Different Consumption Trends in China and the US Amid Overseas Natto Boom: Exports Double in 6 Years

Fermented Foods Become Popular Abroad in the “Health-Conscious” World

Natto has a strong image as a tasty and healthy fermented food. Natto is now being eaten overseas as well, and the amount of natto exported from Japan has doubled in the past six years. How is natto spreading overseas?

The Mitsukan Group, which sells the “Kinotsubu” series and “Kume Natto” in Japan, says that natto exports, especially to the United States, are growing by several percent per year. A spokesperson for the company says of local sales in the U.S. and other countries, “The number of stores selling our products in Asian supermarkets is increasing.

The increase in the number of Asian supermarkets selling our products has led to growth. Many of our customers are from Asia, and we believe that the way they eat natto is the same as in Japan.

Fascinated by “nattomaki” during a visit to Japan…

There is also the spread of natto through the experience of visiting Japan. The company believes that foreign visitors to Japan may have become natto eaters after returning to their home countries because of their experience of eating natto through nattomaki (natto rolls) and other means.

Natto exports from Japan totaled about 1.9 billion yen last year, up 7.6% from the previous year. This is almost double the surge compared to 2005. According to the Ministry of Finance trade statistics, the percentage of export destinations last year included the U.S. at 26%, China at 21.7%, Hong Kong at 9.6%, Taiwan at 7.4%, South Korea at 5.6%, Australia at 5.1%, and Canada at 3.6%.

An official of the National Federation of Natto Cooperative Associations believes that “health consciousness” is behind the increase in natto exports to China and Hong Kong.

There is a belief in the safety and security of Japanese food products, and this belief has spread mainly to urban areas. Statistics by Japanese customs show that exports from Hokkaido are high, and the Hokkaido brand stands out.

The historical background of the expansion of exports to China can be attributed to Deng Xiaoping’s “reform and open-door policy,” which was promoted by China’s most powerful man, Deng Xiaoping, and the spread of Japanese food products through Yaohan and other companies that entered the Chinese market and handled them, and through the communities of people involved with Japanese companies.

In the U.S….they eat it as is, without any sauce or spices!

A representative of the Federation says, “It is the same in the U.S. that natto spreads by creating points of contact with natto locally. In particular, he points out the following about the spread of natto in the U.S.

The Japanese business community spread fermented food to Asian people such as Koreans, and it also spread to Anglo-Saxons and other groups based on health. There is an image of Japan as a healthy food oriented, safe and secure country.”

In Japan, natto is often eaten with rice. How do people overseas eat natto?