Nippon Express Company launches halal-certified domestic air cargo transport service

Nippon Express Company (NEC) has expanded its domestic halal logistics services in Japan with a new halal-certified domestic air cargo transport service.

By incorporating halal logistics system-certified work procedures into its Express Hi-Speed domestic air cargo transport service, the company has created a rapid halal transport service capable of handling shipments as small as a single cardboard box.

Since it received halal certification for warehousing in Japan in 2016, the company has introduced halal-only roll boxes for consolidated transport of small-lot cargo amounting to less than a full truckload, as well as halal-only rail containers for large-lot cargo into its warehouse-based transport services as it expanded its handling of halal products.

Source: Nippon Express Company. The Express Hi-Speed domestic air cargo transport service was launched on March 8, 2021.

With interest in halal products growing in Japan, Nippon Express has been constructing a halal logistics service network to support customers' supply chains and provide safety and peace of mind to Muslim customers and others.

According to the company, demand for halal products in Japan is expected to rise not only from Japan's 200,000 strong Muslim population, but also with an increase in foreign visitors/residents from a diversity of cultural backgrounds. High certification standards for quality assurance and hygiene control have also expanded interest in halal products among health- and safety-conscious consumers, NEC said.

In 2014, Nippon Express became the first Japanese company to obtain halal logistics certification in Malaysia, and it has since been developing global halal logistics services.

Express Hi-Speed halal transport offers:

- Improved visibility for halal products (special labels affixed on cargo)

- Halal education for employees engaged in operations

- Delivery modes tailored to specific needs (nationwide next-day delivery service, specified delivery time service, charter delivery service)

- Easy-to-use product design (packaged fees by region/weight, multiple-item shipments, business office stop-off service)

- Visualisation of transport status (trace control through up to seven transit points, confirmations via Nippon Express' website)

Mastercard and CrescentRating release first Japan Muslim Travel Index 2017

Source: JMTI 2017. Tokyo leads the pack in Muslim-friendliness as a travel destination. Osaka, Hokkaido and Chiba qualify as "adopters" in the index.

Japan is set to benefit from one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism sectors by welcoming over 1 million Muslim visitors by next year, according to new research.

The Mastercard-CrescentRating Japan Muslim Travel Index (JMTI) 2017 is the first time detailed analysis of the Muslim travel market into a single destination. In the research, Japan is measured and tracked as a destination against a range of criteria. It aims to allow each region to understand the level of services across their regions to grow and better cater to the requirements of Muslim travellers.

The research analyses the inbound tourism potential of 47 destinations in Japan. Tokyo topped the JMTI in the inaugural report with the region scoring highest as the most equipped destination for Muslim travellers to Japan, followed by Osaka, then Hokkaido in third place.

The research revealed Muslim arrivals to Japan increased from around 150,000 in 2004 to 700,000 in 2016. It is projected to surpass 1 million by 2018 and reach 1.4 million by 2020. Six in 10 of the Muslim visitor arrivals currently are from ASEAN, with Indonesia representing 27% of the arrivals.

Earlier this year, Japan moved up two places to take sixth spot for the non-OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) destinations in the annual Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2017, which covers 130 destinations. Asia has remained the leading region in the world in terms of attractiveness to Muslim tourists with an average GMTI score of 57.6, with Africa coming in second place at 47.0, and then Oceania (43.8). 

The GMTI also showed that the Muslim travel market will continue to grow at a fast pace with the sector estimated to grow to US$220 billion in 2020. It is expected to grow a further US$80 billion to reach US$300 billion by 2026.

Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating and HalalTrip, officially launched the JMTI with its partner Halal Media Japan at Halal Expo Japan. He said: “This is a key milestone in the development of the GMTI. With the launch of the JMTI, we are now able to provide deeper insights within a destinations, so that they can better cater to this market.”

Source: JMTI 2017. 1.4 million Muslim visitors are expected to visit Japan in 2020.

The event also saw the first set of 20 Japanese restaurants being awarded a Crescent rating. The rating is based on the level of services the establishment offer to Muslim diners.

Shinya Yokoyama, co-founder of Halal Media Japan said: “We are confident that the report will help further develop capability and capacity of Japan to welcome Muslim travellers.”

All 47 destinations in the JMTI were scored against a backdrop of four key strategic criteria - access, communications, environment and services.

