Message from the president

The Spirit of “Sanpo Yoshi” in Troubled Times

With a succession of conflicts and disasters, soaring prices, and divisions within international society, we currently face troubled times.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has continued for nearly three years, and triggered by the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Islamic group Hamas, the situation in the Middle East is uncertain and constantly changing. The loss of so many ordinary civilian lives is deeply worrying, and I sincerely hope the hostilities end as soon as possible and that people can return to living in safety and security.

In my third year as company President, last year I continued to visit many countries, including those in South America and Europe. Wherever I went, I sensed firsthand how factors such as international conflicts and sharp rises in the cost of resources and materials have cast a shadow over economies and people’s everyday lives. Particularly in Europe, there was a noticeable sense of fatigue from the ongoing provision of aid to Ukraine, the spreading influence of the far right was causing turmoil in Germany and France, and I felt strongly that the framework of the EU was becoming unsettled.

As a trading company specializing in the import and export of fresh foods and flowers, our business is greatly affected by such international conditions. In particular, we have been obliged to confront and remain vigilant about the recent rapid fluctuations in exchange rates. Factors such as the interest rate gap between Japan and the US have led to a continued depreciation of the yen in currency markets, and with the risk of being too dependent on imports, maintaining a balance with exports is a key issue.

In order to do so, we are focused on boosting exports of Japanese products such as fresh fish, wagyu beef, sake, and seasonings to around 20 countries in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, and endeavoring to hedge against our risks. In this context, exports to Indonesia have grown and we have also begun exporting to the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Japan is heavily dependent on foods from overseas and from the viewpoint of food security, an increase in exports nurtures domestic producers and leads to improved food self-sufficiency.

More than half a century has passed since our company was founded in 1973, and in the turbulent times since then, we have made steady progress despite being confronted with many adversities. With the goals of stable management and sustainable development, last year we transitioned to a holding company structure. We have strengthened imports of our flagship product Arctic salmon, flower production in Vietnam is progressing favorably, and new imports of pork from Spain and alcoholic beverages from New Zealand have begun in earnest.