Suzumo Machinery Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; President: Toru Taniguchi; hereinafter "SUZUMO") conducted the "2026 Survey on Attitudes Toward Japanese Food and Sushi" among 600 men and women in their 20s to 60s and older across Japan (equally allocated by gender and age group) to explore what people in Japan want to recommend and convey to people overseas to help spread awareness of Japanese food and sushi. Sushi ranked first among the Japanese foods respondents want to recommend to people overseas, chosen by nearly 70% (68.2%).
According to a survey by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the number of Japanese restaurants overseas reached approximately 181,000 in 2025, about 3.3 times the approximately 55,000 in 2013. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, spending by international visitors to Japan in 2025 reached ¥9.4549 trillion, exceeding the ¥8.1257 trillion recorded in 2024, and the top activity international visitors enjoyed during their stay was "eating Japanese food" (98.2%).
November 1 is Sushi Day and November 24 is Washoku Day (Japanese Food Day) in Japan. Washoku Day is a day for considering the protection and passing down of Japanese food culture. Ahead of these commemorative days, this survey quantitatively visualizes how people eat sushi amid rising prices, the forms of Japanese food and sushi they want to spread overseas, and how they view mechanization.
Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, "Survey Results on the Number of Japanese Restaurants Overseas (2025)" (published November 28, 2025); Japan Tourism Agency, "Consumption Trends of International Visitors to Japan: Inbound Consumption Trend Survey Results and Analysis, 2025 Annual Report"
Survey Highlights
Sushi also tops the list of Japanese foods respondents want to recommend to people overseas (68.2%), with onigiri (rice balls, 23.7%) and rice bowls (22.3%) also in the 20% range.
Nearly 70% (69.8%) say that authentic sushi with the same quality and taste as in Japan should be the priority when spreading sushi overseas.
About 60% (61.7%) are aware that robots are used for supermarket sushi. About 70% (69.2%) have no reservations about sushi shaped by machines, and 50% to 60% say rice-related steps can be left to machines.
Request for Credit When Quoting or Reproducing
When quoting or reproducing this release, please be sure to credit SUZUMO.
Example: "According to a survey conducted by Suzumo Machinery Co., Ltd. ..."
For inquiries about the survey data in this release, please contact the SUZUMO representative.
Survey Overview
Survey method: Online survey
Respondents: Men and women in their 20s to 60s and older, equally allocated by gender and age group
Survey period: September 25-28, 2026
Number of questions: 10
Valid responses: 600
Note: Due to rounding, percentages may not add up to 100%.
Detailed Survey Results
80% Associate Japanese Food with Sushi, Ranking First in Every Age Group; Sushi Also Tops Foods to Recommend Overseas, with Onigiri and Rice Bowls in the 20% Range
When asked what comes to mind when they hear "Japanese food," 80.0% of all respondents chose sushi, ranking first as in the previous year (79%). It was followed by tempura (57.2%), miso soup (44.3%), udon and soba noodles (39.0%), and onigiri (34.5%). Sushi ranked first in every age group, at 68.3% among respondents in their 20s and 88.3% among those in their 60s and older.
Sushi also ranked first among Japanese foods respondents want to recommend to people overseas, at 68.2%, up 4.4 percentage points from the previous year (63.8%). It was followed by tempura (42.0%; 43.0% in the previous year), shabu-shabu and sukiyaki (26.0%), ramen (24.0%), onigiri (23.7%), udon and soba noodles (23.3%), rice bowls (22.3%), and miso soup (21.3%), with third through eighth place closely contested in the 20% range. Compared with the foods that come to mind when hearing "Japanese food," ramen rose from eighth place (20.5%) to fourth, and shabu-shabu and sukiyaki rose from sixth place (30.5%) to third, while miso soup fell from third place (44.3%) to eighth (21.3%). In the previous year's survey, onigiri (29.5%) ranked third.
What Respondents Most Want People Overseas to Experience Is "Eating Food with the Same Taste and Quality as in Japan"
When asked what they would like people overseas to experience in order to discover the appeal of Japanese food, the most common answer was "eating food with the same taste and quality as in Japan" (48.8%), followed by "watching artisans prepare food" (27.5%), "eating the dishes Japanese people eat every day" (24.2%), "learning about the history and culture of Japanese food" (20.7%), and "eating regional local dishes" (18.7%). The share choosing "eating food with the same taste and quality as in Japan" rose with age, from 30.0% among those in their 20s to 65.0% among those in their 60s and older.
About 60% Are Aware That Robots Are Used for Supermarket Sushi; About 70% Have No Reservations About Machine-Shaped Sushi
Awareness that sushi at supermarkets and similar stores is shaped by sushi robots reached 61.7%, combining those who "know" (26.3%) and those who "vaguely know" (35.3%) (60.8% in the previous year). Those who "did not know" accounted for 38.3%.
Among respondents who eat sushi (507 people, excluding those who "hardly ever eat" it), 68.8% were aware that sushi at supermarkets and similar stores is shaped by robots, far exceeding the 22.6% awareness rate among those who "hardly ever eat" sushi (93 people).
Regarding reservations about eating sushi shaped by machines, 69.2% had no reservations, combining "no reservations at all" (25.0%) and "not many reservations" (44.2%). Those with "some reservations" (13.3%) and "strong reservations" (3.3%) totaled 16.7%, and 14.2% answered "don't know."
About 50% to 60% Say Rice-Related Steps Can Be Left to Machines; Only 4.7% Say Every Step Should Be Done by People
When asked which steps of sushi making they think machines could handle, rice-related steps ranked highest: measuring the amount of sushi rice (57.7%), cooking rice (55.7%), mixing rice with vinegar (50.7%), washing rice (50.0%), and shaping sushi rice (48.8%). These were followed by taking orders and serving (43.8%), shaping and cutting sushi rolls (40.7%), and arranging sushi (33.7%), while only 4.7% said every step should be done by people.
SUZUMO's Sushi Machine and Rice-Serving Machine Hold Top Market Share in Both the Latest Global and Japanese Markets
SUZUMO developed the world's first Sushi Machine in 1981 and has since led the industry as a leading company in rice-processing robots. In the "Sushi Machine" and "Rice-Serving Machine" categories of service robot applications in the market research report "Current status and future outlook of worldwide robot-related markets 2025: Service Robots," published by FUJI KEIZAI CO., LTD. in August 2025, SUZUMO ranked No. 1 in market share in both the global and Japanese markets based on 2024 sales results (volume and value). SUZUMO now has group companies in the United States and Singapore, and its products are widely used not only by Japanese companies but also by local businesses in more than 90 countries worldwide. Through its technology, SUZUMO supports the reproduction of the same quality and taste as in Japan, contributing to the international development of Japanese food culture.
Source: FUJI KEIZAI CO., LTD.[Current status and future outlook of worldwide robot-related markets]Results for 2024 Sales Quantity and Amount for Sushi Making Machine,Rice-Serving Machine