BOSTON — The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) announced that it will once again be sponsoring its highly-acclaimed Japan Pavilion at the upcoming International Boston Seafood Show 2012 (IBSS), North America’s largest seafood trade event, to be held from March 11-13, 2012 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. In addition to representing a return of the Japan Pavilion to the IBSS since its last appearance in 2010, this year’s show also marks one year since the earthquake and ensuing tsunami in northern Japan.
In what is its most ambitious showing to date, this year’s pavilion will showcase the latest seafood products from ten different exhibitors, comprising a selection of the most versatile, and, of course, delicious seafood ingredients from across Japan—all available for purchasing and tasting. As show-goers have come to expect, visitors to the Japan Pavilion will discover ingredients from the front lines of the hottest food trends, including sustainability and healthy eating.
Despite the disruptions caused by last year’s earthquake, exports of Japanese seafood products to the U.S. have staged a strong rebound. According to Japan’s Ministry of Finance, seafood exports to the U.S. during 2011 exceeded $295 million, representing a 10.2% increase from 2010.
“Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, the MAFF, in collaboration with municipalities and industry organizations, has conducted thorough monitoring of fishery products across the country,” said Joji Morishita, Counsellor of the Fisheries Agency of Japan. “These efforts have unequivocally reaffirmed the safety of seafood products exported from Japan. In returning to the IBSS, we hope to allay any potential buyer concerns, while also demonstrating Japan’s resilience and commitment to delivering safe, healthy and high-quality seafood to the global marketplace.”
To kick off the show, world-renowned chef David Bouley, owner of Bouley and recently-unveiled kaiseki restaurant Brushstroke, will be leading a discussion on the exceptional quality and versatility of Japanese seafood, along with presentations by Steve Lutz, Executive Vice President of the Perishables Group, and representatives from the MAFF and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who will address issues of safety. The seminar, entitled “Japanese Seafood for the Evolving American Palate,” will be held at Room 104B of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center on Sunday, March 11 from 2:00 to 3:30PM.
Exhibitors at this year’s Japan Pavilion include:
•Ahjikan Co.,Ltd., producer of crab sticks and processed egg products
•Kanbe Co., Ltd., producer of scallops, oyster fry and yellowtail
•Morimatsu Suisan Reito Co., Ltd., producer of yellowtail
•Osaki Suisan Co., Ltd., developer of the world’s first bar-shaped crab flavored fish cake
•S.MarcheCo.Ltd, producer of a variety of fish, including pacific blue tuna and yellowtail
•Sapporo Chou Suisan Co., Ltd, seafood wholesaler of frozen scallops
•Shinmarusyo Co., Ltd, maker of dried bonito and bonito-based products
•Tosakatsuo Suisan Co., Ltd., producer of line-caught skipjack tuna products
•Yamamoto Noriten Co.,Ltd., producer of fine processed dried seaweed products
•Yamayo Co., Ltd., producer of a variety of processed seafood products, such as squid with salted fish guts
The Japan Pavilion will be located at booth #1967 at the IBSS. Product demonstrations and samples will be available in the pavilion. For further information about the Japan Pavilion and its exhibitors, please visit: http://www.japan-seafood.net/english/.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF)