Via Maglio del Lotto, 2 - 24126 BERGAMO BG - ITALY - tel. +39 3478319477 - info@boutique-italia.it - boutiqueitalia@pec.it
VAT No. 0441415161 - Single-member Srls - REA BG 461155 - Share capital € 5,000.00
® Registered trademark owned by Boutique Italia Srls - All rights reserved I Copyright © Boutique Italia Srls 2024
FOODEX TOKYO 11/14 MARCH 2025
This edition of FOODEX, which took place at Tokyo Big Sight, has also concluded, with great enthusiasm for the Made in Italy products presented at our Stand.
In Japan, digital AVATARS become reality
January 2025
Lawson, due to the now chronic difficulty in finding staff, is turning to digital Avatars.
The famous Konbini chain (convenience stores open 24 hours a day) will employ remote clerks abroad to serve customers late at night.
The first of these avatars will be put online in the coming days and will be managed by a Japanese person living in Sweden. The new employee will help customers at various Lawson locations in the Osaka and Tokyo areas. The +8 hour time difference will allow the avatar to support customers during nighttime and morning hours in Japan.
TOKYO: THE CULINARY CHALLENGE IS GETTING TOUGHER AND TOUGHER! ⚔️
November 2024
The Michelin Guide Tokyo 2025 has just raised the curtain on the most competitive gastronomic scene in the world.
With 170 starred restaurants, the Japanese capital continues to amaze with the variety and excellence of its culinary offerings.
From Japanese tradition to creative reinterpretations of international cuisine, Tokyo is a true paradise for gourmets.
In addition to the 170 starred restaurants, Tokyo also boasts 12 "green stars" that reward restaurants with "commendable environmental practices".
HALLOWEEN in TOKYO
October 2024
For those traveling from Tokyo to Osaka, the Shinkansen is almost always the fastest and most convenient way to get there. But this month it was also the most terrifying! At 5:18 p.m. on the evening of October 19, a Nozomi super express bound for Shin Osaka departed from Tokyo Station. Before reaching its destination, however, a section of the bullet train was invaded by zombies!
OKTOBER FEST IN JAPAN
September 2024
This is a curiosity that few people know: in September and October, in many Japanese cities, a smaller edition of the German beer festival takes place!
The main Japanese cities hosting these events in 2024 are:
1) TOKYO - Shiba Park Oktoberfest, outside Onarimon Station Autumn 2024オクトーバーフェスト2024 in 芝公園御成門駅前～AUTUNNO～- 3-2 Shibakoen, Minato City, Tokyo (Shiba Park 4th Block)
2) YOKOHAMA - 1-1 Shinko, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa
3) HIROSHIMA - Hiroshima Park Plaza Gate (5-25 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima)
Opening hours vary depending on the city, but all close between 9 and 10 p.m.
The Japanese toy market is booming!
Tokyo - August 2024
Sales have exceeded 1 trillion Yen for the first time, with a growth of 7.1% compared to the previous year. Collectible cards and models are the main players, also driven by tourist interest. Companies are increasingly looking abroad to capitalize on the success of manga and anime.
JAPANESE HOUSEHOLD SPENDING RECOVERS: +0.5% in April after 14 months.
GOLDEN WEEK 2024
April 29 - May 5
In Japan, every year, between the end of April and the beginning of May, the Golden Week is celebrated, a set of 4 national holidays that are concentrated within seven days. This year, Golden Week falls between April 29 and May 5, and during this period most Japanese people take time off work to celebrate the holidays.
For those who would like to know more, here are these holidays:
- Showa Day, or Showa no hi, April 29 is the birthday of the late Emperor Showa, or Hirohito, who ruled Japan during World War II.
- On May 3 the Constitution Day, Kenpo kinenbi, is celebrated in honor of the ratification of the Japanese Constitution in 1947.
- Midori no hi, or Green Day, is celebrated on May 4. It honors the environment, as Emperor Showa was a lover of nature, flowers, and plants. Green Day was once celebrated on April 29, but was moved to the current date due to a law that requires a day falling between two national holidays to also be declared a holiday.
- On May 5, Kodomo no hi, or Children's Day (also called Tango no Sekku, or Boys' Festival), is a holiday that celebrates young boys. Often towns and families hang carp-shaped streamers outdoors to represent the presence of young boys in their midst and to wish them strength and success in life.
EXPO 2025 OSAKA: the mascot of the Italy Pavilion has been presented
April 16, 2024
The General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, Mario Vattani, announced two outstanding collaborations for the Italy Pavilion: one with Simone Legno, creator of tokidoki, an internationally renowned pop-art brand who designed the mascot, Italia-chan, and one with Eataly, which will manage the restaurant located in front of the Italian garden on the terrace of the Italy Pavilion.
