A FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor books space at a large annual food and beverage trade show, run by the Japan Management Association and held at Tokyo Big Sight on 9–12 March 2027. Buyers come from Japan and overseas, and the organiser assigns booth locations. Direct applications follow fixed early-bird and final deadlines, so check the organiser’s current dates first. Overseas companies can apply for an individual booth or join a pavilion.

Key dates and facts

• FOODEX JAPAN 2027: 9–12 March 2027, Tokyo Big Sight; organiser, Japan Management Association. (Checked on [DATE] — source: Shimane Prefecture notice)
• 2026 edition, basic booth: 2.97 m × 2.97 m × 2.7 m; ¥473,000 early bird, ¥550,000 final, tax included. (Checked on [DATE] — source: FOODEX JAPAN brochure)
• 2026 edition, direct applications: early bird by 31 July 2025, final by 26 September 2025. (Checked on [DATE] — source: FOODEX JAPAN brochure)
• 2026 edition, overseas exhibitors paid a ¥4,400 processing fee per application. (Checked on [DATE] — source: FOODEX JAPAN application form)
• 2027 U.S. state pavilion: early bird to 9 October 2026; registration deadline 9 December 2026. (Checked on [DATE] — source: SUSTA)

What FOODEX JAPAN is and who visits

FOODEX JAPAN is an annual business-to-business food and beverage show where exhibitors from Japan and overseas meet buyers. The 2027 edition is the 52nd, and the show has run since 1976. If you are weighing it against other options, read about trade show selection in Japan first. potatoproarabnews

This Japanese trade show guide explains how to exhibit at FOODEX JAPAN as an overseas company. It is a food and beverage trade show Japan hosts in March, and the 2025, 2026 and 2027 editions all fall in that month. A FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor needs three answers early: is the show right for the product, which deadlines apply, and how will samples arrive.

The scale is large for any FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor 2027 plans to join. The 2026 edition drew 3,238 exhibitors and more than 70,000 visits. In 2025, 14,423 buyers from 78 countries attended. That year, 9,556 business meetings were scheduled between exhibitors and official buyers. 食品・飲料の国内外への販路拡大へ！ 岡山県が「FOODEX JAPAN 2027」の出展者を募集 – ライブドアニュース +2

The organiser publishes expected figures too. Its 2026 brochure projected more than 3,000 exhibitors, 4,000 booths, 85,000 visitors and 20,000 international visitors, across 85,000 m² of exhibit area. A Fukuoka City notice for 2027 expects about 70,000 visitors. Treat projections as targets, and the post-show figures above as results. ajmanchamberfukuoka

Visitor profile

A visitor profile trade show Japan organisers publish tells you who stops at your stand. FOODEX JAPAN’s visitors include trading companies, wholesalers, manufacturers, retailers, agriculture suppliers and hotel-related buyers. The 2026 show report groups visitors as manufacturers and producers, food service, retail, hotel and banquet, government and associations, machinery makers, logistics and press. It recorded 8,839 meetings with overseas buyers and 5,682 with domestic buyers. FOODEX JAPAN +2

Who organises it and where it is held

The Japan Management Association (JMA) organises FOODEX JAPAN, with four industry bodies. The co-organisers are the Japan Hotel Association, the Japan Ryokan & Hotel Association, the Japan Restaurant Association and the Japan Tourism Facilities Association. The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is planned as a special supporter. hawaiishimane

The 2027 edition is at Tokyo Big Sight. Dates are 9–12 March 2027, Tuesday to Friday. In 2026, the show used the East, West and South Halls. The venue’s address is 3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku. www1.pref.shimane.lg.jp +2

The show has moved before. Search for a Makuhari Messe trade show and you will find older FOODEX pages. JMA’s rules for the 2009 edition named Makuhari Messe as the venue. So did its outline for the 2012 edition. Recent editions use Tokyo Big Sight. Confirm the venue on the organiser’s page each year. jetrojetro

Do not confuse the organiser. RX Japan organises 109 exhibitions a year at venues including Tokyo Big Sight, Makuhari Messe and INTEX Osaka. FOODEX JAPAN is not an RX Japan show. The organiser’s rules and forms differ, so do not apply an RX Japan manual to it. nepconjapan

Is it the right show for your product?

