As a result of comprehensive and rich nutrition and the addition of health care and beauty, nuts have become the representative food of healthy eating habits in the eyes of Japanese consumers. All kinds of the nuts, such as almond, are not only good for wine, but also important raw materials for baking and candy industries. According to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics, Japans baking industry and retail industry accounted for 55% and 33% of the nut consumption, respectively.

However, Japan basically does not have its own nut production capacity except for the walnut production of nearly 170 tons per year. Therefore, as early as the 1950s, Japan began to import nuts.

In the past ten years, Japanese market consumption of almond and walnut has increased year by year, with the import of the two reaching about 36,000 tons (shelled) and 18,800 tons (shelled) respectively in 2018. However, the import of chestnuts and pistachios has shown a relatively obvious downward trend in the past 20 years.

In order to meet the market demand and ensure a long-term stable supply at a reasonable price, nut importers in Japan have been devoting themselves to widening the purchasing channels of products in recent years. In the import of almond, walnut and pistachio, the export volume of the United States is overwhelming. Hawaiian fruits are mainly imported from Australia, chestnuts are mainly from China and South Korea, and Turkey is Japan’s largest supplier of hazelnuts.

Besides chestnuts, China is also a major supplier of peanuts to Japan. in 2017, Japan imported 36,000 tons of shelled peanuts, of which 15,500 tons came from China, accounting for nearly 43%. As reported, most of the peanuts exported by our country to Japan are Virginia type peanuts, which is also the type with the widest distribution and largest cultivation area in our country.

China is already the world’s largest walnut producer. Although walnut varieties are numerous, their competitiveness is still insufficient compared with mainstream varieties such as Chandler, Serr and Hartley. Data released by the Global Trade Atlas Show that: In 2017, China exported 294 tons of shelled walnuts to Japan, accounting for only 1.5% of Japans total walnut imports that year. for China, which produces nearly 1 million tons of walnut (hulled), the Figure is a drop in the ocean.