US Beef Seeks Comeback in Japan’s Popular Yakiniku Restaurants
US Beef Seeks Comeback in Japan’s Popular Yakiniku Restaurants
Yakiniku, an Asian style of barbecue featuring thinly sliced meats, is a very popular choice in Japan’s restaurants. The yakiniku industry boasts 23,000 outlets and about $7 billion in annual sales, which made it a once-lucrative market for U.S. beef. But during Japan’s BSE-related suspension of U.S. beef imports, many yakiniku restaurants suffered a significant downturn and some went out of business.
Even today, restrictions on imports of U.S. beef are putting a supply squeeze on the yakiniku industry. However, usage of U.S. products is gradually increasing and many companies have become more receptive to reintroducing U.S. beef. To accelerate this process, USMEF is conducting a series of U.S. beef seminars in cooperation with the Japan Yakiniku Association (JY). This organization is one of the most influential in the entire Japanese foodservice sector, with nearly 500 member companies.
Takemichi Yamashoji, USMEF senior marketing director in Japan, explains the advantages of using U.S. beef in yakiniku dishes
At JY membership meetings in five major cities - Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Hokkaido - USMEF is holding seminars to illustrate the positive characteristics and distinct advantages of U.S. beef products. Total attendance at the five seminars is expected to be about 400, including buyers, supply managers and other key foodservice industry personnel.
The first seminar was held June 8 in Tokyo, with roughly 100 people attending. In his opening remarks, JY Chairman Taido Arai, who is also the owner of the country’s most successful yakiniku restaurant chain, gave high praise to U.S. beef.
“U.S. beef is a very attractive ingredient for Japan’s yakiniku industry, and we need to deepen our understanding of U.S. beef products,” he said.
Following the seminar, JY members enjoyed a reception featuring delicious samples of U.S. beef dishes derived from a variety of cuts, including strip loin, short plate, outside skirt, tongue, bible tripe and abomasums.
Through April, U.S. beef/beef variety meat exports to Japan have surged 34 percent in both volume and value over last year’s pace, reaching 26,760 metric tons (about 59 million pounds) valued at $141.7 million.
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.
US Beef Seeks Comeback in Japan’s Popular Yakiniku Restaurants
Yakiniku, an Asian style of barbecue featuring thinly sliced meats, is a very popular choice in Japan’s restaurants. The yakiniku industry boasts 23,000 outlets and about $7 billion in annual sales, which made it a once-lucrative market for U.S. beef. But during Japan’s BSE-related suspension of U.S. beef imports, many yakiniku restaurants suffered a significant downturn and some went out of business.
Even today, restrictions on imports of U.S. beef are putting a supply squeeze on the yakiniku industry. However, usage of U.S. products is gradually increasing and many companies have become more receptive to reintroducing U.S. beef. To accelerate this process, USMEF is conducting a series of U.S. beef seminars in cooperation with the Japan Yakiniku Association (JY). This organization is one of the most influential in the entire Japanese foodservice sector, with nearly 500 member companies.
Takemichi Yamashoji, USMEF senior marketing director in Japan, explains the advantages of using U.S. beef in yakiniku dishes
At JY membership meetings in five major cities - Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Hokkaido - USMEF is holding seminars to illustrate the positive characteristics and distinct advantages of U.S. beef products. Total attendance at the five seminars is expected to be about 400, including buyers, supply managers and other key foodservice industry personnel.
The first seminar was held June 8 in Tokyo, with roughly 100 people attending. In his opening remarks, JY Chairman Taido Arai, who is also the owner of the country’s most successful yakiniku restaurant chain, gave high praise to U.S. beef.
“U.S. beef is a very attractive ingredient for Japan’s yakiniku industry, and we need to deepen our understanding of U.S. beef products,” he said.
Following the seminar, JY members enjoyed a reception featuring delicious samples of U.S. beef dishes derived from a variety of cuts, including strip loin, short plate, outside skirt, tongue, bible tripe and abomasums.
Through April, U.S. beef/beef variety meat exports to Japan have surged 34 percent in both volume and value over last year’s pace, reaching 26,760 metric tons (about 59 million pounds) valued at $141.7 million.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry. It is funded by USDA; the beef, pork, lamb, corn and soybean checkoff programs, as well as its members representing nine industry sectors: beef/veal producing & feeding, pork producing & feeding, lamb producing & feeding, packing & processing, purveying & trading, oilseeds producing, feedgrains producing, farm organizations and supply & service organizations.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.