The Worldfolio: Globridge Turns Japanese Food Culture Into a Global Brand Experience
JAPANFOODASIA-PACIFICJAPANHALAL FOODINTERNATIONAL EXPANSIONJAPANESE CUISINERAMENFRANCHISEJAPANESE HOSPITALITY
Globridge Turns Japanese Food Culture Into a Global Brand Experience
As global demand for Japanese cuisine rises, Globridge is building restaurant concepts, delivery models and licensing platforms that turn dining into a cultural gateway, connecting international consumers with Japan’s craftsmanship, regional identity and shareable food experiences.
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MAKOTO OTSUKA | PRESIDENT & CEO OF GLOBRIDGE
Globridge Inc. is a Tokyo-based food service company founded in 2008, with businesses spanning restaurant operations, franchise and virtual restaurant models, and online customer-acquisition support. The company produces restaurant concepts across Japan and promotes Japanese food culture to international travelers through experiences that include sushi, crab, wagyu beef, halal-friendly options and multilingual support.
It’s a great honor to meet you today, Mr. Otsuka. Let’s begin by discussing Japanese cuisine. I’d like to start with two sets of data. Last year, 36.9 million people visited Japan, and for many of them, experiencing Japanese food was one of the highlights especially for those from regions like Africa, where Japanese ingredients and cuisine are increasingly well known. Additionally, when we look at the growth of Japanese restaurants globally, the number has grown significantly from about 55,000 in 2013 to over 200,000 more recently. With that in mind, I’d like to ask: What do you believe are the key factors behind the global rise in popularity of Japanese cuisine and food culture?
That’s a very insightful question thank you. I’d be happy to share my perspective.
My business vision is centered around a platform we’ve developed called JBLM, which stands for Japan Brand License Media. As the name implies, the idea is to broadcast Japanese brand content to the world through a media like framework. As part of this initiative, we conducted comprehensive global market research to understand how the world views Japan.
We did this by analyzing keyword searches specifically, terms associated with “Japan” across different countries. We collected and analyzed search data to see what topics were most commonly linked with Japan worldwide. From that analysis, six major themes consistently emerged.
What we found was striking. Compared to how people perceive other countries for example, how people abroad might search for information about America or Italy Japan is seen through a uniquely multi-dimensional lens. The interest goes beyond travel or food; there’s a distinct global curiosity about Japan’s deeper cultural elements.
When people around the world search for Japanese cuisine, they’re often looking for much more than just what’s on the plate. The six key themes that came up were: gourmet food, sightseeing destinations, traditional heritage, culture and subculture, and interestingly, “the Japanese people” themselves.
Now, that last one is particularly unique. When you plan a trip to, say, Australia or Italy, you generally don’t search for “Australian people” or “Italian people.” But when people plan trips to Japan, they often search for “Japanese people” as part of their pre-travel research. This suggests that visitors are interested in more than surface-level experiences they’re seeking to understand the spirit of the Japanese people, their history, religion, values, craftsmanship, and culture as a whole.
So to answer your question directly, I believe Japanese food isn’t simply viewed as cuisine it’s seen as a cultural artifact, a reflection of our history, philosophy, and meticulous craftsmanship. That makes it fundamentally different from other global cuisines, which are often experienced in a more standalone, culinary context. Japanese food offers an immersive experience a complete package that includes aesthetics, tradition, and the ethos of Japan itself.
Foreign visitors don’t just want to eat sushi or ramen they want to experience the atmosphere, the cultural setting, the way the food is presented, even down to the chopsticks and the table layout. All of these elements contribute to the unique appeal of Japanese cuisine. So, it’s less about satisfying hunger and more about connecting with Japan as a cultural journey through food.
That’s a fascinating perspective. Given the government’s target of 60 million inbound tourists by 2030, I’d like to ask how your company is preparing to attract more international visitors. Are there specific experiences or strategies you’re offering to enhance the inbound tourist journey?
