CJ Foods opens first production plant in Japan to expand K-food

The group’s dumpling sales in Japan rose 28% in early 2025.

CJ Foods has opened its first production plant in Japan to accelerate the global expansion of Korean food and strengthen its presence in the country’s frozen dumpling market.

The new factory, located in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, covers 8,200 square meters on a 42,000-square-meter site and represents an investment of about $73m (KRW100b). It is the first production facility in Japan built by a Korean food company. The plant will produce bibigo mandu for nationwide distribution.

CJ Foods already operates four dumpling factories in Japan through its 2020 acquisition of Gyoza Keikaku, but the Chiba facility is its first directly built plant in the country.

The company plans to use the site to boost local sourcing, improve supply efficiency, and expand its market share.

Japan’s frozen dumpling market is worth about $825m (KRW1.1t) a year, with gyoza-style dumplings — similar to bibigo mandu — making up more than half of sales.

Demand for bibigo products is rising, driving a 28% increase in CJ Foods’ dumpling sales and a 27% rise in overall food sales in Japan in the first half of 2025.

CJ Foods also signed a partnership agreement with ITOCHU Corporation to expand its distribution network. ITOCHU owns major food distributor NIPPON ACCESS and convenience store chain FamilyMart, providing nationwide reach.

“The Chiba plant is a key step for our growth and sustainability in Japan,” said CJ Foods Vice Chairman Kang Sin-ho at the opening ceremony. “Through continuous innovation, we will speed up the global expansion of K-food.”

Japan is CJ Foods’ next strategic market after the U.S., supported by the renewed popularity of the Korean Wave.

CJ products such as bibigo mandu, frozen gimbap, and Korean sauces are already sold through AEON, Costco, Amazon, Rakuten, Don Quijote, and Ito-Yokado. Bibigo gimbap sold about 2.5 million units at AEON and Costco in 2024 alone.