Over 96% of 380 Local Consumers Surveyed Find the Service Concept “Appealing”
Premium Frozen Gourmet Service mitaseru Conducts Cross-Border E-Commerce Trial Sales and Consumer Acceptance Testing in Singapore
—Testing the Potential to Deliver the Flavors of Japan’s Renowned Restaurants to the World —

September 29, 2026
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
mitaseru JAPAN Co., Ltd.

Tokyo, Japan, September 29, 2026 - Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., a leading global real estate company headquartered in Tokyo, and mitaseru JAPAN Co., Ltd., a company established by Mitsui Fudosan, announced today that mitaseru JAPAN has conducted cross-border e-commerce sales and a local consumer survey in Singapore to test the potential for overseas expansion of mitaseru, that brings the flavors of Japan’s renowned restaurants into consumers’ homes.

In recent years, against the backdrop of growth in inbound tourism to Japan and other factors, a growing number of consumers overseas are experiencing Japan’s culinary culture. The number of international visitors to Japan in 2025 reached a record high of approximately 42.68 million*1, and a survey by the Japan Tourism Agency found that 98.2% of visitors to Japan experienced Japanese food during their stay, of whom 95.2% said they were “satisfied.”*2 In addition, the number of Japanese restaurants overseas has more than tripled, from approximately 55,000 in 2013 to approximately 181,000 in 2025*3, making Japanese food increasingly familiar to consumers around the world.

In light of these developments, mitaseru JAPAN focused on the potential to offer overseas customers a new option: enjoying in their own countries the flavors of famous restaurants that have long been popular in Japan. As part of this initiative, mitaseru JAPAN conducted trial sales through J PASSPORT*4, a Singapore e-commerce site, and a questionnaire survey*5 of 380 local consumers to examine how Japan’s culinary culture and the value created by Japanese chefs would be received in overseas markets and to explore the potential for international expansion. As a result of the survey, when asked about the concept of “a service that delivers frozen dishes from famous restaurants in Japan to your home,” over 96% of respondents said that they found the concept “appealing.”

Going forward, mitaseru JAPAN will carefully assess market acceptance and marketability overseas while continuing to conduct trial sales and consumer surveys. It will explore new possibilities for preserving and passing on the flavors and culinary culture cultivated by Japanese chefs.


Examples of listings
on the J PASSPORT site

Key Points of this Press Release

  • Products were sold on the Singapore e-commerce site J PASSPORT to test acceptance in an overseas market. In a survey of 380 local consumers, over 96% said that they found the service concept appealing.
  • Local consumer surveys and interviews confirmed demand for convenience and quality in meals.
  • Identified new possibilities for solving the overseas expansion challenges faced by Japan’s independent restaurants and famous restaurants. Testing will continue as part of efforts to take on the challenge of delivering Japan’s culinary culture to the world.

■ Local Consumer Survey Conducted in Singapore

Singapore is a market where strong interest can be expected, as many residents have visited Japan and are frequently exposed to Japanese food. Given these characteristics, mitaseru tested how its service concept of “enjoying the flavors of Japan’s Renowned Restaurants to the World at home” would be received.

In addition to the local consumer survey, this initiative also included trial sales using cross-border e-commerce to Singapore. mitaseru freezes products manufactured in Japan and ships them overseas via a cold chain that maintains their quality. By delivering products manufactured and shipped from Japan to Singapore and selling them through a local e-commerce site, mitaseru also tested how the flavors of Japan’s Renowned Restaurants to the World would be received in an overseas market.

< Cross-Border E-Commerce Flow >

In the survey, when asked about the concept of “a service that delivers frozen dishes from famous restaurants in Japan to your home,” over 96% of respondents said that they found the concept appealing. In addition, the survey results confirmed a high level of trust in Japanese ingredients and quality, as well as a desire to enjoy restaurant-quality meals at home.

Key aspects respondents valued included “being able to enjoy restaurant-quality dishes at home,” “the products being from Japan’s famous restaurants,” and “trust in Japanese ingredients and quality.”

