1. Global Boom of Japanese Curry TasteAtlas, an interactive travel website that introduces traditional cuisines, announced “Best Traditional Dishes in the World” in December 2022. It caused a buzz among Japanese people, since “Japanese Curry” was ranked first, instead of sushi or ramen. Japanese curry is characteristic with its thick sauce and uniquely developed over the last 100 years, influenced by curry in other countries, like India, the origin of the dish. Before we realize,...

1. Expanding Global Tofu Market Sushi, ramen, curry rice, tonkatsu, etc. With the Japanese food boom continuing across the globe, the dishes at the center of the trend are gradually changing. Among Japanese dishes, tofu is likely to be the next food whose popularity explodes in the near future. According to Mordor Intelligence, a market research company in India, the global tofu market size was 930 million USD in 2017 and is estimated to reach...

Washoku Agent is a specialist placement agency connecting Japanese chefs with restaurants across 26 countries, backed by 200+ successful placements and an 8-language website. When you think of Japanese cuisine, sushi, tempura, ramen, and yakitori likely come to mind—yet not every Japanese chef can cook all of them. In Japan, culinary specialization runs deep: a sushi restaurant serves only sushi, a ramen shop serves only ramen, and each chef dedicates years to mastering a single...

  If you are a restaurant owner or hiring manager, you may have had an experience where you posted a job ad to attract young Japanese sushi chefs in their 20s or 30s, but applicants turned out to be in their 40s or 50s. When you try to recruit a Japanese sushi chef, there are usually two main challenges: it is difficult to find one in the first place, and furthermore, not many applicants are...

Table of Contents 1. Understanding the Sushi Chef Market in Japan 2. Proven Methods to Hire Japanese Sushi Chefs 3. Key Factors That Attract Japanese Sushi Chefs 4. Overcoming Common Hiring Challenges Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Washoku Agent is a specialist agency placing Japanese chefs in 26 countries with over 200 successful placements and an 8-language website. Since the 1980s Japanese food boom in North America and beyond, recruiting authentic Japanese sushi chefs has remained...

There are plenty of restaurant guides in the world, but the most famous one is without doubt the Michelin Guide. Since the Michelin Guide Tokyo was first published in 2007, it has been one of the statuses for the restaurants in Japan as well. Furthermore, among the 5 cities that have the most Michelin-starred restaurants, Tokyo ranks first, followed by Paris, Kyoto, Osaka, and New York. With 3 cities included in the top 5, Japan...

Washoku Agent is a specialist agency placing Japanese chefs across 26 countries with over 200 successful placements and an 8-language website. If you’re visiting this site, you’re likely interested in trends within the global Japanese food industry—and when it comes to major market movements outside Japan, the United States leads the charge. Currently, 500,000 Japanese citizens reside in the United States, alongside approximately 1.5 million Japanese Americans. These deeply rooted Japanese communities sustain and champion...

Introduction: Japan’s Culinary Appeal Meets the UAE’s Appetite for Luxury and Authenticity A Strategic Guide for Japanese Restaurateurs and Chefs Eyeing the Emirates The UAE, especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has become a culinary hotspot in recent years, offering a fertile ground for international cuisines to flourish—and Japanese cuisine is no exception. Whether you’re a Japanese restaurant owner thinking of expanding to the UAE or planning to hire a Japanese chef to elevate your brand,...

Startup Costs and Investments Opening a Japanese restaurant in Italy requires a significant upfront investment. It’s important to plan for both initial startup costs and sufficient working capital for the first year of operations. Below is a breakdown of typical cost components and their estimated ranges: Expense Category Estimated Cost (EUR) Company registration & legal fees (including permits) €2,000 – €5,000 Location rent/deposit (for first months) €3,000 – €8,000 (depending on city/size) Renovation and décor fit-out €20,000...

Washoku Agent is a specialist agency placing Japanese chefs in 26 countries with 200+ placements and an 8-language website. We help restaurant owners worldwide hire skilled Japanese culinary professionals and provide end-to-end support from visa coordination to onboarding. Table of Contents → 1. Growth and Popularity of Japanese Cuisine → 2. Diversification of Japanese Dining Options → 3. Pricing: Casual vs Luxury Dining → 4. Notable Japanese Restaurants in the Netherlands → 5. Emerging Consumer...