Explore:

Read the Mastercard-CrescentRating Japan Muslim Travel Index

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU campaign aims to attract more Malaysians, Indonesians to Tohoku, Japan

Source: 

The Reconstruction Agency, the government body in Japan coordinating reconstruction activities related to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, is developing a New Tohoku project to promote tourism in Tohoku, Japan. 

A MUSLIM-FRIENDLY* TOHOKU campaign has been launched as part of the campaign. The campaign aims to establish infrastructure necessary to receive Muslim inbound traffic in six prefectures of the Tohoku district. Travel collaterals targeting Muslim-majority countries with stable economic growth such as Indonesia and Malaysia have been developed. 

The campaign is driven by growth in the number of Muslims visiting Japan as well as an estimated jump in Japan's inbound tourism market that is expected toward 2020, when the 2020 Summer Olympics will take place in Tokyo, Japan. Tourist numbers from Indonesia and Malaysia have grown nearly threefold over four years, from 2012 to 2016. 

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY workshops have also been held at major hotels in Tohoku to deepen the understanding of the concept in order to create and develop new omotenashi (お持て成し, Japanese-style hospitality) services to welcome Muslims. As a result, facilities with prayer rooms and Muslim-friendly meals have been developed in Tohoku, expanding on the only two lodging facilities which had Muslim-friendly meals in the six prefectures of Tohoku as of March 2017, according to a study conducted by Halal Media Japan. 

The MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU PR Japan representative office, run by Sunny Side Up  is looking to increase the number of facilities taking part in the campaign, while enhancing tourists' experiences of MUSLIM-FRIENDLY omotenashi. Tours featuring Tohoku's unique history and nature have been created along the lines of the well-travelled Golden Routes that highlight Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Kyoto. Information on MUSLIM-FRIENDLY facilities and tours is also introduced through websites for inbound tourists such as JAPANiCAN. 

Explore: 

Check out Tohoku on JAPANiCAN

*Muslim-friendly refers to services that are extended with compassion and understanding of the special needs of Muslim visitors, but does not come with formal halal certification. Muslim-friendly venues may offer pork-free and alcohol-free menus, providing ingredient labelling of meals on menus, and set aside spaces for prayers and purification. 

United Nations University hosts discussion on directions for the region post-Arab Spring

On 27 January 2017, the United Nations University (UNU) will host The Arab Spring: Six Years On, a conversation with Professor Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou, Professor of International History of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Visiting Professor at the Doctoral School of Sciences Po Paris and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mauritania.




Professor Mohamedou is well-positioned to discuss the topic as the author of Iraq and the Second Gulf War: State Building and Regime Security (2002) and Understanding Al Qaeda: The Transformation of War (2011), as well as Co-editor of Democratisation in the 21st Century: Reviving Transitology (2016). His research focuses on political violence and transnational terrorism, the transformation of warfare, political liberalisation and transitions to democracy, and contemporary Middle Eastern and North African sociopolitical developments and conflicts.

In the early months of 2011, the Middle East and North Africa embarked on a historic process of sociopolitical transformation, the “Arab Spring”, which sent large-scale reverberations throughout and beyond the region. In rapid and unexpected succession, long-established and seemingly well-entrenched authoritarian regimes collapsed, opening the way for difficult and often-violent transitions.

Professor Mohamedou will join UNU Rector David Malone in an exploration of the current state and future prospects of the region. The conversation aims to answer the questions:
 
Six years later, how do the “Arab Spring” social movements continue to fare?
Where are these political transitions heading, and what shape have the power configurations and the social pacts taken?
What are the implications for the rest of the world?

The event is part of the UNU Conversation Series, which encourages the audience to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception after.

Interested?

UNU Conversation Series: The Arab Spring: Six Years On
Date: 27 January 2017
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: UNU Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan

The event will be in English only; Japanese interpretation will not be provided.
Advance registration by 26 January is required. Register

Halal Expo Japan debuts November 2016, includes modest fashion show

Source: Tokyo Modest Fashion Show website. Halal Expo Japan debuts this November.

Halal Expo Japan 2016 takes place in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan this November. Themed 'halal for all', the event will also host the first modest fashion show in Japan, Tokyo Modest Fashion Show 2016, featuring 10 fashion designers.

Interested?

