JFOODO, the Japan Food Products Overseas Promotion Center, has launched a new campaign in New York City to promote the nation’s seafood.
The new campaign, dubbed “It Starts with Japanese Seafood,” will showcase seafood from Japan at nine different restaurants throughout the city, with a focus on buri and Japanese scallops in particular. According to a release from JFOODO, the event will run from 13 February to 6 March.
"For centuries, the unmatched quality of Japanese seafood has been a cornerstone of culinary excellence," JFOODO Los Angeles Director Tiaki Sawabe said in a release. "It's no secret our seafood is essential in traditional dishes like sushi and sashimi; now we want to prove it's right at home in Italian carpaccio, Peruvian tiradito, and so much more."
JFOODO was also behind a campaign in the U.S. in 2024 that promoted Japanese scallops in the wake of China’s total ban on Japanese seafood – a ban that caused Japan’s seafood exports to plummet and forced the country’s seafood producers to find new markets.
JFOODO’s latest campaign is once again highlighting Japanese scallops and is adding buri – or yellowtail – to its promotional efforts. The nine restaurants participating in the promotional campaign – BondST, Carlotto, Cotra, Docks, Ivan Ramen, KYU, L’Adresse, Oceans, and Smithereens – will each feature the two species in a variety of dishes.
"In my restaurant kitchens, we believe in using the highest-quality seafood," Andy Kitko, executive chef at both Oceans and Carlotto, said. “We can't wait to yet again bring Japanese seafood to our locally and globally inspired menu."
The campaign said it will highlight the quality of the Japanese products and the backstory behind the two species' development in Japan, including details on how Hokkaido’s environment helped shape the Japanese scallop flavor and how modern aquaculture has made buri more widely available.
“Generations of fish farmers have perfected the art of aquaculture so that every bite of Japanese seafood can take your taste buds on an umami odyssey," Soa Forrest, a chef consultant and the founder of Salt Hospitality, said. "I'm excited for diners in New York to experience the journey that starts with Japanese seafood."
