On May 13, 2019, USDA Japan hosted the seventh U.S.-Japan Agricultural Trade Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Secretary of
Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty welcomed six new members to the Hall of Fame, which recognizes
prominent food industry members that have made significant contributions to expanding U.S. agricultural exports.
Ambassador Hagerty opened the ceremony by thanking the inductees for their loyalty and support over many years and Secretary Perdue emphasized the importance of the Japanese market for U.S. agriculture.
Through his ‘Do Right and Feed Everyone’ motto, the Secretary relayed his desire to further strengthen ties between Japanese business partners and U.S. farmers.
Congratulations to the Class of 2019 on their induction to the U.S.-Japan Agricultural Trade Hall of Fame!
President of Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, Inc.
Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores is an Osaka based company and is recognized as a trend-setter in Western Japan and keen to develop imported food for their promotional events. In 2011, they became the first department store to hold a new style American-themed fair, specifically a New York Fair, which is now an annual event. Hankyu now promote products not only from New York but also from Oregon and other States. This allows new products to enter the market. Following Hankyu’s success, other department stores in the Kanto area are now holding American-themed fairs as well.
Mr. Katsuhisa Ezaki
President & CEO of Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. (Glico)
Glico produces confectionary products and operates a total of 19 production plants worldwide with over 5,000 employees. In the United States, Glico maintains a presence in Irvine, California (Ezaki Glico USA Corporation, established in 2003) which focuses on sales and marketing of the company’s flagship product, Pocky (chocolate-dipped biscuit sticks). Glico is a major user of U.S. agricultural ingredients, including wheat, corn, almonds, raisins, fruit and vegetable juice concentrates, rice, cheddar cheese, and many additives. Glico takes pride in having been the first company to import U.S. almonds into Japan.
Mr. Kunio Ichinose
President and Founder of Pepper Food Service Co., Ltd.
Pepper Food operates Ikinari Steakhouse and Pepper Lunch restaurant that offering steak at a budget price. Since opening the first Ikinari Steak in Ginza in December 2013, Mr. Ichinose has expanded the steak house to over 300 locations in Japan and has invested in the United States to open 11 outlets in New York. Additionally, Pepper Food Service has nearly 600 restaurants in Japan, and more than 300 outlets internationally. Mr. Ichinose’s company used over 9,000 tons of U.S. beef in 2018, making them Japan’s largest U.S. beefsteak cut user.
Mr. Shuji Kobayashi
President of the Japan Feed Trade Association (JFTA)
JFTA consists of nine major trading firms that import and supply feed grain and oilseed materials to feed mills in Japan. JFTA members trading firms account for nearly 70 percent of Japan’s total imports of U.S. feed grains and oilseeds. JFTA works closely with U.S. Grain Council on technical issues, and is a great source of information for USDA for feed grain and the oilseeds market. JFTA’s member companies; Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Itochu own grain elevators and export facilities in the United States.
Mr. Taiji Nakanishi
President of Dokyu Co., Ltd.
Dokyu is a Sapporo-based food service company operating chain restaurants and company cafeterias. Mr. Nakanishi began at DOKYU in 1986 and initiated Tonkatsu restaurant project called “Tamafuji”, where he started to use U.S. pork in order to revitalize the business. DOKYU worked to gain market access for genetically engineered Rainbow papaya for 12 years, which contributed to approval from the Government of Japan for commercial imports in 2011. Since then, DOKYU has been the primary importer of Rainbow papaya from Hawaii. In this regard, Dokyu invested in the U.S. and opened their famous restaurant chain, Tamafuji, in Waikiki, HI as the company’s first overseas outlet. DOKYU is now a large buyer of U.S. pork for the restaurant chain in Hokkaido and Hawaii.
Mr. Hiromichi Ogawa
Chairman of Itoham Yonekyu Holdings, Inc.
The parent company of Ito Ham and Yonekyu Group, which combined in 2016 to become the second largest sausage manufacturer in Japan. Itoham and Yonekyu is the second largest Japanese buyer of U.S. livestock products and is also a large importer of seafood and food products. The group has a number of food manufactures in Japan and utilize U.S. agricultural products as their ingredients. They have investments in the United States that include a meat processing plant in Sioux City, Iowa.