Halal Expo Japan runs from November 22 to 23 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Taito-kan. View the list of exhibitors for Halal Expo Japan

View the agenda for Tokyo Modest Fashion Show 2016

Contribute more event listings to the Suroor Asia events page

CrescentRating reviews Narita Airport Rest House

CrescentRating, the authority on halal travel, has published a review of Narita Airport Rest House, the only hotel in Narita Airport. The which it says is an ideal option for Muslim travellers looking for accommodation close to Narita Airport. The company gave it a Muslim-friendly rating of 4*.

Prayer facilities at Narita Airport Rest House include prayer mats, prayer timetables, female prayer dresses and marked prayer directions in rooms. The hotel staff is also knowledgeable about the nearest mosques in the city.

Two restaurants served by halal kitchens at Narita Airport Terminal – Kineyamygimaru on the 5th floor of Terminal 1 and Agetatenoaji, Tentei at the 4th floor of Terminal 2 offer dining options. 

Interested?

Read the CrescentRating review

Read Narita Airport Rest House's page for Muslim travellers (PDF)

*CrescentRating's rankings for hotels go from 1 to 7, with 7 being the most Muslim-friendly. A hotel rated as 4 will be able to provide information regarding prayer times and prayer direction as well as information on nearby halal food and mosques. They will also have some level of halal food services; either halal breakfast and/or room service. Or it may claim all food in the hotel to be halal, but this is not independently verified by a halal food certification authority.

AEON woos Malaysian halal brands ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and AEON have organised a briefing on export opportunities in Japan for Malaysian companies. Held in Menara MATRADE on 21 December 2015, the initiative is part of MATRADE’s efforts to encourage Malaysian companies to tap into the emerging halal industry in Japan and to leverage on the demand expected for halal products and services during the Tokyo summer Olympics in 2020. 

AEON is one of the major retailers in Japan with businesses covering general merchandise stores, convenience stores, specialty stores and also real estate for retail, with more than 5,000 outlets in Japan. At the session, attendees were briefed on ideal ways to access Japan’s market through AEON and the requirements and procedures to supply to AEON’s supermarkets in Japan.
Japanese companies have been working to ensure that there are halal products for the sporting communities, tourist and Muslim populations in Japan ahead of the Tokyo summer Olympics in 2020, which will take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020 in Japan. They have focused on Malaysian halal brands given that Malaysia is one of the world’s top halal products and services providers.

Japan is Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner for exports. In 2014, Malaysia's exports of processed food to Japan was valued at RM620.3 million, an increase of 32.7% compared to the previous year. The top five products that showed a significant increase were cocoa and cocoa preparations, prepared cereals and flour, edible products and preparations as well as sugar and sugar confectionery. For the first 10 months of 2015 (January-October 2015), exports of processed food showed an increase of 25.3%, valued at RM654.7 million. 

Thomson Reuters launches Islamic Agribusiness Index for Asia Pacific excluding Japan

Thomson Reuters has launched the Islamic Asia Pacific Ex-Japan Islamic Agribusiness Index, covering 30 shari'ah compliant companies in the Asia Pacific region with revenues derived directly from agricultural products. It is the first index of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, the company said.

The Thomson Reuters Islamic Asia Pacific Ex-Japan Agribusiness Index combines Thomson Reuters transparent rules-based methodology with IdealRatings' expertise and research-based approach to shari'ah-compliant screening.

In addition, the index uses Thomson Reuters Business Classification (TRBC) to select companies engaged in upstream agricultural activities. TRBC has five levels of classification enabling a more accurate and granular selection of companies. This allows Thomson Reuters to systematically include industries and business activities which derive revenue from agricultural produce such as dairy producers or fertiliser while excluding activities related to agricultural product manufacturing which are not considered to be part of the agribusiness sector.

Thomson Reuters has supported Islamic finance for over 30 years, offering shari'ah compliant investment and trading solutions for financial professionals. Said Stephan Flagel, Head of Indices at Thomson Reuters: “The index provides rules-based, liquid and transparent exposure to companies within the fast growing Asian agribusiness sector. Bringing the efficiency and transparency expected in advanced financial markets to the rapidly growing Islamic finance industry requires the provision of deep and reliable market indicators, benchmarks and terms and conditions.”

The index will be tracked by an exchange-traded fund (ETF) provided by i-VCAP Management which was launched on the same day and is named MyETF Thomson Reuters Asia Pacific ex-Japan Islamic Agribusiness. The newly-launched ETF will offer investors exposure to the performance of the index and is the first agricultural-related Islamic ETF available globally and the first Islamic sector ETF available in the region, adding to ETFs worth US$2 billion based on Thomson Reuters indices globally.