I’ve been working in Japan’s food and beverage industry for about 30 years, and from that vantage point, it’s clear that Japan’s domestic market is shrinking. We’re facing rapid depopulation and aging two structural issues that will inevitably reduce the number of domestic consumers we can serve.
Given this reality, about a decade ago I shifted my focus to the global market. Population growth and demand are increasing in many overseas markets, so I began repositioning Japanese food culture as a value proposition for international audiences.
Through marketing research, we discovered that international consumers see Japanese food as having multifaceted value not just in terms of taste, but as a window into Japanese culture. At the same time, Japan hasn’t been very effective at communicating its value to the world, primarily because of language barriers. Most Japanese businesses still rely heavily on Japanese-language communication, which leaves potential international audiences uninformed.
This creates what we call “information asymmetry.” The world is highly interested in Japan, but they can’t easily access accurate, compelling information. That gap, to me, is a massive opportunity.
With JBLM, our goal is to close that gap by creating media that accurately conveys the appeal of Japanese brands and culture to the world. If we can provide the right information in the right language especially English we can dramatically increase interest and inbound engagement.
We also see social media as a critical channel. The key to viral word-of-mouth marketing whether in Japan or abroad is emotional resonance. People only share what genuinely moves them. Therefore, we aim to create experiences in Japan that are so compelling, visitors feel compelled to share them with their networks.
Tokyo is uniquely positioned for this. It’s a global city where visitors can immerse themselves in culinary experiences that are not only delicious but also emotionally rich artisanship, presentation, storytelling. I often say that the dining table should become a media platform. When someone sits at a table in a Japanese restaurant and has a deeply memorable experience, they become a brand ambassador by sharing it with the world.
So our strategy is to turn every table into a launchpad for global branding starting with inbound tourism and expanding outward.
That brings us to internationalization. Japan’s domestic demographic challenges make international growth critical. How is your company approaching overseas expansion, particularly in markets like the U.S., Cambodia, Malaysia, or Australia?
Our core concept is to deliver the value of Japanese brands to the global market and not just deliver, but maximize that value.
One of our main approaches is through master licensing. For example, we’ve sold exclusive regional rights for our brands like Ken-chan Curry or Karaage Agetate in Indonesia and recently in the Philippines. These are master franchise agreements that allow local partners to develop our brand in their market.
We started receiving inbound interest from international partners who wanted to bring our brands to their countries. That kind of pull-based model, driven by branding and visibility, is what we’re focusing on now.
Beyond restaurants, we’re also working on bringing Japanese food products to the world. A good example is halal wagyu beef. Brands like Kobe beef are well-known, but we’re developing a new brand of halal-certified wagyu that adheres to Islamic dietary laws. This allows us to bring premium Japanese beef to Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, where demand is high and competition is still relatively low.
From there, we plan to expand other Japanese products like umeshu, sake, or even Japanese wines by introducing them in restaurants as part of an immersive dining experience. We believe that if someone experiences a product in the right context paired with authentic food, in a meaningful setting they’re far more likely to become loyal to it.
So, our expansion is twofold: branded restaurant experiences and branded food products that can be exported globally.
In developing markets like Malaysia or Indonesia, are you adjusting your offerings to suit local tastes? How do you approach localization without losing authenticity?
Absolutely. In almost every international market we enter, we localize the menu to some degree. That said, there are always core elements we never compromise on.
Take ramen, for example. While we can adapt toppings or spice levels, the noodles and broth must meet our quality standards that’s the soul of ramen. It’s about knowing which elements define the authenticity of a dish and preserving those, even as we introduce variations to suit local preferences.
So yes, originality and innovation are important, but we always ensure the cultural and historical DNA of the dish remains intact. Otherwise, it ceases to be Japanese food.
How has the post-COVID era reshaped the food industry, particularly with regard to delivery and digital commerce, which your company is very involved in?
COVID changed everything. Traditionally, Japan’s food culture has been built on two foundations: home-cooked meals and dining out. In both cases, freshness “made-to-order” food was central…
You operate over 1,650 ghost kitchen locations, correct?
That’s right. Around 1,500 of them are active in the delivery space.
