Niigata Regional Trading Company Directs 15 B2B-Focused Products Developed by Working Backwards from "On-Site Challenges"! Great Success at FOODEX 2026!

Key visual showing Niigata's bounty of sea, mountains, and rivers, centered around "onigiri" (rice balls), and the company's commitment to solving challenges.

The regional trading company division of the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Niigata Industry Creation Organization (Headquarters: Niigata City, hereinafter referred to as "NICO"), whose mission is to "Energize Niigata Prefecture's Industries," exhibited at "FOODEX JAPAN 2026 / International Food & Beverage Exhibition" held in March 2026.

At the bustling exhibition, we focused on practical challenges such as the "barrier of additives" and the "operational limitations due to labor shortages." Our vision extends beyond simply gathering delicious Niigata products; we aim to "take responsibility for what comes next." We carefully selected 15 items that would be "immediately effective on-site," presenting a new form of partnership aimed at "solving the challenges" faced by domestic and international buyers and food service operators who are grappling with practical issues behind the global onigiri boom.

1. Identifying "Challenges" in the Market and "Creating" Trade Flows

In this exhibition, leveraging Niigata's regional characteristics and working backward from the severe on-site labor shortage, we selected products such as "baked salmon processed goods (e.g., 'shioyaki' and 'yakizuke')" as fillings and accompaniments for onigiri. Furthermore, for the onigiri itself, considering the realities of logistics and storage, we chose Uonuma Koshihikari rice, whose quality is preserved against deterioration risks during export through the reliable technology of "nitrogen filling and low-temperature aging."

Practical salmon processed goods that can be served simply by opening the package.

These proposals, which balanced "reliable taste" with "reduced operational burden," garnered significant interest from buyers both domestically and internationally. We were able to secure concrete business discussions, including requests for specific specification checks and OEM arrangements, such as "possibility of compliance with Thailand's additive regulations," "potential for development in the Australian market," and "feasibility of OEM for specific business formats."

Moreover, through our interviews, we identified "bottlenecks" on the spot. Immediately after the exhibition closed, we moved directly to the practical phase, including scrutinizing ingredient lists and coordinating OEM arrangements with manufacturing sites.

We believe this "speed of transition from dialogue to action" represents a new form of supportive partnership, made possible by our deep understanding of both the realities of Niigata Prefecture's businesses and the market.

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