Japan cheese market

Japan is the second largest cheese market in Asia-Pacific. Zenith puts consumption at more than 320,000 tonnes in 2025, or around 2.7 kg per person.

Consumption eased between 2020 and 2025, and Zenith expects it to ease slightly further to 2030, to a little over 320,000 tonnes.

Japan imports around three quarters of the cheese it consumes. Imported natural cheese is eaten directly or turned into processed cheese by Japanese manufacturers, and hard and semi-hard cheeses are the largest category. Domestic natural cheese production remains small relative to demand.

The Zenith Global Cheese Database 2026 covers Japan with production, imports, exports and consumption for 39 cheese types, actuals from 2020 to 2025 and forecasts to 2030. Volume data covers totals, broad categories and separately measured cheese types, in tonnes. Consumer retail value covers total cheese only, in local currency and USD; import and export trade values cover HS 0406 total only, in USD. Monetary values are not broken down by individual cheese type or broad category. Retail shelf prices cover total cheese and five broad categories: hard and semi-hard, fresh, mould, processed, and other non-specified cheese, in local currency/kg and USD/kg, not individual prices for all 39 cheese types. Import and export unit prices cover HS 0406 total and available HS subheadings, in USD/kg. Retail value is estimated retail volume multiplied by regular shelf prices, including sales tax. Trade values are customs values, using CIF for imports and FOB for exports. Production is measured as formally manufactured cheese.