Exclusive: Japan eyes Northwest Arkansas' culinary scene
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Japan's state minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries sees promise in future trade with Arkansas, even if only in small bites.
Why it matters: Minister Norikazu Suzuki's purview includes not only rice, but also rural tourism, and the country's culturally significant, globally influential cuisine.
State of play: Suzuki and his entourage toured Northwest Arkansas last week with Phil Libin, a co-founder of the virtual restaurant Bentoville and CEO of All Turtles, and Hitoshi Hokamura of All Turtles.
- Through an interpreter, Suzuki told Axios his team decided to visit NWA because of its growth trajectory and the potential business opportunities between his ministry and the state.
- No official agreements were struck, although the visit could lay the groundwork for more economic and goodwill trade between the Natural State and the land of the rising sun.
Rice
By the numbers: The U.S. exported about $414 million in rice to Japan in 2023, but very little from Arkansas, which produces nearly half of all rice grown in the U.S.
- Working with Arkansas farmers to cultivate varieties of more interest to Japanese consumers is a starting point, Libin and Bentoville Chef Billy Kong have told Axios in the past.
- Hokamura and Libin pointed out that Origami sake, brewed in Hot Springs with a Japanese variety of rice grown in Arkansas, continues to improve with each batch.
The latest: The time may be right, as Suzuki's ministry is dealing with a rice shortage and Japanese consumers are panic buying ahead of a potential megaquake, typhoons and a holiday week.
Rural tourism
Suzuki hopes to mimic the idea of Bentonville's mountain biking trails to help revitalize rural Japan.
- A mountain biker himself, he plans to return with his family someday and see the trails firsthand.
What they're saying: "Mr. Suzuki recognizes the significant economic impact that trails and outdoor recreation can have on communities, particularly in rural areas," Tom Walton, CEO of Runway Group, told Axios in an email.
- "It's a clear sign that the world-class trail system we've been cultivating in Bentonville over the last 15 years is catching the international attention it deserves."
Food diplomacy
Behind the scenes: At a bento-box lunch prepared by Kong, Suzuki's deputies swapped bites and were generally enthusiastic about the quality of the meal. Suzuki himself said it was better than what he can oftentimes get in Japan.
- Food is a central part of most cultures, but Japan leans heavily on centuries-old gastronomic techniques.
- Suzuki's ministry — MAFF for short — publishes detailed standards for becoming certified in Japanese cooking skills.
The team met with Marshall Shafkowitz, executive director of Brightwater, NorthWest Arkansas Community College's center for the study of food.
- "We're gonna try to send some Brightwater students for a study-abroad [program] to Japan," Shafkowitz said. Hopefully, some Japanese chefs will eventually come to NWA to train Brightwater teachers in traditional Japanese methods, including fermentation and butchery.
The big picture: Tourism to Japan has helped bolster its economy of late, Axios' Courtney Brown and Neil Irwin report. A record 3.3 million foreigners traveled to Japan in July, and nonresident spending is up 40% since 2019.
- "We hope for the American people, they will grow to know more about Japanese food culture … that's the main thought," Suzuki said.
What's next: Shafkowitz said he's preparing a presentation to the NWACC NACC's president and provost that hopefully will lead to a memorandum of understanding with the MAFF.
- In the meantime, both sides hope an informal exchange can start soon.