The survey results suggest that, beyond simply “liking Japanese food,” consumers have expectations regarding the flavors, techniques, and culinary culture that Japanese chefs have long cherished. The results also confirmed that while respondents frequently eat dinner at home, they do not necessarily cook every day, and that ready-to-eat products (prepared foods) and takeout have become an established part of daily life. There was also strong acceptance of “meals that can be eaten simply by heating,” confirming a certain level of demand for mitaseru’s service, which delivers the flavors of Japan’s Renowned Restaurants to the World as frozen foods.

Being able to experience the flavors of Japan’s Renowned Restaurants to the World at home*5

What do you find appealing?*5

■ Demand Seen in Singapore for Meals that Combine “Convenience and Quality”

In Singapore, the labor force participation rate of women of prime working age exceeds 80%*6, and there is demand for high-quality meals that can be enjoyed easily even amid busy daily lives. The survey and interviews also confirmed a tendency to value “ease of preparation,” “reducing the time and effort needed to prepare meals,” “the use of safe and reliable ingredients,” and “being able to enjoy high-quality meals at home.” Households with children also cited “meals that children can easily eat on their own after coming home from school” as an important purchasing criterion.

A sense of reassurance about Japanese food and trust in its quality are also factors in purchasing decisions, particularly for families with young children. These survey results suggest there is a good fit with mitaseru’s service, which delivers restaurant-quality meals despite being frozen food. They also indicate that mitaseru’s value proposition—using freezing technology to deliver the flavors of Japan’s Renowned Restaurants to the World and the dedication of their chefs—has a certain potential in overseas markets as well.

■Challenges for Independent Restaurants and Famous Restaurants in Expanding Overseas

Meanwhile, in interviews that mitaseru previously conducted with its participating restaurants, approximately 85% said they were “interested” in overseas sales.

Despite a high level of interest in overseas expansion, there are many cases in which restaurants have been unable to take on the challenge because of barriers such as developing sales channels, establishing export systems, and building relationships with local partners. Japan has numerous restaurants that possess world-class flavors and techniques but have yet to take the step toward overseas expansion. In particular, major hurdles for independently operated restaurants and locally rooted famous restaurants include “gathering information on overseas markets,” “identifying local partners,” “establishing distribution and export systems,” and “securing local sales channels.”

Interest in overseas sales (based on mitaseru restaurant interviews)

mitaseru places importance not only on selling products but also on conveying to customers the passion and stories that chefs and restaurants have cultivated over many years. This testing confirmed that overseas customers, too, are interested not merely in the products themselves but also in Japan’s culinary culture and the dedication of the chefs behind the products.

■Future Developments

Across Japan, there are restaurants that make the most of ingredients and culture unique to their local areas and have been loved by numerous customers for many years. However, in many cases, their appeal can only reach customers who are able to visit these restaurants, due to constraints such as the restaurant’s location and seating capacity.

mitaseru has been working to preserve and develop Japan’s culinary culture by using freezing technology to deliver to homes the flavors and techniques cultivated by famous restaurants across Japan. Through this initiative, mitaseru gained insights into market reactions and usage scenarios not only through the consumer survey but also through actual product sales. The trial sales and survey in Singapore revealed not only interest in the flavors of Japan’s Renowned Restaurants to the World and the dedication of their chefs, but also acceptance of ready-to-eat products and a high level of trust in Japanese food. Going forward, based on these results, mitaseru will conduct further testing of the potential for overseas expansion together with independent restaurants and famous restaurants across Japan that have strong appeal.

mitaseru’s goal is to deliver to the world the value of independent restaurants and famous local establishments that have long been loved in their communities. For restaurants that want to take on the challenge of overseas expansion but find it difficult to do so on their own, mitaseru will help connect Japanese restaurants with overseas opportunities, while working to build a framework for carrying the techniques and culinary culture cultivated by Japanese chefs into the future.

Looking ahead, mitaseru will continue trial sales and consumer surveys and explore new possibilities for spreading Japanese food culture around the world.

