FOODEX JAPAN 2027

FOODEX JAPAN by the numbers

Every figure links to where it came from. Attendance for an event that has not happened is a projection, and each row says so rather than presenting it as a count.

• Dates9 to 12 Mar

  Official FOODEX site. Four days at Tokyo Big Sight, Tuesday to Friday. This is the 52nd International Food and Beverage Exhibition. FOODEX JAPAN

• Exhibitors3,000+

  Official site figure. Smaller than Anuga or Gulfood by exhibitor count but the most established international food platform in Asia. FOODEX JAPAN

• Countries100

  Official site. Participation spans 28-plus sectors, which is a broader sector split than most food fairs in this directory. FOODEX JAPAN

• Edition52nd

  FOODEX has run annually for over half a century, which makes it the longest-established food fair in this directory. FOODEX JAPAN

What is FOODEX JAPAN?

FOODEX JAPAN is Asia's longest-established international food and beverage trade fair, run by the Japan Management Association at Tokyo Big Sight. The 2027 dates are 9 to 12 March, and this is the 52nd edition. It is the main route into the Japanese food market for international exporters, and the Japanese market is notoriously difficult to enter without a domestic distributor - which is precisely what most exhibitors are there to find.

Who goes to FOODEX JAPAN?

Food and beverage exporters exhibiting, and Japanese importers, distributors, retail buyers and food service operators sourcing. It also draws buyers from across East and Southeast Asia. With over 3,000 exhibitors from 100 countries across 28-plus sectors, it is broad by category even though it is mid-sized by exhibitor count.

FOODEX JAPAN side events

National pavilions dominate the informal programme, with trade bodies and export agencies running their own receptions and buyer introductions around their stands. Because so much of the fair's purpose is matching exporters to Japanese distributors, a good deal of business happens in arranged meetings rather than on the floor. Aspire does not run any of it.

FOODEX JAPAN tickets and costs

Entry cost was not published on the official pages checked, so none is quoted here. FOODEX is a trade fair and admission is restricted to industry visitors. Tokyo Big Sight is on the waterfront in Koto, some distance from central Tokyo. March in Tokyo is cool and increasingly pleasant, and cherry blossom season begins toward the end of the month.

Getting to Tokyo Big Sight

Tokyo Big Sight is served by the Yurikamome line at Tokyo Big Sight station and the Rinkai line at Kokusai-Tenjijo. From Haneda allow around 40 minutes, and from Narita closer to 90. The waterfront location means it is not walkable from anywhere central, so plan the rail route rather than assuming a short hop.

Where to stay for FOODEX JAPAN

Odaiba puts you closest to the venue but is isolated in the evening. Ginza, Shimbashi and Shinagawa are all a straightforward rail connection and far better placed for dinner and meetings. Tokyo has enormous hotel supply, so trade fair weeks do not distort rates the way they do in Cologne or Munich.

What to know before booking FOODEX JAPAN

If your aim is the Japanese market specifically, this is the fair, and going without pre-arranged distributor meetings wastes most of the trip. Japanese buyers place considerable weight on preparation and follow-through, so the meetings you book beforehand matter more here than at a European sourcing floor where walking the aisles is more productive.

FOODEX JAPAN: common questions