FOODEX JAPAN suits food and beverage companies that want importers, distributors and buyers in Japan. Check your product against what buyers ask for and what the show groups. The 2026 show report ranked buyers’ most requested categories: seasonings and sauces first, then seafood products, then alcoholic beverages such as sake, shochu and whisky. danskindustri

The organiser’s 2026 brochure listed zones for seafood, processed food, condiments, sweets and snacks, frozen food, healthcare food, plant-based and alternative food, beverages, organic products, wine, world food, logistics, and halal, vegan and kosher products. The 2027 listing names World Food and Japanese Importers among its sectors. ajmanchamberpotatopro

Ask these questions before you apply.

• Does my product fit a listed zone or category?
• Is there demand for it among Japanese buyers, or am I opening a new category?
• Can the product legally enter Japan, and who will import it?
• Do I have Japanese labels, specifications and a price in yen?
• Can I staff the stand for four days?

If the answer is no, consider a different show. Japan IT Week and NEPCON JAPAN suit other sectors. NEPCON JAPAN 2027 runs 17–19 February at Tokyo Big Sight and is organised by RX Japan GK. Japan IT Week Spring 2027 is listed for 7–9 April at Tokyo Big Sight. See the full list of upcoming trade shows in Japan to compare dates. Japan trade shows 2027 at Tokyo Big Sight differ by organiser and sector: nepconjapanshowsbee

A trade fair Tokyo exhibitors book for one sector rarely serves another, so shortlist by buyer, not by date.

What the organiser will require of you

Every FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor must accept the organiser’s exhibitor rules before applying, apply through its online form, and follow the booth-location decisions of its secretariat. The 2026 form asked applicants to agree to the Exhibitor Rules & Conditions, a PDF on JMA’s site, before applying. The exhibitor application Japan organisers use here is an online form, not a paper contract. form

Overseas exhibitors paid a ¥4,400 processing fee for each application. The secretariat decided booth locations. Further applications, such as services, were handled through the exhibitor’s MyPage. Treat the MyPage as your show exhibitor manual: check it for forms and dates, and file each one on time. The exhibitor application for the FOODEX JAPAN 2026 +2

Expect to supply company details and a managing director’s details. The 2026 form asked for both. Every FOODEX JAPAN exhibitors’ list, badge and invoice starts from that form, so check spellings in English and Japanese. form

Keep the rules and the application in one folder. If you plan to apply as a co-exhibitor, note that the form asks for both company names separated by a slash.

Deadlines a FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor should check first

Direct applications have an early-bird date and a final date, and payment follows. Each FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor works to the same calendar. The 2026 edition shows the pattern. Use it as a guide, not as the 2027 timetable.

Japanese local governments run group-booth calls earlier. Fukuoka City’s call for 2027 closed on 4 September 2026. Those calls are for Japanese companies, but they show how early the calendar moves. Trade show dates Japan organisers publish are firm, so open the current exhibitor page before you plan. If the 2027 deadlines follow the 2026 pattern, direct applications may already have closed. In that case, look at pavilions. The U.S. state pavilion run by SUSTA listed an early-bird price to 9 October 2026 and a registration deadline of 9 December 2026, with no refunds after it. For 2026, Hawaii’s pavilion set its application deadline at 12 December 2025 and payment by 24 December 2025. 福岡市 ホームページ +2

Your stand at this show

The standard unit for a FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor is one booth of about 9 m². The organiser’s brochure defines it as 2.97 m by 2.97 m by 2.7 m, with a booth number plate and side panels, and no carpeting. This is the same logic as a koma, the Japanese booth unit. ajmanchamber

The FOODEX JAPAN booth price depends on when you apply. For 2026, the basic booth plan cost ¥473,000 per booth at the early-bird rate and ¥550,000 at the final rate, tax included. That is the FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor cost for space alone, before extras. Add the processing fee, freight, samples, staff, interpreters and travel. ajmanchamber

Trade show booth booking Japan style means choosing a booth count and a corner option on the form. The secretariat then decides the location, so you cannot pick a hall. An overseas pavilion Japan show organisers host groups national or state exhibitors together. The 2026 show report describes an exclusive zone for national pavilion exhibitors. danskindustri

Pavilions can package the booth. SUSTA’s 2027 listing priced a 9 m² in-line booth at $2,145 and a corner booth at $2,297, with a standard furniture package, a market briefing and pre-arranged meetings. Prices differ by sponsor, so compare what each includes. susta

