The Japan Rice and Rice Industry Export Promotion Association on March 26 launched "This Is Japan Quality" - a fresh approach that will support the growing demand for Japanese rice exports into Singapore.

-About "This Is Japan Quality"

Japan Rice and Rice Industry Export Promotion Association launched a new promotion strategy to boost Japanese rice and rice products exports globally. To kick-off "This Is Japan Quality", a unified logo has been designed for Japanese rice and rice products by Manabu Mizuno, creative director for JRE. Future efforts will include in-store promotions incorporating the new logo, which will be used as a tool for communicating with overseas consumers. This will enable a consistent marketing image overseas for rice grown in Japan and the new design's QR code will provide quick access to a website with information for anyone interested in knowing the merits of Japanese rice. This effort by JRE to promote Japanese rice uses digital audio and video to convey the beauty and quality of the rice to overseas consumers.

New promotional activities to expand exports of rice grown in Japan and rice products

In November 2014, the Japan Rice and Rice Industry Export Promotion Association (JRE) was established with the aim of creating a nationwide framework to spur increased exports of rice and rice products, and it has obtained extensive participation from businesses and groups involved in rice and rice products, including the nationwide distributor of rice (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations), rice cracker industry groups, sake brewers and others.

-Concrete initiatives

1.Design of a new unified logo for exports of Japanese rice and rice products;

2.Provision of videos to publicize the appeal of rice grown in Japan from a QR code attached to the unified logo;

3.Extensive dissemination of the unified logo to the media and influencers by holding PR events inside and outside Japan;

4.Development of promotional activities using the unified logo by individual members;

5.Nationwide utilization of the unified logo to increase the PR effect.

Wrap up of the day

Ryo Kimura (President of JRE), and Akira Karasawa (MAFFJ's (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan) director-general of crop production) gave greetings announcing the start of the ceremony. They presented their efforts in challenging the global culinary market through exportation of Japanese rice and rice related products. Ryo Kimura then presented the Japanese rice exporting campaign, "This is Japan Quality" and introduced the business structure as well as the web site and QR code tactics.

The conference followed with a talk session with guest, Jamie Teo where she tried the QR code scan and web site experience. Takayuki Moriyama (Executive Chef, Kintsuta (Tokyo)) also went on stage as a guest to present the traditional Japanese cuisine, sushi. The sushi was also served to the media that arrived for the ceremony. While the talk session, they talked a lot about the enchantment of Japanese high quality rice which is taste good eaten cold and suitable for a popular "Bento box".

After the photo sessions, individual interviews were taken place, where Ryo Kimura and Akira Karasawa explained about high quality and safeness of Japanese rice and the exportation plans in the near future.

Promotional Activities

-Singapore: "World Japanese Rice Fair" in Singapore -THIS IS JAPAN QUALITY

--Presentation for members of the press

*Time and date: Monday, March 16, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 1:40 PM

*Venue: Marriott Singapore (320 Orchard Road, Singapore, 238865 Singapore)

*Target participants: overseas media companies

In addition to introducing the unified logo to local media, JRE provided information about delicious ways to eat rice grown in Japan and ways to use rice grown in Japan that correspond to local needs.