Pesticide-free Ponkan Juice from Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture to be Exported to the EU

Punctual Inc. (Headquarters: Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture; Representative Director: Ken Moritoki; hereinafter, Punctual), which handles regional revitalization projects, and Kochi Asahi Seika Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kitagawa Village, Kochi Prefecture; Representative Director: Shinobu Kato; hereinafter, Kochi Asahi Seika) have announced the export of JAS certified Ponkan juice, grown by producer Tajyoen in Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, to the EU. This initiative represents a new possibility for regional products from Kochi Prefecture and Susaki City for export to the EU.

Background and Purpose

The impetus for this initiative was "ANUGA," the world's largest food fair held in Germany in October 2025. Punctual exhibited Tajyoen's Ponkan juice at the Kochi Prefecture booth within the Japan Pavilion set up by JETRO, which led to concrete opportunities for overseas markets and the current export efforts.

Tajyoen's Ponkan is a rare fruit grown on 60-year-old trees, characterized by its rich aroma and deep flavor, carefully finished through post-ripening. This initiative, delivering the value of fruit nurtured over many years to overseas markets in the form of juice, is also expected to be a new development for regional agricultural products.

Currently, the Ponkan juice is stored in a freezer in Kochi Prefecture and is scheduled to be exported to the EU soon. (The squeezing process has been completed).

Susaki's Ponkan Attracts Attention from European 5-Star Hotels

The export destination is PalmiFrance in France. The exported juice is planned to be supplied to 5-star hotels in France through the company. While Ponkan is familiar in Japan, it is not yet widely known in Europe. However, the high quality, rarity, and the story behind Tajyoen's Ponkan are attracting significant attention as having sufficient appeal in overseas markets.

Punctual, with its vision of "Creating regions that can compete globally," established its overseas business division approximately one year ago and has been actively pursuing international expansion. The overseas business division primarily supports regional businesses in developing overseas sales channels for their products, and this project is part of that effort. By discovering valuable regional products and creating connections with overseas markets, Punctual aims to generate new possibilities for the regional economy.

Meanwhile, Kochi Asahi Seika is a company that has connected producers and markets through its handling of agricultural products, including those from Kochi Prefecture. In addition to identifying the value of regional agricultural products and connecting them to distribution and commercialization, the company is also working to streamline production sites and realize sustainable agriculture, such as reduced pesticide cultivation through drone spraying and automation of weeding, which is a significant burden in pesticide-free cultivation. In this initiative, Kochi Asahi Seika has supported the handling of Ponkan juice using Tajyoen's Ponkan and negotiations for export. As a bridge to deliver fruits carefully cultivated by producers to a wider market, the company is expanding the possibilities of regional products.

Many excellent regional products exist in Japan that are not yet sufficiently known domestically or internationally. However, to effectively convey their appeal and create connections with overseas markets, knowledge of export, local networks, and continuous support are indispensable. This initiative is not merely a one-time export but is considered the first step for producers in Susaki City to challenge the global market.

Punctual and Kochi Asahi Seika will continue to leverage their respective strengths in collaboration with local businesses to open up new sales channels for attractive products overseas and pioneer new possibilities for the regional economy.

About Punctual Inc.

With the mission of "Creating regions that can compete globally," Punctual supports local governments in achieving true regional revitalization through Furusato Nozei operations, e-commerce businesses, and regional activation. They actually live in the local governments they support, becoming part of the residents, providing solutions to regional issues, and contributing to the development of local communities with abundant achievements and know-how.

■ Company Overview
Company Name: Punctual Inc.
Representative: Ken Moritoki, Representative Director
Established: March 2020
Location: 1-12 Midorimachi, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture
Business Activities: Local character management, e-commerce business, PR business, Furusato Nozei operation business
URL: https://punctual.co.jp/

■ About Kochi Asahi Seika Co., Ltd.
Company Name: Kochi Asahi Seika Co., Ltd.
Representative: Shinobu Kato, Representative Director
Established: November 2018
Location: 191-4 Hiranabe, Kitagawa Village, Aki-gun, Kochi Prefecture
Business Activities: Cultivation, processing, and sales of agricultural products, primarily yuzu; provision of drone-based pesticide spraying services.