Mashiro Inc is looking beyond Japan’s mature anti-ageing supplement market to pursue growth – a strategic move for a relatively young company based in a domestic market that is already saturated with beauty and wellness products.
With 10 years in the business, the firm has developed a range of collagen drinks. The most recent one targets working women’s concerns that include ageing, sleeplessness, and stress.
According to Glico’s COO for Asia Pacific Yukio Kimura, snack innovation is increasingly about combining nutrition, health benefits and indulgence, rather than treating them as separate priorities.
While Glico’s observations are rooted in Asian markets, the underlying shift is not unique to the region. Global snack research points to a similar blurring of indulgence, sensory experience and health.
Food and beverage manufacturers in Japan face a growing challenge: Deliver products that meet consumers’ health and convenience needs while remaining affordable.
In its Consumer Food and Beverage Trends in Japan 2026 report, market research firm Innova Market Insights identifies affordability, health, product safety and convenience as important considerations shaping Japanese consumers’ purchasing decisions.
From seafood sustainability and mycotoxin contamination to declining agricultural productivity, several less obvious risks could undermine global food supply resilience. This analysis explores three sustainability challenges that could have implications well beyond individual markets, as food systems become increasingly interconnected. For Japan, which relies heavily on global supply chains to meet domestic food demand, understanding these emerging risks is particularly relevant to the country’s long-term food security.
Innovation alone will not transform Asia’s food system if farmers and consumers cannot or will not adopt it. This analysis examines the barriers to uptake, from affordability and access to education, infrastructure and the need to design technologies around local needs.
It also explores how emerging nutrition trends such as GLP-1 could reshape food innovation in Asia, highlighting why understanding consumer needs and making new solutions accessible will be critical to turning technological advances into lasting market opportunities.