The Thomson Reuters Islamic Asia Pacific Ex-Japan Agribusiness Index is calculated in real time and will be available through Thomson Reuters Eikon.

Yummy Japan introduces Japanese food and culture through YouTube videos

Source: Yummy Japan website.

Yummy Japan has launched a new portal for visitors regarding all things Japan to meet demand for information about Japanese culture and food that includes a section for Muslims.

The Muslim in Japan section includes pointers to halal food, prayer rooms, Muslim-friendly hotels and souvenirs. 

Yummy Japan is a multi-channel network* (MCN), and hosts some 50 foreign YouTubers and over 1,000 videos which are searchable by keyword categories such as creator, place names and food. The video connected to Google Maps, allowing users to get directions to the venue. Users can create an account on Yummy Japan, save a list of favourites as well as create blog posts.

*MCNs affiliate with more than one YouTube channels. This is what YouTube has to say about MCNs

KonaRed moves further into Japan, enters South Korea

Source:
KonaRed
website.

KonaRed, a pioneer of the coffee fruit category and manufacturers of antioxidant juices and nutritional supplements* from the Hawaiian CoffeeBerry coffee fruit from Kona, Hawaii in the US, has provided an update on its international expansion.

Since entering Asia in July 2015, KonaRed products have hit the shelves of Japanese retailers such as Aeon Retail, Kinokuniya and Natural Lawson Stores. KonaRed has just added another 70 stores with Aeon Stores in Japan and continues to grow with Lawson, Japan's second largest convenience store chain.

KonaRed has also shipped its first order to South Korea and has more expansion planned in this region in the near future.

KonaRed's President and COO Kyle Redfield commented, "We are focused on making strong progress in our international efforts and creating brand awareness and visibility on a global scale. Asia is a large priority for us at the moment. Our recent expansion successes not only add to our immediate top line but also build a strong platform for long-term growth."

KonaRed, through a licensing agreement with FutureCeuticals, produces and markets a range of products that showcase the Hawaiian Coffee Fruit, including antioxidant-rich extracts and powders from the Hawaiian Coffee Fruit, which are used to produce KonaRed's ready to drink antioxidant juice, green tea, coconut water, on-the-go packs and 100% Hawaiian Coffee Fruit Powders. The company is also launching a line of 100% Kona Coffee products that will include the coffee fruit as well. 

*KonaRed products are sold online. The company will ship to Australia and New Zealand.

Nippon Shokubai gets halal certification for sodium polyacrylates

Nippon Shokubai, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, has acquired halal certification for its sodium polyacrylates. The certification was granted by the Japan Muslim Association based on tests by the Shariah Research Institute at Takushoku University in Japan.

The halal-certified sodium polyacrylates are food additive-grade AQUALIC FH, feeding stuff additive-grade AQUALIC MH and industrial-grade AQUALIC IH. Nippon Shokubai expects this certification to result in greater demand of its sodium polyacrylates in Southeast Asia. The FH variation is used as a food thickener, while the MH alternative is a feed binder. AQUALIC IH is used as a flocculant.

・ Halal certified products of Nippon Shokubai as of Sep.30, 2015
AQUALIC FH (thickeners), AQUALIC MH (feed binders), AQUALIC IH (flocculants - substances typically used to reduce sedimentation).

Interested?

Read the Suroor Asia blog post about Nippon Shokubai getting halal certification for succinic and fumaric acid

Jebel Ali Free Zone reaches out to Japanese businesses

HE Moez Al Fahim, Charge d’Affaires, UAE Embassy in Japan with Ibrahim Aljanahi, Deputy CEO of Jafza and his team at the UAE Embassy in Tokyo.

A five-day roadshow across Japan of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), Dubai's flagship free zone entity and the trade and logistics hub for the wider Middle East region spanning West Asia, the CIS, Africa and the Indian subcontinent, has positioned the Jafza as the halal industry hub in the region.

Ibrahim Mohamed Aljanahi, Deputy CEO of Jafza and Chief Commercial Officer of Economic Zones World, the parent company of the Free Zone, said: "The overwhelming response that Jafza's halal-focused roadshow received reflects Japan's sharply growing interest in serving rapidly growing markets for halal products. Japan seeks to reach and serve over 2 billion consumers of halal food and other products in the world including the wider Middle East region which forms the sector's largest market. This is the market Jafza as a trade and logistics hub serves. Jafza provides everything that Japanese businesses require to become a significant force in the halal industry particularly in food, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors."

