The Government of Japan set up a new organization named “Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center” or JFOODO on April 1 for the purpose of strengthening its promotion activities to boost exports of agricultural, forestry, fishery and food products.
Campaigns for sales promotion of Japanese foods have been carried out mostly in such forms as trade fairs and business talk events, which have not necessarily been successful in achieving adequate results of publicity activities for overseas consumers, because those campaigns were independently organized by the national government and respective local administrations.
JFOODO’s new strategy will put a higher priority on effective sales promotion particularly by organizing publicity activities to provide overseas consumers with information on high quality of Japanese foods as well as how to taste Japanese cuisines, aiming at stimulating new demands for Japanese foods among those consumers.
The JFOODO started up with 50 staff members at the headquarters of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Minato ward, Tokyo.
The new organization plans to open its offices at major cities both inside and outside of Japan.
Professional experts specialized in food marketing and publicity will be recruited from private companies of the food industry and advertising agencies.