February 2, 2007

Japanese seafood company to start oden exports to Shanghai

Japanese seafood products processor and maker Fujimitsu Kamaboko Corp has recently started exporting packed oden to South Korea and will start exports also to China at the beginning of March 2007, it was reported on February 1, 2007.

Major ingredients of oden are fishcakes, Japanese radish and boiled eggs.

Fujimitsu Kamaboko is based in Nagato where it has three plants the company reported nearly 8.4 billion yen (US$69.7 million) in their 2003/2004 fiscal ending June 2004. Oden accounts for 13 percent of the company's revenue

Fujimitsu Kamaboko will sell packed oden to supermarkets and convenience stores in Shanghai and the surrounding areas. Products would come from its Misumi plant in Nagato, Yamaguchi prefecture, southwestern Japan, to be sold in China under the Fujimitsu brand.

The company is considering launching local production by the autumn of 2007.

In Japan, the company sells oden only during the winter season but in China its products will be available year-round.

Fujimitsu Kamaboko targets combined first-year sales of 100 million yen US$829,640 in South Korea and China.