Sushi Top Choice for Promoting Japanese Food Overseas
News related to:Suzumo Machinery Co., Ltd · 2 min read
NAKANO, TOKYO, JAPAN, November 4, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- SUZUMO 2026 Survey Finds Sushi Is the Top Japanese Food People in Japan Want to Recommend Overseas, Chosen by Nearly 70% of Respondents
Suzumo Machinery Co., Ltd., a leading company in rice-processing robots, has conducted a survey revealing that sushi is the top Japanese food people in Japan want to recommend to people overseas. The survey, which polled 600 men and women in their 20s to 60s and older, found that nearly 70% (68.2%) of respondents chose sushi as the food they would like to promote internationally.
It aimed to explore the preferences of Japanese people regarding the spread of their culinary culture abroad. Sushi ranked first among the Japanese foods respondents wanted to recommend, followed by onigiri (rice balls, 23.7%) and rice bowls (22.3%).
The growing popularity of Japanese cuisine overseas is evident from the number of Japanese restaurants, which reached approximately 181,000 in 2025, a significant increase from the 55,000 in 2013. This growth is attributed to the rising interest in Japanese food, as spending by international visitors to Japan reached ¥9.4549 trillion in 2025, surpassing the ¥8.1257 trillion recorded in 2024. The top activity enjoyed by international visitors during their stay was "eating Japanese food," with 98.2% of visitors engaging in this activity.
Ahead of Sushi Day on November 1 and Washoku Day (Japanese Food Day) on November 24, the survey highlights the current state of the Japanese food industry and the public's attitude towards sushi. The survey also delved into the forms of Japanese food and sushi that people want to spread overseas, as well as their views on mechanization in the food industry.
According to the survey, 80% of respondents associate Japanese food with sushi, ranking it first in every age group. Sushi also topped the list of foods respondents wanted to recommend to people overseas, with onigiri and rice bowls in the 20% range. Nearly 70% (69.8%) of respondents believe that authentic sushi with the same quality and taste as in Japan should be the priority when spreading sushi overseas.
Awareness of the use of robots for supermarket sushi is on the rise, with 61.7% of respondents aware that sushi at supermarkets and similar stores is shaped by sushi robots. About 70% (69.2%) of those who eat sushi have no reservations about machine-shaped sushi, while 50% to 60% say rice-related steps can be left to machines.
SUZUMO's Sushi Machine and Rice-Serving Machine hold top market share in both the latest global and Japanese markets. The company, which developed the world's first Sushi Machine in 1981, continues to lead the industry.