The Japan tuna market

Abstract

The Japanese domestic tuna market is unique among world tuna markets because of the dominance of raw tuna—sashimi—as a final product form. Significant demand exists in Japan for smoked and cured skipjack loins, a product known in Japan as katsuobushi (or in its sliced form as kezuribushi). Small demand also exists for another distinctive skipjack product—tataki (cross-sectional portion of skipjack loin which has been heat-seared on the outside). The Japan canned tuna industry is highly dependent on exports. The major single factor to have influenced both sashimi and canned sectors in recent years has been the growth in strength of the Japanese yen. The strong Japanese currency has resulted in loss of competitiveness on world markets of Japanese canned tuna and an increased difficulty for Japanese producers in competing with foreign suppliers of canned and sashimi tuna on the Japanese domestic market.