TOKYO (Kyodo) — An advisory panel to Japan’s farm ministry proposed on Friday a target to triple tourist food consumption to 4.5 trillion yen ($30 billion) by 2030, as it seeks to use record visitors to overcome falling demand in the graying nation.
Under the plan, pending Cabinet approval, the government would use strong overseas interest in Japanese rice, beef and other food items to boost production. But with specific measures for rapid growth yet to be outlined, the figure could be difficult to achieve.
The panel, which aims to develop visitors’ lasting interest in local cuisine, also set a 5 trillion yen target for 2030 for exports, up from 1.5 trillion yen in 2024.
The plan designates rice and 28 other items as special products for export and calls for expanding the export of the staple food to 92.2 billion yen by 2030 from 13.6 billion yen last year.
It is the first time targets on inbound tourism consumption have formed part of the Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas compiled by a council at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Japan welcomed 36 million overseas visitors in 2024 who collectively spent around 8 trillion yen in the country, both record highs, as the yen’s weakness makes it an attractive proposition for holidaymakers.
While the ministry seeks to triple food consumption from 1.6 trillion yen in 2023, the government has said it aims to attract 60 million visitors a year and increase their annual spending to 15 trillion yen by 2030.