Logistics into the venue

Plan the shipment of food carefully, because Japan treats food through a separate regime. The U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in Tokyo recommends following the official freight coordinators that a show or pavilion assigns. Products can be exempt from the Food Sanitation Law’s import notification when they are for sampling and not for sale. Duties and consumption tax may still apply. General Instructions for Shipping Product Samples to Japan Tokyo ATO Japan JA2023 0109 +2

For goods imported for sale, the importer must file a separate Notification Form for Importation of Foods. Some fresh plants and vegetables are prohibited. Confirm your own products with your forwarder, your customs broker and the quarantine station before you ship. apedaapeda

Couriers carry costs too. For JETRO’s pavilion at the 2023 edition, exhibitors who used a courier paid all transport, customs clearance fees and taxes themselves. Ask if your pavilion or booth plan works the same way. jetro

Timing matters too. In 2026, move-in ran 7–9 March, and move-out on 13 March was set for 4:30pm to 10pm. Ask your forwarder to align arrival with the organiser’s schedule. ajmanchamber

Staffing and language; after the show

Staff the booth for scheduled meetings, not only for walk-ins. The organiser arranged 9,556 business meetings in 2025. Decide who takes buyer meetings, who handles samples, and who speaks Japanese. We recommend Japanese-language materials, price lists in yen, and an interpreter for technical questions. ajmanchamber

After the show, follow up with each buyer while the sample and the booth are fresh. International exhibitors Japan show organisers welcome should follow up in the first days with a short, specific message.

• Log every meeting with the buyer’s name, company, interest and agreed next step.
• Send price lists, specifications and sample details in the format they asked for.
• Separate importers, distributors and food-service buyers into three lists.
• Set a reminder to chase each lead after the first reply.

A FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor who follows up in an organised way turns more meetings into trials. The show lists Japanese importers as a sector. Sort leads by whether they can import, distribute or sell to food service, and reply with the specifications they asked for. potatopro

Common mistakes for a FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor

• Planning around an old venue. Earlier editions were held at Makuhari Messe. jetro
• Shipping food for sale as if it were a sample. Goods imported for sale need the separate food import notification. apeda
• Expecting a corner booth with one or two booths and no corner option. The 2026 form did not allow it. form
• Missing the MyPage service deadlines. The 2026 brochure pointed exhibitors to MyPage for them. ajmanchamber
• Treating pavilion and direct fees as equal. Compare what each includes.

BoothJAPAN service tie-in: Show Fit & Exhibition Selection

BoothJAPAN handles the Japan side of trade shows for companies based outside Japan, in English with you and in Japanese with organisers, venues and suppliers. Its show fit and exhibition selection service can tell you what the organiser requires of an overseas exhibitor and which dates, fees and categories are still open to confirm, before you commit. See trade show selection in Japan for how that works. It sits within Planning & Management, alongside exhibitor manual support and project management.

Frequently asked questions

Is FOODEX JAPAN open to the public?

It is aimed at the trade. A Japanese press report describes it as an exhibition for food and beverage industry professionals. Admission rules can change, so check the organiser’s visitor page for the current policy before you plan a consumer-style stand. livedoor

Do I need a Japanese importer?

For samples shown and not sold, you may not. For goods sold in Japan, yes in practice. One guide says a person with no address in Japan cannot file the food import notification. Confirm your route with your forwarder and the quarantine station. gourmetpro

Can a single company join a national pavilion?

Not by applying directly. The organiser’s brochure says individual exhibitors are not eligible to apply for a national pavilion. The pavilion’s national organiser handles applications, so ask your trade-promotion agency. ajmanchamber

Can I get a corner booth?

Only with the option. The 2026 form said exhibitors with one or two booths could not get a corner unless they applied with the corner booth option. Check the 2027 form for the same rule. form

Do pavilions cost less than a direct booth?

Not necessarily. The organiser’s 2026 early-bird rate was ¥473,000 per booth. SUSTA’s 2027 in-line booth was $2,145. Sponsors set their own fees and inclusions, so compare booth size, furniture, meetings and cancellation terms. ajmanchambersusta

To scope the Japan side of your FOODEX JAPAN exhibitor plan, send us the show, the dates and your stand size, and request a quote from BoothJAPAN.