In presentations to Japanese businesses, Jafza talked about two state-of-the-art Halal Zones being developed - one in Jafza and the other in TechnoPark, its sister company, to serve regional, international, as well as the local markets.

Adil Al Zarooni, SVP Sales, Jafza said: "These Halal Zones will be all-inclusive hubs, supported with world-class infrastructure, perfectly suited to attract leading enterprises in the entire gamut of halal industry. Halal Zones will integrate a one-stop-shop system to service each and every need of customers in the halal supply chain, offering ease of doing business.

"Jafza seeks to collaborate and attract organisations, associations, accreditation bodies, R&D, as well as advisory firms to support the entire halal value chain right from R&D, product development to sourcing, production, logistics, sales and marketing."

As a part of its ,ission the Free Zone will promote the halal standards globally. The standards are developed and evolved by Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology and Dubai Accreditation Department.

"Looking at the interest of Japanese businesses we are sure to attract a significant number of new Japanese companies in food, pharmaceutical, healthcare sectors besides other streams including energy, infrastructure, electronics and transportation," said Al Zarooni.

Jafza is currently home to 142 top Japanese companies including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Nippon Steel, Marubeni Itochu Steel and JX Holdings. Most of these companies are serving markets in West Asia, the CIS, Africa and the Indian subcontinent from their respective regional headquarters in the Free Zone.

AlHuda CIBE wants to help bring Islamic finance to Japan

Japan, the third-largest national economy in the world, could improve its financial position internationally and regionally by supporting Islamic banking and finance, says Muhammad Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer, AlHuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics (CIBE).

Speaking at the Japan Halal Forum in Tokyo and at meetings in Japan, Muhammad Zubair mentioned that non-Muslim countries are already benefitting from Islamic finance, including in the US, South Africa, and the UK. 

Japan would not only expand its financial mix but also increase ties with regional financial centres near it, including in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, as well as further afield particularly to the Middle East. 

Muhammad Zubair noted that some Japanese banking and financial companies are already providing Islamic banking and takaful (Islamic insurance) services in Malaysia, the Middle East and some other countries. New investor bases might also be build through the Tokyo Stock Exchange developing Islamic indices and sukuk listings. Islamic banking and finance also complements the halal industry, which has the potential to attract new tourists in Japan and boost revenues through halal food exports.

Muhammad Zubair also disclosed that the AlHuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics has a long term vision to develop the Islamic banking and finance industry in Japan. The organisation is initially offering capacity building services for the Japanese banking and financial market, and plan to conduct workshops on the topic in Tokyo at the end of February 2015 with the Association of Nippon Asia Halal Association, to be conducted in Japanese.

Nippon Shokubai announces halal certification for food additives

Nippon Shokubai has acquired halal certification for a number of products, granted by the Japan Muslim Association based on tests by the Shariah Research Institute at Takushoku University in Japan.

In Southeast Asia, the consumption of processed foods such as instant noodles is currently growing as eating habits become increasingly diverse. At the same time, there is a growing need for processed food production plants based in the region to acquire halal certification for food additives because of the large population of Muslims in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. 

Nippon Shokubai has responded to the needs of processed food manufacturers and consumers by acquiring halal certification for its succinic acid*, the SS50 brand of disodium succinate**, and fumaric acid***, which are food additives in particularly high demand in Southeast Asia, along with the derivatives of these products and the main raw material used to produce them, maleic anhydride.

Demand is anticipated to grow for Nippon Shokubai's succinic acid, SS50 disodium succinate, and fumaric acid as they are often found in seasonings, pH adjusters, and other applications. Moreover, since few producers of maleic anhydride have acquired halal certification in the past, the company expects this recent certification to result in greater usage of its maleic anhydride as a raw material for food additives and other items.

*Succinic acid is commonly found in the natural world, such as in bivalves, fossils, algae, lichen, and fungi. It is industrially produced by hydrogenating maleic anhydride. Succinic acid is used as a food additive for miso paste, and soy sauce among other food products. According to WebMD, it has many alternative names including 'oil of amber' and is found in supplements for menopause.

**SS50 disodium succinate is industrially produced by neutralising succinic acid. It is used as a food additive for instant noodles and other processed foods.

