Refining the French food image in Japan

By Jean-Charles CROUIN, Director of Sopexa Japan.

jean-charles.crouin@sopexa.com

Set up 28 years ago, the Sopexa Japan office is fully integrated into the economic fabric of the "wine and gastronomy" sector in Japan. Its many achievements include creating most of the tools used to train Japanese professionals (design, writing, support) and generate awareness of French products.

By frequently organising original events for members of the trade, Sopexa was able to create a climate which encouraged the development of associations dedicated to making French products and food culture known more widely in Japan. This is clearly demonstrated by the success of groups for trade and consumers such as the "Toques Blanches" and the "JSA" (Japan Sommelier Association) which now boasts over 8,000 members (the biggest association of its kind in the world).

With a permanent staff of 10 and an extensive network of professional contacts, Sopexa Japan is a much respected player in Japanese fine food circles.

From gourmet grocers to convenience stores and supermarkets

Sopexa Japan has kept pace with the ongoing changes in the Japanese market, initially establishing a foothold for French gastronomy, which then developed into a lucrative outlet for "high end" products (great wines, foie gras, poultry, etc.)

More recently, Sopexa has been keeping pace with changes that have swept the Japanese food market, in particular the lowering of customs tariffs on wine (89) and on cheese, as well as the increasingly large numbers of French products now available in traditional Japanese outlets (20,000 wine merchants, 2,500 French-style bistros and restaurants). This expanding professional target has led Sopexa Japan to perfect its skill in organising events and promotional operations in the field (restaurants and retailers) based on a data base of 20,000 names.

"Image France" events used for building a network to promote French food culture.

The organisation of the first "Best Japanese sommelier" competition in 1980 set the tone for our new way of getting networks of culinary professionals interested in the various fundamental aspects of French gastronomy. We now organise 7 competitions dedicated to cooking with French regional products, 4 others to pastry cooking and a further 10 exclusively to sommeliers.
These events, organised every 2 or 3 years, focus Japanese perfectionist determination by giving them the opportunity of winning professional acclaim with the added prestigious sanction of such front-ranking French personalities as Joël Robuchon, Jacques Puisais or Jean-Michel Cazes, who contribute to the training seminar programmes and sit on the jury.

Apart from the gradual appearance of professional bodies in phase with our gastronomic culture, the most telling indication of their success has been the way they have continued to thrive independently under entirely Japanese management.

This has now enabled Sopexa Japan to invest its time and public funds in other promotional areas:

• Training in merchandising for wine buyers at mass retail chain central buying offices to encourage the adoption of geographical origin as a means of presenting the product on store shelves.

• Setting up of a portal and e-magazine designed to bring the community of Japanese operators together so as to amplify the effect of the various operations carried out by each one of them.

• Emphasising our "quality signs" system by setting up partnerships with Japanese public associations and organisations interested in protecting and identifying traditional Japanese food products.