Nagai Nori Co., Ltd. continues to champion Japan’s celebrated seaweed industry by combining traditional craftsmanship with a forward-looking export strategy. As demand for authentic Japanese cuisine grows worldwide, the company strengthens its international presence while maintaining unmatched quality and flavor.
For 11 consecutive years, Japan's food-related exports have continued to grow, reaching JPY 1.45 trillion by 2023. A key driver behind this success has been the global proliferation of Japanese restaurants, which have tripled over the past decade. From your perspective, what factors do you believe have contributed to this significant rise in Japanese food exports? And why do you think now is the right moment for washoku to gain international recognition?
First and foremost, Japanese food is simply delicious. Alongside that, it offers a strong sense of safety and security. It’s also visually appealing. When you bring all these qualities together, it becomes clear why Japanese cuisine has become so popular globally.
As Japanese food gains international popularity, the Japanese government has made food exports a key pillar of its export strategy. In fact, the food industry now rivals—or even surpasses—some of Japan’s traditionally strong export sectors. Given this momentum, what opportunities do you see emerging in this environment where global demand for Japanese food is growing and government support is expanding?
The support from the Japanese government is certainly welcome. When we seek export destinations outside of Japan, that backing makes a significant difference. We’re enthusiastic about expanding our export activities, particularly when it comes to showcasing our products to potential customers overseas. Being closer to these customers is important to us, and it's one of the reasons we pursue exports. In terms of international exhibitions, the Japanese government is actively supporting companies like ours, and that assistance has been a tremendous advantage.
The nori—or Japanese seaweed—sector is currently facing two major challenges. The first is environmental degradation, driven by pollution and rising ocean temperatures, which have significantly reduced nori production over the past decade. The second is a labor shortage, particularly acute within Japan’s fishery sector, where the number of nori-producing fisheries has declined by 40% over the past ten years. How is your company responding to these two issues? And how are you managing to secure both the necessary workforce and stable nori production capacity?
The biggest challenge we face today is that nori producers in Japan are mostly individuals. As these fishers grow older, there are often no succession plans in place—no one to take over the business. In contrast, Korean companies are structured as corporations. When a company president retires, there is typically someone already being prepared to step into the role. This ensures business continuity, and such continuity is a hallmark of successful companies.
Twenty years ago, Japanese nori manufacturers produced around 10 billion sheets annually, while Korean manufacturers produced about 4 billion. Today, the situation has completely reversed: Japan now produces 5.9 billion sheets, while Korea produces 20.5 billion. I believe this stark contrast highlights the fundamental difference between corporate operations and individually run businesses. Of course, we also recognize that global warming has significantly contributed to this shift, and we are now seeing the consequences.
When comparing Korean and Chinese seaweed to Japanese nori, the cost is significantly lower—but so is the quality. As a result, seaweed is increasingly becoming a commoditized product. In the face of such intense price competition from neighboring countries, how do you differentiate your offerings?
As you mentioned, the biggest differentiator is taste—and Japanese nori is renowned for it. There are several production regions across the country, each yielding nori with distinct nutrient profiles, which in turn create subtle differences in flavor. This is why we carefully select regions known for offering the best combination of taste and nutritional value.
Price competitiveness is also achievable, particularly because much of the production comes from individually run operations, as I mentioned earlier. These businesses often have lower operating costs, and that advantage is passed on to customers through competitively priced products that maintain high quality. That said, taste and safety remain our top priorities.
These days, nori is recognized as a superfood due to its high protein content and sustainability—it’s often referred to as the “Soybean of the Sea.” In Japan, there are five main nori-producing regions. Among these, which do you consider to be the best?
We’re based in Aichi, so naturally, we promote Aichi. The region is well known for its three major rivers, each of which carries essential minerals—such as nitrogen and phosphorus—that are vital for nori production. Additionally, areas like Ariake are also renowned for producing high-quality nori. That’s why we source from both Aichi and Ariake—we believe they offer the best flavor Japan has to offer.
Your company was founded in 1947 and has since played a pivotal role in shaping nori manufacturing in Aichi. Could you walk us through the evolution of Nagai Nori and highlight some of the key milestones you've achieved along the way?
As I mentioned earlier, twenty years ago Japanese producers were manufacturing around 10 billion sheets of nori annually, and the domestic market was highly competitive. This intense competition drove prices down, but we made a strategic decision not to engage in that price war. Instead, we focused on ensuring a stable supply and maintaining high quality. By prioritizing taste and consistency, we were able to build trust with many reliable customers—and with strong customer relationships comes strong profitability.
Today, your company offers a wide range of products, but one in particular stands out—your Jaban Nori, which has won the Monde Selection award for six consecutive years. What do you think makes this product so popular?
I believe taste plays a major role in its popularity. While the flavor is inspired by Korean nori, we’ve adapted it to suit Japanese preferences, which has led to strong acceptance among Japanese consumers. At the same time, because of its Korean roots, it’s also very popular in Korea. There are similar products on the market, but I think our carefully fine-tuned flavor appeals to the broadest possible audience. Consumers also recognize that our company consistently delivers high-quality products.
In addition to your seaweed products, we’ve seen you expand into other segments in recent years, including shiitake mushrooms and various health-focused foods. Could you tell us more about your diversification strategy and what led you to pursue this approach? Looking ahead, are there any new product categories you’re planning to explore?
Product diversification is essentially a lifeline for companies aiming for long-term survival. If you rely on a single product, you’re putting all your eggs in one basket—and as the saying goes, what happens if you drop that basket? That’s why diversification is necessary.
Regarding the shiitake mushrooms you mentioned, they’re a type of dried food—something we’re already familiar with, given that nori is also dried. The production methods are quite similar, so expanding into shiitake felt like a natural progression. That said, nori still accounts for 85% of our revenue and will remain our core focus. However, diversifying helps us spread risk, and we see value in that. Another key area we’re exploring is developing new products made from nori, which we consider an important part of our strategy moving forward.
During our research, we came across your collaboration with Hello Kitty—a unique licensing opportunity that you successfully capitalized on. Could you share the outcomes of that partnership? Are you exploring similar collaborations in the future? And do you see further potential in blending the worlds of IP content and food?
At the moment, we don’t have any plans for future collaborations involving IP content. That said, if you ask whether the Hello Kitty partnership was successful, I would say it was a major success for us.
The global consumption of Japanese food has been rising year after year, with significant growth in markets such as the U.S. and Europe over the past few decades. How important is international expansion to your business? Are there any specific markets or regions you believe offer the highest growth potential?
The U.S. market represents a significant opportunity for us, although we don’t yet have a strong presence there. We also see great potential in Southeast Asia. However, one of the challenges in that region is that consumers often opt for Chinese or Korean nori products rather than Japanese ones. That’s why it’s important for us to promote the distinctive taste of our products and highlight their superior flavor.
If you were to recommend the ideal way to enjoy your nori products, what would it be?
We believe taste is the most important factor. When you try nori with rice balls, you can really notice the differences in quality and flavor between various types. Personally, I enjoy eating grilled nori with hot rice—that’s my favorite way to enjoy it.
If we were to return six years from now for a follow-up interview, what goals or dreams would you hope to have achieved by then?
By that time, I hope we will have made meaningful progress in the U.S. market and that our sales there will be steadily growing.
For more information, please visit their website at: https://www.nagainori.co.jp/english/index.html
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