Vietnamese bananas gain a foothold in Japanese market

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam introduces Vietnamese bananas to Japanese reporters at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese Goods Week in Japan ended on June 27 with Vietnamese bananas finding a foothold in this choosy market.

During the three-day event, along with lychee and dragon fruit, Vietnamese bananas attracted the attention of Japanese consumers.

Katsuhiko Dan, an office worker in Japan, said “Vietnamese bananas are delicious. This will be my regular choice.”

Soichi Okazaki, Executive Officer of AEON Co. Ltd – the organiser of the Vietnam Goods Weeks, said Japan is importing bananas from many places such as Ecuador, the Philippines and Taiwan (China), but Vietnamese bananas are delicious and taste better.

He said that the company will focus resources on promoting the import of bananas in the coming time.

With competitive prices and good quality, Vietnamese bananas can compete with similar products in the Japanese market, according to Okazaki,

He also said AEON is planning to import longan from Vietnam to sell in its supermarkets in Japan.

The two governments have reached an agreement that Japan will export tangerines to Vietnam, and vice versa, Vietnam will sell longan in Japan, Okazaki said, adding that longan and lychees are types of fruits that are easy to eat.

The annual Vietnamese Goods Week is an annual event organised by AEON Ltd. Co, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan. It aims to raise AEON’s sales of Vietnamese products in Japan to 1 billion USD by 2025. Through the event, more than 100 businesses from 21 Vietnamese cities and provinces have introduced their products to Japanese consumers./.