From Expo Insights to City Streets: Nichirei Launches First-Ever Kitchen Truck 'TERRACE NICHIREI' to Redefine the Value of Frozen Food

Nichirei Foods Inc. (President: Masahiko Takenaga) is launching its first-ever kitchen truck, 'TERRACE NICHIREI,' offering freshly prepared dishes such as fried rice, fried chicken, and imagawayaki—core products from its frozen food lineup—cooked on-site to deliver the taste of 'just-made' freshness. Customers will also experience the unique reproducibility of frozen foods: consistent, high-quality meals that can be delivered anywhere, anytime, by anyone.

The kitchen truck will make its debut at the 'Nichirei Ladies' event, scheduled from June 19 (Fri) to 21 (Sun), 2026, with plans to expand across Japan thereafter.

■ Bringing Expo Insights to Everyday Dining

This initiative is based on insights gained from operating the 'TERRACE NICHIREI' restaurant at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. During the event, approximately 120,000 visitors dined at the restaurant, many expressing surprise: 'Is this really frozen food?' The direct tasting experience transformed perceptions, creating widespread resonance and emotional connection.

Moreover, the Expo operation demonstrated that combining frozen foods with various cooking equipment enables stable, high-quality output even with small teams—proving the potential for sustainable foodservice operations that reduce food waste and labor needs. The new kitchen truck brings these insights into everyday urban environments, making them accessible beyond the Expo setting.

■ Growing Frozen Food Market and Expanding Use Cases

Japan's frozen food market continues to grow, with rising demand in both household and commercial sectors. Beyond convenience, frozen foods are increasingly valued for their quality, driven by dual-income households, time-saving needs, and advancements in freezing technology.

Nichirei’s frozen products are already widely used in restaurants, school lunches, and other commercial settings, where their consistency and reliability are highly regarded. Leveraging this expertise in commercial-grade quality and operations, the kitchen truck aims to deliver new culinary experiences directly to consumers.

Through this mobile concept, Nichirei will reposition frozen foods not just as 'convenient meals to reheat,' but as a 'solution for consistently delivering high-quality dining.' The goal is to offer consumers a novel food experience while showing foodservice professionals the operational advantages of reproducible quality.

■ Design Philosophy Behind the Vehicle

The truck’s design features a continuous-line illustration of cityscapes, symbolizing the desire to bring delicious food from one neighborhood to another. With a friendly and playful aesthetic, the vehicle itself is designed to become a new brand touchpoint in public spaces.

■ Looking Ahead

Under its mission to 'connect the happiness born from food to the future,' Nichirei Foods will continue creating innovative food experiences powered by frozen technology, delivering smiles and感动 to everyday life. Stay tuned for the journey of 'TERRACE NICHIREI' across Japan.