As in many other nations, Japan’s pet food market surged in the early pandemic during 2020, according to a February report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN), as reported by Petfood Industry Asia-Pacific correspondent Alma Buelva. Japan has had four consecutive years of increased overall value of pet food sales, reaching more than US$3 billion in FY2019.
Made-in-Japan pet foods accounted for more than 50% of all pet food types in 2019 by volume. The Japan-based pet food companies listed below have revenues reported in Petfood Industry’s Top Companies Current Data.
In FY2019, Japan's pet food imports equaled 260,000 metric tons (MT) and represented 44% of total domestic pet food consumption (593,000 MT). Thailand provided Japan with the most pet food, making up 33% of total imports in 2019. The United States is the second-largest exporter of pet food to Japan with 16.4%, followed closely by France with 16%.
Japanese pet food companies annual revenues 2020
Unicharm Corp.
- Revenue: US$822,000,000
- Brands: Grand Deli and Best Balance (dogs); Gin no Spoon and Gin no Spoon Mitsuboshi (cats)
- Employees: 16,300
Petline Ltd.
- Revenue: US$250,000,000
- Brands: Medycoat, Medyfas, Canet, Professional Balance, JP Style, Carat, Kaiseki
- Employees: 105
Inaba Petfood
- Revenue: US$245,880,000
- Brands: CIAO, TOROMI, TWINS. L Cup, Maruuo, Wagamama-Neko, Kin no Dashi, Maehama no sakana, Wan, INABA
- Employees: 48
Maruha Nichiro Corporation
- Revenue: US$235,000,000
- Brands: Miaw Miaw, Kin-can, Yaizu-no-Maguro, Jun-can, Kenko-can, Kuro-can, Kingfisher, Dog Mom, Cat Mom
MG Group
- Revenue: US$186,900,000
- Brands: Friend, Minch Special, Plump Soft, Ho Roots, Styles, Revolution, Tai Gong, Petit Ange, Relasoft, Healthy Menu, Bistro Gonta, Nyan, Organico, Zero, Hybrid, Marukan, Nisso, Sunrise, NaturaHa, Pro Style CASA
- Employees: 400
DoggyMan H.A. Co., Ltd.
- Revenue: US$184,600,000
- Brands: DoggyMan, CattyMan, MinianiMan
Nisshin Pet Food Inc.
- Revenue: US$123,110,000
- Employees: 63
Nippon Pet Food Co.
- Revenue: US$105,510,000
- Brands: Dog food: Vita One, Combo, Beauty Pro, Lacine, Gotouchi Meguri. Cat food: Mio, Combo, Beauty Pro, Lacine. Reptile amphibian food: Angel, Swimmy, Charmy, Queen Chan
- Employees: 132
