Two top Japanese food makers have announced expansion plans in northern China to take advantage of rising demand for premium foreign food in the country.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Facing shrinking demand at home, Kikkoman Corp. and Yakult Honsha Co. are both boosting output in China as incomes rise and a growing middle class worries more about the quality of China’s domestically-made food.


Kikkoman will set up a joint venture with Shijiazhuang Zhenji Brewing Group Co. in Hebei Province this autumn to manufacture soy sauce and other seasonings.


Already established in the south and east of China, Kikkoman said the time was ripe to expand all over China.


“The price of Kikkoman soy sauce is on average much more expensive than local production, but we are set to win over more customers with Kikkoman’s superior taste and quality,” a spokesman for the company told just-food.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Meanwhile, Yakult plans to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary in Tianjin by next summer and begin production of its Yakult probiotic fermented milk drink at the start of 2011.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact