Japan

The "Viking Boy" from Japan

The first TINE cheese was introduced to the Japanese market 30 years ago. Even if the cheese consumption in Japan is quite low, Mitsui is trying to establish brand products such as Jarlsberg and Ridder.

The annual cheese event - the "Cheese Festa" is held on November 11th every year. Here TINE cheeses are introduced and promoted using restaurant chefs cooking TINE cheese recipes on stage.

It is particularly the mild texture and taste of Ridder which has been highly appreciated by Japanese consumers. Ridder is one of the best sales items among branded cheese in Japan and Mitsui are in the process of introducing Jarlsberg to Japanese consumers

Our partner in Japan

Mitsui & Co. Ltd., was established in 1947 and is Japan's leading sogo-shosha (trading house).

TINE products

Jarlsberg
Ridder
Ski Queen
Normanna
Gräddost
Nøkkelost

Mitsui & Co. Ltd.

2-1, Ohtemachi 1-chome
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004
Japan

Links:

Mitsui: http://www.mitsui.co.jp

Mitsui has more than 10,000 employees in various operating groups - 33 domestic offices, 89 overseas offices, and about 100 overseas trading subsidiaries, operating in all fields of the industry. The Food Material Division II of Mitsui & Co., Ltd, which handles TINE's products, has 40 staff members devoted exclusively to working on dairy products, and a number of active staff in overseas offices.

In recent years Mitsui has focused on an Internet cheese shop, "Cheese Mart". "Foods Foo " was launched in 1996, as a direct and interactive communication tool between the company and the consumer. At the "Cheese Foo" you will find recipes and various cheeses with their history. An English cheese shop version with more than 80 items was introduced in 2001. Through Internet orders from all over Japan, sales of Ridder have increased and it is very popular with a top 5 sales ranking.