Browse Data and Analysis

In October 2024, the Government of Japan (GOJ) added a genome edited potato to the list of genome edited products not subject to regulations for genetically engineered food and feed.

The Ministry of Agriculture has taken unprecedented steps to alleviate the soaring rice prices that have plagued Japan since the summer 2024 rice shortage.

The Government of Japan (GOJ) through its Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA), has opened the public comment period for revisions it is proposing to the specifications for sterilized or sterile filtered mineral water to include specifications for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has taken extraordinary steps to alleviate high rice prices that have continued to increase since the domestic rice shortage in summer 2024.

In 2025, beginning inventories and beef production declined due to the increased pace of slaughter in 2024. Beef consumption remains weak due to inflation, with a shift toward less expensive proteins such as pork.

The total value of all retail food and beverage (F&B) sales was 52.2 trillion yen or $474.9 billion dollars.

Japan is the fourth largest export market for U.S. exporters of food and agricultural products.

Japan’s hotel, restaurant and institutional food service industry (HRI) achieved record high sales of ¥32.42 trillion ($295.2 billion) in 2016.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries approved 70 European Union (EU)-proposed geographical indications for agricultural items on December 15, 2017.

Although Japanese production and consumption of citrus has been in decline for decades, market year (MY) 2016/17 marked a small increase from the previous MY.

Japan is likely to finalize a determination in January, 2018, that will allow the use of U.S. corn-based ethanol in the production of bio-Ethyl Tert-Butyl Ether (ETBE) from 2018.

This report provides the latest status of consumption, regulation, public perception, research, development, production, and use of genetically engineered crops and animals in Japan.