Japan's Nutraceuticals Today - Japan's Economic Recovery Leaves Nutrition Industry Behind
[2007/10/09] [By Paul Yamaguchi]
Having finally emerged from a long period of stagnation, the Japanese economy is on the road to recovery. Corporate earnings are positive, and capital investment is on the rise. Growth in personal consumption has not fully recovered, but consumers are still spending and, paired with the improvement in employment figures, the economy is expected to regain momentum before long. Despite the economic recovery, the nutrition business in Japan in 2006 did not exactly have a great year. In fact, for the first time in its history, the size of the market contracted relative to the previous year.
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today - Japan's Drug-Food Reclassification Follow-Up
[2007/05/07] [By Paul Yamaguchi]
MHLW’s Final 4th Reclassification List Has Been Announced
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today - A Big Disappointment in Food-Drug Reclassification: Expectations are not always realized
[2007/04/16] [By Paul Yamaguchi]
The current Japanese nutraceutical industry is like a sitting on a surfboard in the ocean and looking behind, waiting for the next big wave to arrive. When you finally see the big wave coming and get ready to ride, the big wave just disappears. It’s disappointing to say the least.
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today - Next Growth Opportunity; Metabolic Syndrome in Japan
[2006/12/11] [By Paul Yamaguchi]
Few know exactly what metabolic syndrome is. According to the recent Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare report, one out of every two men between 40 and 74 years of age and one in every five women in the same age group show some sign of metabolic syndrome in Japan.
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today - COQ10 Update
[2006/11/13] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi ]
Since I wrote an article on CoQ10 in Japan in this column almost a year ago, we’ve had dozens of inquiries about it from all over the world. Because of the wide-ranging interest on this subject, I wanted to provide an update about the current CoQ10 situation in Japan.
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today: Some Thoughts on Obesity in America; Portion and Self Control
[2006/08/11] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi ]
It is almost impossible to escape the word "obesity" ...there are many products on the market to "help" Americans battle their weight problems...
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today: Functional Foods Nation (2)
[2006/06/16] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Bottled green tea is by far the most popular soft drink in Japan. We consumed 1.5 billion gallons last year, compared with 700 million gallons of the next most popular drink, carbonated soft drinks. Beverage companies are capitalizing on this popularity to create value added products.
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Japan: Functional Foods Nation - Probiotics with a twist
[2006/05/12] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
In our new feature, 'Japan: Functional Foods Nation', each month, Paul Yamaguchi, NPIcenter columnist and producer of Japan Nutraceutical Industry Reports, will provide NPIcenter viewers new and unique products both FOSHU (Foods with health claims) and non-FOSHU, appearing on the marketplace in Japan with his professional, insightful comments.
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today - A State of Unfair Restrictions
[2006/05/12] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
It is safe to say that the majority of people do not blindly believe what is stated in advertisements. We see these ads all the time in newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Statements that are not illegal both in the US and in Japan, unless you are in the dietary supplement business in Japan.
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today - Functional Foods Japan 2006
[2006/03/17] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
The functional foods market in Japan has been growing at an average of 12 percent a year for the past 10 years. In 2005, the growth rate slowed to 6 percent. Has the functional foods market reached maturity?
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today - End of Year Japanese Nutraceutical Industry Thoughts and Looking Beyond
[2006/01/01] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
The State of Nutraceuticals in Japan - The Japanese economy is projected to be growing at a faster rate for this year than that of Europe. The regulatory environment surrounding the industry is more confusing than a year ago. The government‘s inability to adopt a new dietary supplement law.
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today - CoQ10, GMP and FOSHU Update
[2005/10/28] [NPIcenter News]
Japanese Manufacturers Are Rushing To Meet the World Demand for CoQ10 with the Japan Coenzyme Q Association Approving 10 Products; Two Organizations Spearhead a GMP Certification Program and Standardized FOSHU begins
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today - Foods in Black for Better Nutrition
[2005/07/25] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Black may be way “out” in fashion but it’s definitely “in” for functional foods. They are everywhere, black soybeans, black vinegar, black sesame seeds, black rice and black tea just to name a few.
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today : It’s a Six Hundred Million Dollar Market - Yet Still Unknown In The West
[2005/05/27] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
One of Japan’s largest functional foods categories still unknown in the West is the health vinegar market. Health vinegars have been some of the most widely accepted products and the category is one of its fastest growing markets over the past few years in Japan.
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today : Tokyo Health Industry Show Overview
[2005/04/01] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
The Tokyo Health Industry show is one of the largest health shows in Japan. According to the show’s sponsor, CMP Japan, this year's attendance was the largest in its history: 47,000 people for the 3 day event. Overall impression of the show floor.
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today : The Nutritional Supplement Market Tops ¥1.2 trillion
[2005/01/28] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Japanese nutritional supplement product sales rose to ¥1.23 trillion ($11.1 billion) in 2004, a 12 percent sales increase over 2003. A year earlier, the sales increase was only 7 percent. The Japanese nutritional supplement market rebounded in 2004 and did so in difficult economic times and under a challenging regulatory environment.
