Business

Japan’s tuna market, the world’s largest, hit hard by coronavirus pandemic

Published

5 years ago

September 5, 2020

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s tuna market, the world’s largest, is taking an outsized hit from the coronavirus pandemic, pressuring restaurants and wholesalers at Tokyo’s sprawling Toyosu fish market to adapt to survive.

Businesses had hoped for more activity after Japan lifted its state of emergency in late May, but big events such as shareholder meetings and wedding banquets have remained on hold while many Japanese are still wary of going to restaurants.

Demand for fresh fish, especially the so-called “king of sushi” bluefin tuna, has slumped as the pandemic wiped out orders for events. Tuna prices dropped 8.4% in July from a year earlier, far steeper than the 1.5% annual fall in overall fresh fish prices, government data showed.

“Our sales are down by 60% compared to last August,” said 47-year old Yasuyuki Shimahara, owner of an “izakaya” dining bar specialising in tuna dishes in Tokyo’s Kanda business area.

Shimahara, who opened his restaurant a year ago, started selling boxes of frozen tuna online in July to offset the hit to his businesses from the drop in customers.

He has so far received about 200 orders for the 5,500 yen ($52) box, which contains two pieces of “akami” red meat tuna, and plans to start selling 8,500 yen boxes of more expensive “chutoro” medium fatty tuna later in September.

While some customers buy the boxes as gifts for elderly family members, others are put off by the lengthy process of defrosting tuna, which involves leaving the fish in the fridge for several hours.

Kimio Amano, a 46-year old wholesaler at Toyosu, the world’s largest fish market, said the increase in household consumption had not been enough to make up for lost business elsewhere.

While there was a modest rebound in demand from restaurants for his fish after the state of emergency was lifted, he said big events and business from upscale dining bars, such as those in Tokyo’s Ginza area, had been slow to resume.

That meant he was losing out on big orders, since customers tended to buy 30 to 40 kilograms (kgs) of tuna at a time for events such as wedding banquets and funerals, while sushi restaurants and izakayas generally placed smaller orders of around 10kgs and 6kgs respectively.

“It was pretty good at the beginning of July, but it stalled again from there,” said Amano, in his bluefin tuna stall, after cutting up a 158kg tuna with a huge, sword-like knife.

Amano, who sells mostly high-quality fresh and frozen tuna, said he had seen 30-40% less business than usual over the past month due to low demand from major hotels and restaurants at Tokyo’s Haneda airport.

But he said there had been a slight pickup in overseas orders recently, with those from Russia in particular returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Staying in business

Japan’s imports of high-value tuna jumped 10% in 2019, while bluefin imports surged 13% as businesses prepared for big events like the 2020 Olympics, which was later postponed, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said.

In 2018, global imports of tuna were valued at $15.7 billion, while Japan was the biggest tuna importer that year.

But the pandemic has hit the industry hard and Japan’s tuna imports fell 18% in the first six months of 2020 from a year earlier, finance ministry data showed. With people still wary of going out, the outlook is unlikely to change soon.

Tokyo’s sushi restaurants, which tend to be popular among people from other regions, are getting fewer visitors from outside the capital, said Toshio Katsukawa, associate professor at the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

“If you talk with people from such shops, (they say) nobody is coming because travel to Tokyo has been cancelled,” he said.

Kana Kikuchi, who works at a life insurer, said the Japanese tend to go out for sushi to celebrate special occasions. But, in late August, she took her daughter to Shimahara’s tuna restaurant on an ordinary week night just to show support.

“We’re coming so that the restaurant can stay in business,” said the 45-year-old.

Kikuchi said she does not usually eat tuna at home because of the challenging defrosting process.

To help customers like her, Shimahara has added instruction booklets in the boxes sold online on how best to defrost and serve the tuna.

Reporting and photo: Reuters

Business

2 decades of culinary excellence: BBM’s founding legacy with Hotel Asia continues in 2025

Published

1 week ago

October 19, 2025

m@ldives

Hotel Asia Exhibition and International Culinary Challenge is referred to be the hospitality industry event in the Maldives. In this year’s Culinary Challenge (19 to 22 October 2025) comprising competitions over 20 categories, most will take place at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies, Maldives National University, and some at the Synthetic Track, Hulhumalé.

A Founding Partnership that Endures

Since the very first edition in 2001, Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) has played a central role in shaping the International Culinary Challenge into the Maldives’ most prestigious culinary platform. The event has become a cornerstone for professional development, bringing together chefs from across the Maldives to compete, learn, and showcase their craft.

BBM and their associated Principals sponsor an overwhelming majority of categories. “From the beginning, our goal has been to create opportunities for Maldivian chefs to rise to global standards. This partnership has grown with the industry itself,” said A.V.S. Subrahmanyam, Chief Operating Officer of BBM.

Nurturing Local Talent

BBM’s contribution extends beyond sponsorship. The company has built a long-term system for recognizing and developing local culinary talent.