■About mitaseru JAPAN Co., Ltd.

Japan’s restaurant business is an industry that draws rave reviews from around the world. However, location and seating capacity restrict sales, and with labor shortages structurally intertwined with these constraints, scalability has been pointed to as an industry issue. In response to these circumstances, mitaseru was conceived as a service that can fulfill both the dreams of chefs to deliver their dishes throughout the world and the desire of customers to enjoy delicious food at their dining tables with only a little extra effort, even when busy.

To deliver the flavors of famous restaurants, prepared with techniques honed by chefs, to even more people. To enable more people to enjoy gourmet meals more easily and with peace of mind. Bringing together the dreams of chefs working at famous restaurants and the wishes of customers gave rise to mitaseru, a rigorously selected gourmet food platform that manufactures handmade frozen dishes that recreate the flavors of famous restaurants to the fullest extent possible.

By expanding the limited human, physical, and economic resources of restaurants, mitaseru aims to carry on the techniques of outstanding chefs and make Japan’s restaurant industry the envy of the world. The pentagon symbol used in the logo is at once a tray on which delicious dishes are carried and a radar chart in which all five senses are satisfied. A gochiso, or gourmet meal, is a meal prepared with special effort for the sake of customers, and it symbolizes Japan’s distinctive culture of hospitality. Together with restaurants, mitaseru prepares gourmet meals with diligence and hopes that many more people throughout the world will have the opportunity to enjoy them.

Company Profile

Company namemitaseru JAPAN Co., Ltd.
Location3-2-1 Nihonbashi-Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Date of establishmentApril 3, 2024
Business descriptionSale of processed foods
Main shareholderMitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Capital¥45 million
Representative DirectorDaiki Matsumoto

mitaseru online store: https://www.mitaseru.com
Official Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/mitaseru_official/
Official LINE account: https://lin.ee/xZKCWiD

■About the New Product Lineup

mitaseru aims to build a varied product lineup by carefully selecting restaurants known to those in the know, restaurants where it can be difficult to get a reservation, internationally acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurants, and more. Its osechi (traditional Japanese New Year’s cuisine), which went on sale last year, was extremely well received. For the 2027 edition, mitaseru will offer three carefully selected varieties of osechi created by famous restaurants.

For details:
https://ecforce.landinghub.site/campaignmitaseru/uploads/shop/pressrelease/2026092901.pdf (in Japanese)


Waketokuyama
Traditional and original two-tier osechi (serves 3)

■About the Mitsui Fudosan Group’s MAG!C Business Proposal Program

Established in fiscal 2018, MAG!C is a program designed to take the individual visions of Mitsui Fudosan Group employees, and by engaging the company at large, elevate them through the stages of conceptualization and realization. Through this innovation, the program aims to position Mitsui Fudosan as an industry developer platform that goes beyond the boundaries of a real estate developer. Within this framework, the original proposer takes the role of business lead and personally drives the proposed initiative. mitaseru is also a business that originated from the MAG!C program.

■ Sustainability in the Mitsui Fudosan Group

Based on the meaning of its “& mark,” “to generate new value with society through cooperation, coexistence and co-creation, we forge ahead, innovating,” the Mitsui Fudosan Group views the “creation of social value” and the “creation of economic value” as two wheels of a cart. Accordingly, we believe that the creation of social value leads to the creation of economic value, and that this economic value then creates even greater social value.

Moreover, we identified six Group Materiality priority issues when formulating our new management philosophy in April 2024. These Group Materiality priority issues are (1) Contribute to industrial competitiveness, (2) Coexist with the environment, (3) Health and Vitality, (4) Safety and security, (5) Diversity and inclusion, and (6) Compliance and governance. The Mitsui Fudosan Group will work to address each of the materialities through its core business activities and contribute to the promotion of sustainability.

(References)
・ Group Management Philosophy and Long-Term Vision
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/innovation2030/
・ Group Materiality
https://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/esg_csr/approach/materiality/