***Fumaric acid is found in many kinds of plants, and is industrially produced using maleic acid as a raw material. It has about 1.5 times the acidity of citrus acid. Fumaric acid is used as a food additive for beverages, pastries, and other food products.

Halalminds extending app to other Asian markets

Halalminds is the company behind a mobile app of the same name that helps identify halal products. The app has received about 6,000 downloads to date, and has a rating of 4.4 stars out of five at the Android Play store.

Source: Play store.

Japan-based Agung Pambudi, Founder of Halalminds, explains that Muslims who who travel to non-Muslim destinations often find it difficult to find halal products, especially where halal certification is rare. 

"In Muslim countries, for example Indonesia, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia, it is easy to find halal products since the certification information is available. However in countries like Japan, mainland China, or South Korea, almost all of the products lack certification. Checking the ingredients of the product is only the way to know if the products are halal," he said.

While many associate food and drink with halal certification, Pambudi says that travellers are also looking for halal medicine and cosmetics. HalalMinds created the app for such challenges. 

"The app has a huge database of information about products, including a list of the 'E' numbers used by food labellers in Europe. Once the barcode of the product is scanned, HalalMinds can show the ingredients, translated into
the user's language of choice, and advises if the products are halal," Pambudi explained. 

Source: Halalminds. The company won a JohnnyTiC award in the Youth Pre-Start-up category at Global TiC 2014 in Taiwan. Pambudi is on the right.

The app also includes directories for locating halal restaurants, markets as well as mosques around the world; the Quran in 17 languages, and features around prayers and supplications.

While Halalminds first began as an app for travellers to Japan, Pambudi is now looking beyond its shores. "Our target market is now the world," he said.

Funding is holding the company back, but support for Korea and Taiwan are on the list. New features planned include contributions from users and support for social networks.

The app can be downloaded for Android here, and for iOS here.

Japan Halal Expo breaks new ground for halal industry in Japan

Source: Japan Halal Expo 2014 event organisers. UPIN-IPIN were unveiled as the official mascots of JAPAN HALAL EXPO 2014 by the organisers in late September.

Japan Halal Expo 2014, a trade fair and forum to be held in November at Makuhari Messe, is set to discuss the expansion of halal products and services made in Japan both domestically and globally. This is the first-ever International Forum and Exhibition held in Japan on the halal industry. Entrance to the exhibition is free.

According to the organisers, Makuhari Messe, Halal Media Japan, and Les’ Copaque Production of Malaysia, more than 10 million tourists visited Japan in 2013, with tourists from from the predominantly Muslim countries of Malaysia and Indonesia in particular increasing significantly due to relaxed visa requirements. The numbers are expected to rise as the middle class grows in both countries. At the same time Japanese SMEs of food products are becoming more interested in Islamic countries as an export market. Some are also predicting that the halal market will also grow in Japan.

The event, from November 26 to 27, is designed to bring together interested parties so that they can understand more about domestic and international halal trends and build awareness that halal certification from Japan is already accepted in some Muslim markets. The organisers are focusing on seven other countries in Asia and the Middle East, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Turkey and the UAE, and expect to host up to 250 delegates at the forum as well as 100 or more exhibitors. 

At the time of writing, participation from the following had been confirmed:

● International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART: Malaysia)
● International Islamic University of Malaysia（Malaysia）
● United World Halal Development (Singapore)
● The Central Islamic Committee of Thailand (CICOT: Thailand)
● Halal Standard Institute of Thailand (HSIT:Thailand)
● Halal India (India)
● Association For The Inspection And Certification of Food And Supplies (GIMDES:Turkey)
● Islamic Center Japan（ICJ:Japan）
● Japan Islamic Trust（JIT:Japan）
● Nippon Asia Halal Association（NAHA:Japan）

The event organisers unveiled official mascots Upin and Ipin in late September, and unveiled the list of exhibitors online on October 10.

Click here to register for the forum.

Japan Halal Summit kicks off on August 4

The Japan Halal Summit, organised by the Halal Development Foundation Japan and the Halal Development Council,  expects to capitalise on Japan's interest in penetrating the global halal market and prepares for the Olympics in 2020. Running from 4 to 6 August, the event is themed 'We Connect Islam and Japan', and is to be held at TKP Garden City Shinagawa in Tokyo, Japan.

