The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) has led a delegation of government and private sector representatives to Japan to enhance rice trade relations with Japanese public and private agencies, aiming to maintain Thailand’s rice market share in Japan at 300,000 tons.
Arada Fuangtong, Director-General of the DFT, stated that during the visit from September 7–11, the delegation held discussions with representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) — the agency that determines rice import quotas and oversees rice import auctions — as well as with the Overseas Merchandise Inspection Co. Ltd. (OMIC), which is responsible for inspecting the quality of imported rice, and major importers such as Kitoku Shinryo Co. Ltd, Itochu Food Sales and Marketing Co. Ltd, and Kanematsu Corporation.
She explained that Japan is one of the world’s leading rice producers and importers, producing between 7.28 and 7.64 million tons of rice annually, while domestic consumption exceeds 8 million tons, forcing the country to import approximately 700,000 tons each year. The main suppliers include Thailand, the United States, Australia, and China.
As of this year, Japan has imported 402,157 tons of rice, an increase of 9.15% compared with the same period last year. The United States remains Japan’s largest supplier, followed by Thailand, Australia, and China.
According to Ms. Arada, Thailand exports between 257,000 and 336,000 tons of rice to Japan annually, accounting for 37–45% of Japan’s total rice imports. In the first eight months of this year, Thailand exported about 148,000 tons to Japan, marking a 19.3% decline from the same period last year. She attributed this drop to Japanese consumers’ preference for short-grain (Japonica) rice. Since Japan’s domestic production cannot meet demand, the country has had to import additional short- and medium-grain rice to fill the gap.
According to the DFT, most of Thailand’s rice exports to Japan consist of long-grain varieties, including white rice, glutinous rice, and the fragrant Hom Mali (Jasmine) rice. Approximately 90% of this rice is used in Japan’s food and beverage industries, such as sake brewing and snack manufacturing, due to its high quality and recognized standards. The remaining 10% is consumed by households and restaurants, with Thai Hom Mali rice being particularly popular among Japanese consumers.