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 As part of the Theme Weeks program, “RELAY THE FOOD—Food and Terroir for the Future—,” to be held from June 8 (Sun.) to June 15 (Sun.), 2025, at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (Expo 2025), Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO) will host the exhibit “Tasty Japan: Flavors in Harmony” in the “Connecting Diversity” area. The exhibit will spotlight Western-inspired Japanese cuisine—highlighting its cultural and historical aspects through informative panels and videos—to demonstrate the strong appeal and deepen understanding of foods produced in Japan. It will also offer free samples of food and drink. 
 
  Japan’s food culture is garnering global attention. In addition to traditional Japanese cuisine, recently Western-inspired dishes such as curry rice and breaded pork cutlet have become very popular and a source of national pride. According to 2024 statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the export value of Japan’s agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foods reached a record high.*¹ Against this backdrop, this exhibit aims to introduce the characteristics of Western-inspired dishes that make the most of Japanese foods to further expand the potential of Japan’s food culture both in Japan and abroad, and connect to the future.
*¹According to “Exports and Imports Statistics of Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Products” from MAFF released on February 4, 2025
 
●“Tasty Japan: Flavors in Harmony” exhibit overview

■Discovering the history of Western-inspired dishes in Japan
At an exhibit booth designed after a Western-style restaurant from the Meiji era when Western cuisine was introduced to Japan, visitors can view exhibit panels on the history of Western-inspired dishes in Japan and their spread overseas while trying free samples of fruit juice and bite-size servings of curry rice.
 
■A mini-quiz event on Western-inspired dishes
 A quiz on Western-inspired dishes in Japan and mini-quiz event on foods produced in Japan will be held. Visitors who participate in the mini quiz and participants who get a perfect score will be given a present. 
 
Event Overview:
•    Exhibition Period  : 8 days from June 8 (Sun.)–June 15 (Sun.), 2025
10:00–20:00 (last entry at 19:00)
•    Exhibit Venue     : EXPO Exhibition Center “WASSE” Event Hall on the south side
Connecting Diversity Area: Export ⑦
•    Free Samples     : Days offering bite-size servings of curry rice
The 4 days of June 8 (Sun.), 9 (Mon.), 14 (Sat.), 15 (Sun.), 2025
(We offer curry made without any animal-derived ingredients, so it can be enjoyed by vegetarians and vegans alike.) 
Days offering fruit juice
The 4 days of June 10 (Tue.)–13 (Fri.), 2025
(The schedule for offering free food/drink samples will be provided on each day at the exhibit booth.)
 
■Exhibit Supervisor: Yuriko Aoki, Representative Director, e-food Co., Ltd.
Ms. Aoki is a researcher of local cuisines and representative of the informational global cooking website, e-food.jp. She is a columnist, a food presenter on the NHK program, “Chikyu Radio (World Radio),” and has served as a food culture advisor for the Cabinet Secretariat’s “Host Town Initiative” for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
 
■Food Sample Producer: Shinichi Katayama, CEO, Sumidaya Shoten Co., Ltd.
Mr. Katayama is the CEO of Sumidaya Shoten, a rice shop established in Sumida City, Tokyo in 1905 that has been in business for over 100 years. He is a rice expert who endeavors to increase understanding of rice and rice dishes by providing workshops on how to cook rice in Japan and instruction on cooking rice abroad.

 

•    About “RELAY THE FOOD—Food and Terroir for the Future—”
Based on the keyword, “connecting,” the exhibit on foods and agricultural, forestry, and fishery industries will introduce traditions passed down through generations in Japan, the regional diversity nurtured throughout the country, and the latest technologies anticipated to be utilized in the future.
Theme Weeks Website:
https://theme-weeks.expo2025.or.jp/program/detail/66f29339070df.html
 
•    Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO)
JFOODO carries out promotions targeting overseas consumers throughout Japan to boost the branding and export of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foods produced in Japan.

■Inquiries

jfoodo_expo2025@ozma.co.jp (Public Relations Office)

■Department in charge

Overseas Promotion Planning Division, Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO)

Address: Ark Mori Bldg. (6F General Information), 1-12-32 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6006

Corporate Website: https://www.jetro.go.jp/jfoodo/