■Introduction
In this month’s report, we bring you a look at The Japan Rail Fair 2024 held in Singapore. Our office collaborated with Yotsuba Milk Products Asia (The Singapore branch of Yotsuba Milk) to showcase a Hokkaido booth, promoting Hokkaido’s food and tourism appeal.
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○The Japan Rail Fair 2024 Organizer：JR East Southeast Asia Business Development (Singapore Branch of JR EAST) Dates：October 11 (Friday) – October 13, 2024 (Sunday) 11：00～20：00 (Closing at 18：00 on the final day) Venue：Urban Park at Guoco Tower(1 Wallich Street Singapore 078881) Overview：Japanese local governments, and companies exhibited booths to promote the appeal of Japan’s food, tourism and culture. |
■Event Highlights
The event featured 22 organizations, including municipalities such as Hokkaido, Akita Prefecture, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Azumino City, Akita City, as well as the Fukuoka Tourism Association, San’in Inbound Organization, Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, JR Kyushu, Air Japan, and KIRIN Holdings, each promoting their offerings. At the Hokkaido booth, our office distributed Hokkaido tourism brochures and held a lucky draw, while Yotsuba Milk provided free samples of four varieties of milk available at local retail stores (plain, strawberry milk, milk tea, and coffee milk), drawing many visitors. On the final day, we held a Hokkaido presentation, sharing information on Hokkaido tourism and the product lineup of Yotsuba Milk.
■ Visitor Comments
・”We’re planning a family trip to Hokkaido in December and we will be meeting family members who live in the U.S. over there.”
・”We’re planning a 10-day trip to Hokkaido in June next year and are looking forward to enjoying the natural scenery, hot springs, and gourmet foods.”
・”I love Yotsuba’s strawberry milk and buy it often. I’m thrilled to have had a chance to try the coffee milk this time.”
■Observations
This event served as an excellent opportunity to promote Hokkaido’s food and tourism through a joint effort between public and private sectors. We will continue to utilize similar events to actively promote the charms of Hokkaido.
| ■Introduction
In this month’s report, we will highlight the popular travel destinations in Hokkaido from the feedback that our office has gotten from visitors and travel agencies that we have encountered at travel fairs our office have participated in, focusing on 3 ASEAN countries: Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia. Additionally, the number of foreign tourists from each country who visited Japan and Hokkaido is as follows.
※１：Based on inbound tourism statistics from Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) ※２：Based on the Hokkaido Tourism Visitor Survey Report
■Looking Ahead Although the level of awareness of Hokkaido varies by country, Hokkaido tourism is a compelling content that attracts many people. We will continue to work on promoting Hokkaido’s charm to expand inbound tourism. |
■Introduction
For the first time, the Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association (SFMA) participated in Hokkaido’s largest trade show, the “Hokkaido Products Trade Business Meeting” to promote “Made in Singapore” food products to the attending buyers. Established in 1967, SFMA is one of the influential industry association in Singapore, boasting over 450 members. In addition to organizing large-scale food fairs domestically, SFMA actively participates in food events overseas.
| ○ Overview of Hokkaido Products Trade Business Meeting
Date：June 11, 2024 (Tue) – June 12, 2024 (Wed) |
■Background
SFMA has been a crucial partner in promoting Hokkaido food products in Singapore. Key figures, including Chairman David Tan, have attended Hokkaido food promotions held in Singapore as honored guests. SFMA aims to expand the market for Singaporean food products in Japan, which led to their participation in the Hokkaido Products Trade Business Meeting.
■Venue Atmosphere
At the SFMA booth that was set up at the trade business meeting venue, a variety of Singaporean food samples, including noodles and the local coffee “Kopi,” were displayed. Among the offerings, the Chinese buns (Pau) filled with the Singaporean specialty “Chili Crab” received high praise from attendees, with comments such as “The rich crab flavor and the perfect mild spiciness are amazing.”
■Looking Ahead
Hokkaido aims to market its local food products in Singapore and the ASEAN region, while SFMA seeks to promote Singaporean food products in Hokkaido and Japan. Following this trade business meeting, both parties intend to further develop their existing relationship and leverage each other’s networks. This collaboration aims to foster mutual trade expansion and economic exchanges. Our office is committed to continuing to collaborate closely with SFMA and other stakeholders to further promote the charm of Hokkaido.