Ghost kitchens are an interesting model. Can you talk about the biggest challenges in operating at that scale and how you maintain consistent quality and systems across the board?
One of our biggest challenges is the role of third-party platforms like Uber Eats or Demaekan. They sit between us and the customer, and while they were critical during the pandemic, they’ve now shifted focus.
In the beginning, platforms only connected customers with the best-rated restaurants. That helped build trust in the delivery ecosystem. But now, as these companies prioritize ad revenue and shareholder interests, restaurants with high advertising spend not necessarily high quality get more exposure.
We invest heavily in food quality, but unless the platform promotes us, that investment doesn’t always translate into sales. That’s frustrating.
Fortunately, competition is emerging. A new platform called Rocket Now is entering the market and challenging Uber’s dominance. If platforms shift back toward prioritizing customer satisfaction, it’ll align better with the values we bring to the table.
Do you plan to export your delivery model overseas? And if so, would you work with local platforms or build your own?
Long-term, yes. But the first step is bringing people to Japan giving them a powerful brand experience here. Once they’ve experienced it, the next step is recreating that experience in their home countries through delivery or local branches.
As for the delivery infrastructure, we won’t be building our own platform to match drivers with customers. That’s a highly complex space logistics, traffic, legal regulations. Instead, we’ll partner with local platforms, like DoorDash in the U.S. or Deliveroo in the UK, depending on the market.
Your company operates several well-known restaurant brands such as Cheese Cheese Café, Isshin Tansuke Yakiniku, Tokyo Karaage Agetate, Ken-chan Curry, and Benriya no Ya, to name a few. For foreign visitors who come to Japan for the first time and want to enjoy a memorable Japanese food experience whether dine-in or via delivery why should they choose your restaurants? What makes your offerings unique, and which brand would you personally recommend for someone wanting to capture the essence of Japanese cuisine?
Great question. We’re focused on maximizing the global value of our brands, so we’re building experiences that are memorable and shareable especially for first-time visitors to Japan.
From our research, we know that people visiting Japan for the first time overwhelmingly want to try sushi and ramen. After a few trips, their preferences diversify. But the first visit almost always centers around those iconic dishes.
That’s why we’re currently focused on sushi and ramen experiences. One of our standout brands is Fujiyama, a sushi restaurant featuring a signature dish we call “Overflowing Ikura Don.” It’s a dramatic presentation we pile salmon roe high while shouting “Wasshoi! Wasshoi!” The theatrics create a shareable, memorable moment. Visitors love filming it and sharing it online.
This kind of experience goes beyond food it taps into the joy of discovering Japan, and that’s exactly the kind of emotional impact we aim to deliver.
Are you working with influencers particularly from Australia, Malaysia, or other international markets to promote these experiences?
Yes, absolutely. We’ve already worked with several influencers, and we’re expanding our efforts to collaborate with those who have strong engagement in markets like Australia and Southeast Asia.
What’s particularly powerful is when we work with influencers who understand both Japanese and foreign mindsets. If a Japanese content creator understands the values and communication style of, say, Australians, then they’re uniquely positioned to bridge both cultures effectively. That kind of dual perspective helps build more trust and curiosity around the experience.
Looking ahead, if we were to interview you again in five years, what would you hope to have achieved by then? Where do you see your company?
I’m 54 now. I’ve been building this company for 18 years, and I’ve been leading from the front the entire time. I plan to keep pushing hard until I turn 60. After that, I may continue supporting the business in a different capacity, but I intend to hand over day-to-day leadership.
One big goal is to promote Japan’s local regions, which are still underrepresented globally. We want to create a structure where visitors experience these regional offerings, share them, and generate global recognition for local Japanese brands.
Ultimately, I want to create a business model that turns every valuable aspect of Japanese culture into a globally recognized brand. That’s what I’m working toward in the next five years.
Thank you so much for your time and insights. This has been a deeply thoughtful and inspiring conversation.
Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to share our vision and story.
For more information, visit their website at: https://www.globridge.co.jp