FOODEX JAPAN - TOKYO BIG SIGHT - 5/8 MARCH 2024
With a total of 76,183 visitors, compared to 73,789 at the previous edition,FOODEX Japan 2024 confirms itself as the most important trade fair event in Japan.
This year as well, BOUTIQUE ITALIA was present, alongside the Italian companies exhibiting for the first time in Japan.
Many handshakes, many bows, but also many hugs, many new faces and many familiar ones: this year's outcome is positive. Now we face the long follow-up period to consolidate old contacts and new business relationships.
Thank you all!
January 29, 2024: TOKYO - Italian Cultural Institute - Umberto Agnelli Hall
PRESENTATION OF PENTOLE AGNELLI during the ITALIAN WEEK 100 Award Ceremony at
and presentation of "customized" pots to the 8 winning chefs
Thanks to our local Partners, Alessandro and Mayumi, we were able to participate in the ITALIAN WEEK 100 2023 awards ceremony, presenting the beautiful institutional video of PENTOLE AGNELLI and giving each of the 8 winning chefs a "unique piece," a personalized pan with the chef's name and the Restaurant's name.
PANETTONE IN JAPAN - December 2023
The consumption of panettone is also highly appreciated at breakfast, to start the day, or as a snack to accompany afternoon tea.
Most of the panettoni sold in Japan are still imported from Italy, but more and more #chef and #pastrychef are trying to learn the art of making this leavened cake and to skillfully interpret it, according to the tastes of their own region, to create an authentic recipe capable of speaking to the Japanese public.
We like to point out the #Panettonesociety, an association founded in 2020 in Tokyo, which organizes initiatives aimed at both consumers and professionals, to support and increase the spread in Japan of the Christmas dessert most loved by Italians.
This year too, the Competition was held to choose the best #PANETTONEinJAPAN.
On December 2 (Saturday) and 3 (Sunday) at the #NihonbashiMitsukoshiMainStore the panettone of the first prize winner and the seven 2022 finalists (three of whom were also selected as finalists this year) were presented:
1st prize : #BlondelMaxime (#PasticceriaPechemignonOsaka)
Finalists:
#HidekiAkimoto (#BoulangerieKoshkaTokyo)
#AbeNohiko (#LanternaMagicaTokyo)
#RikiUehara (#TakBageriCaféKagoshima)
Mister #Omurata (#VanderlustGunma)
#JunichiSakata (#PanetteriaUrusKumaKanagawa)
#MikageSuzuki (#KenohinopanTokyo)
#TomohikoNakamura (#MandarinOrientalTokyo)
Stay tuned.
Wagashi 和菓子 - the traditional Japanese sweets - October 2023
When talking about Japan and its sweets, the first things that come to mind are mochi 餅 (glutinous rice balls filled with anko あんこ, the typical red bean paste, or ice cream in various flavors) or dorayaki どら焼き (the Japanese sponge cake also filled with anko) because we are used to eating them at restaurants. These are typical and unique Japanese sweets, which are part of the large family of wagashi, literally “Japanese sweet,” which, however, does not exhaust the confectionery universe of the Land of the Rising Sun. The term wagashi was, in fact, created only during the Meiji period (1868-1912), when Japan reopened to the world after two hundred years of isolation, and came into contact with some Western traditions, including culinary ones. At that time, it became necessary to distinguish typical Japanese sweets, wagashi, from those that came from the West, which were instead called yōgashi ようがし, literally Western sweets.
Traditional Japanese sweets are made from water, sugar, glutinous rice, and azuki beans and do not include milk, butter, cream, eggs, wheat flour, or yeast. Moreover, they do not require an oven or long cooking times and rarely use molds, except for some typical types, because for the most part they are shaped by hand, with each pastry chef taking pride in characterizing the imperceptible differences in details with their own style.
LUXURY IN JAPAN IS PURCHASED OFFLINE - September 2023
We recently read an interesting article on NSS MAGAZINE, which we are pleased to share. According to the authoritative Magazine:
"If South Korea deserved the luxury spotlight in the past year - with major brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Dior staging shows in the capital and record sales among the local clientele - Japan has maintained its strength in a context of a slowing US economy and a difficult post-Covid recovery in China. At the top of the list of preferred international destinations, according to data from the consulting firm McKinsey reported by Vogue Business, the Japanese luxury market is solid and is expected to grow by about 4% until 2025, driven by domestic consumers. Brands such as Burberry, Prada and Richemont bear witness to this, having recorded a strong acceleration in the country in the last quarter and growing sales for the entire 2022 fiscal year, as well as brands like Marni and Chanel that are basing their long-term strategies precisely on Japanese performance. Data that confirm the grand comeback of a continent tested by lockdown, but also underline the need for a different approach in the territory, especially in terms of customer care and in the Japanese territory.