BBM Chairman’s Trophy for the Best Maldivian Competitor.
Most Promising Young Chef Award for emerging talent.
Global exposure programs for Maldivian chefs through sponsored participation in international events.
Pro-bono Masterclasses with world-renowned chefs to encourage learning and innovation.

Investing in the Future of Hospitality

Through initiatives such as Building Young Talent, BBM continues to mentor aspiring professionals and support the next generation of chefs. The company also promotes inclusivity by sponsoring opportunities for female and young chefs to gain international exposure.

BBM’s industry partnerships include its role as Title Sponsor of the Hotelier Maldives Awards, celebrating excellence across the Maldivian hospitality sector.

Proud Sponsors of Culinary Excellence

In 2025, BBM and its partner brands proudly sponsor 14 competition categories and 8 Main Awards, further strengthening their role in the development of culinary arts in the Maldives. Categories include Decorated Cake, Artistic Showpiece, Bread and Pastry Display, Three Desserts (Display), Desserts, Rice Dish, Asian Noodles, Team Challenge, Maldivian Dish, Creative Sandwich, Young Chef, Tea Challenge, tapas/finger food, and Iced Mocktail.

Business

Bestbuy Maldives, MNU forge partnership to advance hospitality education

Published

1 week ago

October 19, 2025

m@ldives

The Maldives National University – Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Studies (MNU-FHTS) and Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen industry-academic collaboration and advance hospitality education in the Maldives.

The MoU was signed by Dr Aishath Shehenaz Adam, Vice Chancellor of MNU, and Ismail Hilmy, Chairman and Managing Director of BBM, during a ceremony attended by the university’s Chancellor Dr Mahmood Shaugee, senior management, and representatives from both organisations.

This partnership marks a significant milestone in developing a state-of-the-art Food and Beverage Practical Demonstration Kitchen at MNU-FHTS. BBM will support the upgrading of the existing Garde Manger kitchen and classrooms, contributing financially and materially to create a modern, industry-standard learning environment for future hospitality professionals.

Beyond infrastructure, the collaboration will extend to academic and training support, research and innovation in culinary arts, community engagement, and professional networking opportunities, ensuring that students gain practical, real-world experience aligned with industry expectations.

Highlighting the broader purpose of this partnership, BBM stated that, “This is a significant step in the direction of BBM’s vision involving hospitality industry outreach in the Maldives — because tomorrows start today. Initially, we will set up a world-class model kitchen that will be suitable for masterclasses and hands-on training for students; and also for product demonstrations, masterclasses, and interaction with groups of customers.”

Speaking at the ceremony, representatives from both institutions emphasised their shared vision to promote excellence in education, innovation, and human capital development in the Maldivian hospitality sector. This partnership underscores BBM’s continued commitment to supporting education and industry growth, and MNU-FHTS’s mission to bridge the gap between academia and industry — nurturing the next generation of hospitality leaders in the Maldives.

Business

SATA 2025 announces partnerships; confirms Hotelier Maldives, Maldives Insider as Media Partners

Published

2 months ago

August 21, 2025

m@ldives

Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider have been confirmed as official Media Partners of the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) 2025. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony held at Hulhulé Island Hotel, Maldives, where SATA unveiled its distinguished partners for the 9th edition of the annual awards.

Now in its ninth year, SATA has become a key platform for recognising excellence in South Asia’s tourism and hospitality sector. The partnership with Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider will strengthen the awards’ regional visibility and ensure extensive coverage of the event across Maldives and beyond.

This year’s awards ceremony will take place from 19th to 20th September 2025 at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Sri Lanka, bringing together industry leaders, stakeholders, and innovators from across South Asia.

In addition to the media partnership, SATA 2025 also announced its corporate partners. Honda Marine has been named the Platinum Partner, while The Hawks, Velana International Airport, and Allied Insurance Company of the Maldives join as Gold Partners. Renaatus Realty has been confirmed as the Silver Partner, and Hulhulé Island Hotel continues as the official Hospitality Partner in the Maldives.

Speaking at the ceremony, SATA organisers noted that the strong lineup of partners reflects the growing importance of collaboration within the tourism and hospitality industry. With the support of its partners, SATA 2025 aims not only to celebrate outstanding achievements but also to foster long-term cooperation and sustainable growth in the region’s tourism sector.

The awards are endorsed by leading national tourism bodies and associations across South Asia, including the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Nepal Tourism Board, Visit Maldives Corporation Limited, and several travel and hotel associations across the region.

This year’s evaluation process was conducted by a panel of nine jury members representing different countries, including tourism leaders from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Spain, and the Maldives.

Through partnerships with media outlets such as Hotelier Maldives and Maldives Insider, SATA 2025 will ensure broad engagement across key markets, strengthening its position as one of South Asia’s most prestigious hospitality and travel award platforms.