According to the organisers, the halal market goes beyond food and beverages to Islamic banking, Islamic tourism and halal pharmaceuticals, and targets about 1.6 billion Muslims globally, or 23% of the world’s population.

The event site notes that Muslims make up the majority of the population in 49 countries around the world, with Indonesia at the top, counting 209 million or 87.2% of the population as Muslim. Pakistan has the second-largest Muslim contingent with 179.2 million, and India is third roughly 176 million Muslims. In terms of geographies, the Middle East-North Africa region has the highest concentration Muslims anywhere in the world. The organisers say that 93% of approximately 341 million inhabitants are Muslim in this region, compared with 30% in sub-Saharan Africa and 24% in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Key statistics for the halal market listed on the event site include:

• The global halal industry is valued at US$2.77 trillion and is growing at 20% annually
• Globally, Muslims spent US$1.1 Trillion on food and beverages in 2012, which is forecast to reach US$1.6 Trillion by 2018.
• The Islamic world imports most of its food, especially the Middle East, valued at US$15.4 billion and the halal food market is set to grow at the rate of 4.44% over the period of 2012-16.
• The halal food industry accounts for 20% of the global F&B industry. It was worth US$5.7 trillion in 2008 and is expected to increase to US$7 trillion by 2014.
• The Islamic finance market is estimated at $1 trillion.
• The global halal cosmetics market is estimated at US$13 billion and in the Middle East, the market is estimated to be worth US$2 billion. The global cosmetics market is worth US$334 billion.
• The shari'ah-compliant Islamic tourism sector is valued at US$100 billion, while the halal pharmaceutical industry is estimated to be worth US$500 billion.

A hundred delegates from around the world are expected to attend the summit, with representatives from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries, the Islamic Development Bank, Malaysia's JAKIM, Indonesia's MUI and UAE's Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology among others.

Malaysia's HDC and Kumamoto City in Japan agree to collaborate on halal initiatives

The Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) of Malaysia has signed an agreement with Kumamoto City of Japan and A-Commerce on 9 April at the World Halal Conference 2014 to pursue collaborations in the interest of developing the halal industry in both countries. Japan is Malaysia's fifth-highest trading partner in the halal industry, bringing in an export value of RM1.9 billion in 2013.  
 
Under the agreement all three parties are regarded as strategic partners where awareness of the concept of 'halal', halal components and the halal brand will be introduced to Japanese markets through HDC.

The agreement also aims to explore opportunities to develop, support and enrich the development of the human capital industry that will be of benefit to both countries.

A-Commerce is a professional business advisor to various local government bodies in Japan and renders support to the development of the halal industry in Japan.

Fukuoka Shoyu to expand to Southeast Asia, invest in Singapore

Asahi Shimbun has reported that Fukuoka Shoyu, a soy sauce brewing house from  the Mie Prefecture in Japan, is expanding to Singapore to promote its Hasamezu brand of soy sauce and related products. 

The company has made changes to its manufacturing process in order to ensure its products are halal certified, the newspaper said. "We have obtained halal certification, and are ready to deliver our products to all parts of the world," stated the company on its website.

Source: Fukuoka Shoyu website

The halal-certified portfolio at Fukuoka Shoyu include different grades of soy sauce and lemon sauces.

Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau ramping up support for Muslim travellers

Source: YCVB website

The Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB) announced on March 28 that the Muslim Tourist Information site within the English version of the official Yokohama Visitors' Guide website is getting noticed from Muslims in Southeast Asia.

The Muslim Tourist Information website was set up in December 2013 to introduce places such as tourist facilities, restaurants, halal shops and mosques based on recommendations by Muslims living in Yokohama. In a questionnaire concerning this website conducted on Muslims in Southeast Asia, more than 90% said they find the information on restaurants, mosques, and suggested itineraries to be useful.


YCVB has focused on attracting tourists from Southeast Asia from 2013, setting up booths at tourism fairs in countries like Thailand and Malaysia as well as receiving media organisation representatives from Southeast Asian countries to show them around Yokohama.

As part of its efforts to welcoming Muslim tourists, YCVB has been working on ways to help Muslims feel more comfortable during their stay in Yokohama, including organising training for tourism-related businesses on how to receive Muslim travellers and distributing brochures for Muslim travellers at tourist information centres.

Yokohama is Japan's second biggest city after Tokyo, located near the capital with a population of 3.7 million. The city has an eye on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as it works to increase its tourism infrastructure for visitors.