such as the FBI strategy（an initiative promoting“Made From Japan,”“Made By Japan”, and“Made In Japan”）in Japan. Firm entry motivations are broadly categorized into two distinct paradigms: traditional global resource security model; and the contemporary overseas market development and brand-building one.
The case study of Nihon Agri Inc., involved in strawberry production in Thailand, reveals that the firm exemplifies this strategic approach. The company’s success is attributed to a sophisticated marketing strategy that targets the price gap between expensive Japanese imports and lower-priced local produce. The firm has leveraged the premium imagery associated with“Made by Japan”and secured local trademark rights for its“SAKURA ICHIGO”brand. Furthermore, through strategic collaboration with Japanese logistics partners, the company has established a robust cold chain that preserves quality from farms to consumers. Distribution channels are selectively limited to high-end retailers and cafés to reinforce the brand’s premium positioning. Additionally, consistent with the literature, this strategy explicitly avoids direct competition with exports from Japan.
The analysis indicates that strategic local partnerships, meticulous preparation, clear market positioning, and effective utilization of the “Japan Brand”are critical for the successful entry of Japanese enterprises into overseas agricultural markets. To establish the generalizability of these findings, future research should extend this analysis to encompass a broader range of products and geographical regions.

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Farmers and food companies in Japan have expanded their opportunities to engage in global markets through regional economic agreements and domestic export promotion initiatives. However, not all farmers or firms choose to expand their businesses internationally. Additional fixed costs, such as those associated with following different food safety regulations in each destination, influence firms’ decisions to enter global markets. International trade research has focused on firm heterogeneity and the processes of firm selection and reallocation linked to global market participation. This mechanism raises the industry’s average productivity. Simultaneously, if small- and medium-sized farmers and firms exit, it could undermine efforts to export their collective products, weaken the use of local resources, and harm local economies. To understand these conflicting possibilities, an overview of firm distribution is required. This study empirically examines the relationship between global market participation and firm heterogeneity in Japan’s agri-food industry. Firm-level microdata from 8,497 firms across 30 subsectors were analyzed. A rank-size regression analysis was conducted to explore the characteristics of firm size distribution. The findings revealed that firm size distribution in Japan’s agri-food industry generally follows a power law, indicating firm heterogeneity. Regarding the link between global market participation and firm heterogeneity, statistically significant differences were found in 17 of the 29 subsectors, many of which produce Japan’s top agri-food export products. These results imply that firms engaged in the global market tend to show greater heterogeneity than those operating solely in domestic markets. Global market participation may reflect firm selection and reallocation mechanisms in these subsectors. However, the results differed for the beef and green tea sectors, which are high-export agricultural products. These sectors have promoted regional brands and established joint shipping and export systems. This may result in exporters being composed of homogenous farmers.

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In this paper, the conditions, and challenges, faced by local small- and medium-sized enterprises entering the agricultural business in Vietnam as well as their future prospects are reported on the basis of their actual experiences in expanding into that country.
Specifically, the following are highlighted:
① the development of entry into the agricultural business in Vietnam, ② the shift from agricultural to restaurant businesses, and ③ future prospects and remaining challenges.

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The Japanese government is currently advancing policies to increase the export value of agricultural, and forestry and fishery products and foodstuffs. Steady progress is being made toward reaching the targets of ¥2 trillion by 2025 and ¥5 trillion by 2030. How should we approach promoting numerous food-centered industries, while maintaining a “global” perspective? In this paper, outbound and inbound aspects are comprehensively addressed, and a “consumption cycle model” centered on Japanese food is proposed. A “growth model” designed to foster development of the consumption maturity of overseas consumers is also presented. Furthermore, for inbound tourism, a model illustrating the “correlation between the multi-stage nature of the consumption maturity of overseas consumers” and the dispersion of overseas travellers to regional areas'” is proposed. Finally, the article highlights the importance of developing personnel capable of addressing the needs of overseas consumers and the significance of collaboration among industry, government, and academia.

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