Hong Kong loves Okinawan Shikuwasa introduced on TV as a superfood; exports grow twentyfold

Hong Kong loves Okinawan Shikuwasa introduced on TV as a superfood; exports grow twentyfold

Sorting Okinawa-grown shikuwasa to be processed for juice and the like. (September 5, 2020, Motobu Wellness Foods in Toyohara, Motobu)


March 19, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Erina Ishii

 

In Hong Kong, demand for Okinawan shikuwasa (Okinawa lime) has exploded since the end of last year. 478COMPANY is a Tomigusuku-based company that supplies shikuwasa juice to Hong Kong. The company’s exports in 2020 grew twentyfold compared to the exports of 2019.

 

The recent focus on shikuwasa is attributed to a Japanese TV show that aired in Hong Kong in November 2020. The show introduced the benefits of nobiletin, a compound found in shikuwasa.

 

Arakaki Tsusho, a trading company based in Naha, saw sales of shikuwasa grow between ten- and twentyfold immediately after the program aired. Mika Arakaki, speaking as a representative of Arakaki Tsusho’s Hong Kong branch, explains, “Everyone considers Shikuwasa to be a superfood.”

Trends in Hong Kong change rapidly. Normally, a fad only lasts for around a month and a half. However, due to continuous promotion, sales trends continue to be good. In January, the company even secured a contract with the department store Sogo Hong Kong to make shikuwasa products part of their regular stock.
(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)

 

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