■Event Pictures
This month, we will introduce the “Scenery of Japan Photo Contest” that is currently being held in Singapore. This photo contest is organized by the Embassy of Japan in Singapore, among others, and our office is also participating in a supportive role.
| ○ “Scenery of Japan Photo Contest”
Organizers： Embassy of Japan in Singapore, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Singapore, Japan Local Government Center (CLAIR) Singapore Office Supporters：Japan Airlines (JAL), All Nippon Airways (ANA), Fujifilm, Nikon, Sony, Canon, East Japan Railway Company (JR East), JTB Corporation, Hokkaido Gov Rep Office Eligibility：Individuals aged 18 and above, residing in Singapore who holds a passport from a country other than Japan Photo Requirements: Photos submitted must been taken by the applicant themselves in Japan after October 2022. Submission period: March 28th (Thursday) to June 30th (Sunday), 2024 Award Ceremony：Scheduled to be held between July and September 2024 |
■About the photo contest
This photo contest marks the first initiative led by the Embassy of Japan in Singapore to widely promote the charm of Japan to the people of Singapore. With the aim of introducing the unique attractions and experiences of Japan through the eyes of foreign tourists, they are inviting submissions of photos taken throughout Japan during all seasons.
The photos will be exhibited at the Japan Creative Centre, a hub for disseminating information about Japanese culture in Singapore.
There are also exciting prizes to be won, such as round-trip air tickets to Japan and high-performance digital cameras, etc. From our office, we are proud to offer Hokkaido-produced wine “Jewel of Tokachi”, which represents one of Hokkaido’s finest exports to the world.
■Observations
Japan has always been a popular travel destination for people living in Singapore, but recently, with the ongoing trend of a weaker yen, there has been a further increase in the number of travelers to Japan. Among travelers, Hokkaido stands out as a destination with delicious cuisine, magnificent nature, and a wide variety of activities, making it a favorite among repeat visitors. Therefore, our office believes that there are many opportunities for travelers to capture stunning photos. We would be delighted to receive as many submissions as possible of photographs taken in Hokkaido. We are eagerly looking forward to the announcement of the results to see which photographs will be awarded the prizes!
We visited the “FHA FOOD & BEVERAGE 2024,” which is the largest food and beverage industry exhibition in Asia, and would like to share with you the atmosphere of the venue.
| ○ FHA FOOD＆BEVERAGE 2024 (Official Website：https://fhafnb.com/)
Date：April 23rd (Tuesday) to April 26th (Friday), 2024 |
■Venue situation
The Singapore EXPO, where the main event took place, is Singapore’s largest exhibition venue, located about a 5-minute drive from Changi International Airport. It boasts 10 exhibition halls spread across a vast indoor and outdoor space of up to 123,000 square meters. For this event, seven of these halls were utilized, drawing food and beverage industry participants from around the world who showcased their products and offered tasting sessions.
Among the local exhibitors was Yotsuba Milk Products Asia Pte. Ltd., offering samples of “Hokkaido Nomu Yogurt.” Visitors who sampled the yogurt expressed appreciation, noting that yogurt made from Hokkaido milk was delicious, and the drinkable format was convenient as it eliminated the need for a spoon.
At the JAPAN PAVILION, Sujata Meiraku Group provided ice cream samples, while the JETRO Singapore booth featured promotional activities highlighting the Hokuriku region.
Not only Asian but also European countries had booths set up. The Singapore Pavilion, in particular, attracted a massive crowd, making it difficult to navigate through. Visiting crowded booths revealed presentations of instant noodles that could be cooked in a microwave, emphasizing their convenience over traditional cup noodles as they require no hot water and are halal-certified, ensuring they are suitable for consumption by Muslims.
■Moving Forward
We heard later that about half of the buyers who attended FHA came from Europe and North America, reaffirming its status as Asia’s largest food event. Singapore serves as a showcase for ASEAN, attracting attention from around the world, making promotion efforts crucial for showcasing Hokkaido’s food brands. Our office will continue to collaborate extensively with local companies and organizations to promote the charms of Hokkaido and contribute to its ongoing appeal.
■Atmosphere of the Event