Japan is indeed different from other APAC countries: in a traditional society, where executives still exchange business cards, use fax machines, and pay in cash, over 80% of luxury consumers in Japan say that offline is a fundamental part of their shopping journey, with 36% shopping exclusively offline. According to McKinsey, Japanese consumers cite "polite manners", "good product knowledge" and "ease of finding items" as fundamental requirements in the shopping experience. With the highest rate of elderly population in the world, many local luxury shoppers therefore expect the utmost care in service. Hospitality can also enhance the offline experience and brands know this well, so much so that branded venues across the country are increasing: in the Chanel boutique in Ginza you can find Beige, a two Michelin star restaurant by the Monegasque chef of French origin Alain Ducasse, while in Tokyo the choice is wide, from the Osteria by Massimo Bottura for Gucci to the Ristorante Luca Fantin by Bulgari, passing through Café Dior by Ladurée and Le Café V by Louis Vuitton. Even though in Japan the physical experience reigns supreme, brands can still use online platforms to connect with local consumers, as in the case of Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, and Prada who have decided to open official accounts on local messaging apps like Line. Chanel in particular, which already has 33 stores throughout Japan, is deepening its Japanese reputation. At the Métiers d'Art 2023 collection show in Tokyo, guests attended a dance performance followed by a musical performance by Senegalese artist Nix and Japanese guitarist Ichika Nito, while a masterclass organized by the brand with Tyler Brûlé, president and editor-in-chief of Monocle, was made available to 350 students from leading schools of fashion, art, design, and management. According to the brand's executive Bruno Pavlovsky, the show was "a way to celebrate creativity, not only in fashion, but also in music and dance" and regarding the decision to restage in Tokyo the collection first presented in Dakar last December, Pavlovsky explained that the brand believed the pieces were in line with the "elegant" style of Japanese consumers and that there was a desire to establish local contact in Asia after years of closures.
Japan accounts for 23% of total sales also for Marni. The Italian luxury brand opened its first store in Japan in 2000 and currently has 25 stores across the country (out of 96 globally), including three outlets and a new opening coming soon. According to CEO Barbara Calò, the company plans to refurbish some of its existing stores in the country, also focusing on pop-ups to reach offline consumers. This is why Marni found it useful to organize a 2,000-guest fashion show in Tokyo last February, the second after New York among the brand's four traveling runways owned by OTB, in order to "bring Marni's global vision closer to the customers and the ever-growing community that supports and appreciates our products, codes, and cultural values". Because, although South Korea is the new promised land for the luxury market, Japan remains a safe haven.
September 2023
F.LLI BELOTTI CONSERVE products "land" in South Korea: with a touch of pride, we are pleased to share this great success!
FOODEX 2023 - 7/10 March
IT'S THE DETAILS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
THE DELICACIES of F.LLI BELOTTI PRESERVES
THE FAMOUS BICERIN LIQUEUR OF TURIN
NUOVE DISTILLERIE VINCENZI - Turin 1930 entrusted us with the task of presenting its traditional products in Japan: the BICERIN gianduiotto liqueur, syrups with a thousand flavors, for cocktails, coffee, cappuccino, tea, and granitas.
At BOUTIQUE ITALIA we pay great attention to detail and present our products with passion and respect for the producer. This year we are bringing to Japan for the first time PASTA AL CUBO, the first Italian organic fermented pasta.
Pride of our Bergamo territory: the preserved in oil and pickled products of F.LLI BELOTTI CONSERVE. Two stand out above all: the MOSCATELLI cucumbers, produced exclusively in Lombardy and- the cheese in oil: quartirolo-type cheese enriched with aromatic herbs and preserved in oil.
FOODEX 2023 - March 6
March 6, 2023: Booth setup day at FOODEX TOKYO 2023
6 PM - Setup completed: we can relax, waiting for the opening of the event tomorrow morning.
March 6, 2023: Booth setup day at FOODEX TOKYO 2023
12:00 PM - Here we are: we are finally entering the new Tokyo Exhibition Center. From this year, FOODEX takes place at TOKYO BIG SIGHT and seeing it up close is truly exciting. And now... to work, an intense week awaits us.
Via Maglio del Lotto, 2 - 24126 BERGAMO BG - ITALY - tel. +39 3478319477 - info@boutique-italia.it - boutiqueitalia@pec.it
VAT No. 0441415161 - Single-member Srls - REA BG 461155 - Share capital € 5,000.00
® Registered trademark owned by Boutique Italia Srls - All rights reserved I Copyright © Boutique Italia Srls 2024