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today: End of Year Japanese Nutraceutical Industry Thoughts and Looking Beyond
[2004/12/17] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Amid a fragile economic recovery and weak consumer spending, the Japanese nutraceutical industry may top $30 billion by the end of this year, up 15 percent from a year ago. Again, the functional foods category leads sales, showing a 17 percent increase from a year ago.
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today : The New Source of Energy Discovered in Japan
[2004/10/8] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
One of the hot subjects in the beverage industry the past few years has been the energy drink. As recently as 10 years ago, no one knew this sector even existed. It is now an almost $1 billion industry in the US. In Japan, energy drinks are almost legendary and the market continues to grow.
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today : Are You Ready for Functional Foods?
[2004/9/10] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
The functional food category is still uncertain territory for some food and beverage manufactures. The Top 10 best selling functional foods share 13 percent of the $16 billion Japanese fortified functional foods and 38 percent of the $5.1 billion FOSHU health claim functional foods market.
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today : Is the Functional Food ‘Boom’ Real This Time?
[2004/07/13] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
I suspect I’m not only one who has noticed the ton of seminar materials for functional foods these days: Seminars such as, ‘Functional Beverage 2004’, ‘Functional Foods & Beverage Forum 2004’, ‘Nutraceuticals Summit 2004’ and so on. Could this be a sign that functional foods are taking over from dietary supplements?
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Japan’s Nutraceuticals Today - FOSHU Ready to Change -- Again
[2004/06/26] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
It has been 13 years since the Foods For Specified Health Uses, or FOSHU program was implemented in Japan. Multiple FOSHU classifications may confuse consumers, but more importantly, the new recommendations from the panel lower the standard for FOSHU foods. Is the food industry’s ability to market more products as "healthy" in the best interest of the consumers?
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today : Ingredients to Watch in Japan for 2004
[2004/06/10] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Needs for supplements are different from one country to another mostly because of diet, climate and lifestyle. I spotted three ingredients that are emerging in the Japanese market. Ironically, they are all “Western” ingredients and already have a sizable market in the U.S. After just a few years of deregulation, some have already created over $100 million markets and they continue to grow. Some are just starting to become recognized by consumers and may fly off the shelves in the near future.
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There's a New Sheriff in Town...
[2004/04/30] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Although the US Food and Drug Administration's ban on Ephedra and crackdown on androstenedione ("andro") is still fresh in our minds, 7,000 miles away in Japan, a similar story has already played itself out with the Japanese MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare ).
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Japan's Nutraceuticals Today
[2004/03/26] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
I frequently compare the differences between the United States and Japan, since their economies and consumer trends often influence each other. In our industry, the U.S. and Jaspan present quite different pictures.
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Functional Foods for Allergies in Full Bloom in Japan
[2004/03/12] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
According to Japan’s National Growth and Treatment Center, nearly 40 million Japanese suffer allergic reactions in this season - almost one in three people. This number compares with one in every five in the United States, according to the American Academy of Allergy.
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The Nutritional Supplement Market Tops ¥1.1 trillion
[2004/02/05] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Japanese nutritional supplement product sales rose to ¥1.1 trillion ($10 billion) in 2003, a 7 percent sales increase over the year before, according to Japan’s leading industry newspaper, The Health Industry News (HIN).
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Ephedra Alternatives – What will take its place?
[2004/01/09] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Companies are looking for safer dietary supplements to help customers lose weight in the wake of the FDA ban of Ephedra. Across the Pacific things are moving in another direction.
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Know Your Market
[2003/12/01] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
The other day a marketing director of a U.S. nutrition company called me. After he described his company and offered a brief description of their products, he asked me if their products would be marketable in Japan...
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Do the Japanese Regulations Restrict Freedom of Speech?
[2003/12/05] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
FOSHU Regulates What Health Claims Can Be Printed On Food Labels
Freedom of speech has its limits in our industry. The government must approve all health claims printed on food labels. The Japanese government recognized the need to regulate food labels early on so that consumers choose the right foods to maintain their daily health.
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Do the Japanese Regulations Restrict Freedom of Speech?
[2003/12/05] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
FOSHU Regulates What Health Claims Can Be Printed On Food Labels
Freedom of speech has its limits in our industry. The government must approve all health claims printed on food labels. The Japanese government recognized the need to regulate food labels early on so that consumers choose the right foods to maintain their daily health.
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FOSHU Approval – Is It Worth The Price?
[2003/11/14] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Nutraceuticals consist of two major segments, dietary supplements and functional foods. The difference between the Japanese and United States nutraceutical markets is that the Japanese prefer to eat food to improve or treat health conditions rather than taking pills or capsules.
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The Numbers Don't Add Up
[2003/10/17] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
The United States spends 16 percent of its GNP on health care, while Japan spends $261 billion (Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare/MHLW), or 6 percent of its gross national product (GNP) on national health care each year.
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Japan as "Number Two" - Japan's Nutraceutical Industry Update
[2003/09/24] [NPIcenter - Paul Yamaguchi]
Japan is the second largest economy in the world, next to the United States. Japan has the second largest automobile industry, pharmaceutical industry and retail industry next to you-know-who. In NPI’s new section, Japan’s Nutraceutical Industry Update, I’ll talk about the market, new products, regulations, new developments, business news, trends—anything related to the Japanese nutraceutical market.
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