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| Vietnam’s Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Pham Quang Hieu, took on the symbolic role of store manager at the Roppongi branch to promote the dish. Photo: Xuan Giao/ Vietnam News Agency Correspondent in Japan |
The official inclusion of this dish on the menu at more than 1,000 Matsuya outlets, one of Japan’s largest fast-food chains, is considered an important milestone in the journey of Vietnamese cuisine continuing to conquer the Japanese market.
With the aim of promoting Vietnamese com tam in particular and Vietnamese cuisine in general, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu attended the event and actively carried out promotional efforts, introducing the unique features of Vietnamese dishes to the many Japanese reporters present at the event.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, acting as store manager at the Roppongi branch, served Japanese customers Vietnamese com tam at Matsuya. Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/Vietnam News Agency Correspondent in Japan |
According to Matsuya representative Aya Aoki, during on-site surveys for opening a store in Vietnam, the company’s team discovered com tam and was captivated by its flavour. From there, Matsuya developed the idea of recreating the taste of Vietnamese com tam in Japan. In April 2025, a trial sales program was conducted at selected stores. Thanks to smooth operations and positive customer feedback, Matsuya decided to roll out the Vietnamese com tam dish at 1.112 stores nationwide. This is an important milestone in the cooperation process, affirming the success of bringing a Vietnamese dish into a major restaurant chain in Japan.
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| Ms. Aya Aoki, representative of the Matsuya chain, answering questions from a VNA reporter. Photo: Xuan Giao/Vietnam News Agency Correspondent in Japan |
Vietnam’s Trade Counsellor in Japan, Mr. Ta Duc Minh, said the official appearance of Vietnamese com tam at the Matsuya chain can be considered a turning point in the journey to bring Vietnamese cuisine to the world. He noted that the dish at Matsuya will be served with traditional Vietnamese fish sauce. This is also the first time traditional Vietnamese fish sauce - a distinctive condiment and an icon of Vietnamese culinary culture - has been used in the preparation of dishes at a major restaurant chain in Japan.
According to Counsellor Minh, to serve this launch of Vietnamese com tam at Matsuya, 10 tons of fish sauce were imported directly from Vietnam and brought into Matsuya’s processing facility. He assessed that this not only demonstrates the quality and suitability of Vietnamese products for the Japanese market but also opens a new direction for exporting Vietnamese spices, ingredients, and processed foods to Japan.
He hoped that this cooperation model will be an important premise for many other Vietnamese food products, from rice and coffee to fruits and processed goods, to gradually conquer the Japanese market. In addition, it will further strengthen Vietnam-Japan trade cooperation, bringing Vietnamese agricultural products and foods to more Japanese customer segments in the future.
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| Com tam served with traditional Vietnamese fish sauce at Matsuya. Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/ Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Japan |
Kiyoshi Muramatsu, a Japanese diner, shared that this was his first time enjoying Vietnamese com tam and that he would have it again. When eating Vietnamese com tam, he sensed the balance of all the ingredients, characteristic of Vietnamese cuisine, and found it very fresh.
From a company that has been importing Vietnamese spices into Japan for many years, he has long recognized the unique spices and ingredients used in Vietnamese cuisine. He believes Vietnamese cuisine is truly profound, with a balance between meat and vegetables that keeps it from becoming monotonous. He finds Vietnamese cuisine very diverse and wants to learn more as well as continue enjoying other Vietnamese dishes during future trips to Vietnam.
According to statistics from Vietnam’s Trade Office in Japan, in the first six months of 2025, total import-export turnover between Vietnam and Japan reached nearly USD 24.4 billion, up 9.93% compared with the same period in 2024. Of this, Vietnam’s exports to Japan reached USD 12.81 billion, up 11.79% compared with the same period in 2025; Vietnam’s imports from Japan reached more than USD 11.59 billion, up 7.96% compared with the same period in 2024.
With these positive growth figures, Trade Counsellor Ta Duc Minh said that Japan, with a population of more than 126 million, is a market that has strong import demand for products in which Vietnam has strengths, such as agricultural, forestry, and fishery goods (fruits, frozen foods, seafood, wood products, etc…); processed/manufactured products: textiles, garments, and footwear; vehicles and parts, etc… In his view, this is a very favorable factor for Vietnam to continue promoting exports of these items to the Japanese market.