Seiji Suzuki, a strategist with the Trade Marketing division of CJ Foods Japan, spoke about his role and vision of growing bibigo’s presence in the Japanese market
After 25 years at Japan’s top food company, Seiji Suzuki has now embarked on a new journey with bibigo at CJ Foods Japan. At his job, Suzuki is known as a meticulous strategist who leads the Trade Marketing division, but on his way home, he turns into a CARAT — an official fan of SEVENTEEN — humming along to the group’s catchy songs.
With K-pop, K-dramas and K-food now embedded into the fabric of daily life in Japan, Suzuki is focused on how bibigo can strengthen its position in the market. We spoke to Suzuki about his perspective on strategies tailored to Japanese consumers as well as the developments he’s experienced as CJ Foods grows its business.
Q. Tell us about yourself.
Hello, my name is Seiji Suzuki. Here in Japan, I work closely with local consumers to drive the growth of bibigo and K-food. After years of handling sales and marketing at a major Japanese food company, I took on a new challenge this year at CJ Foods.
I lead the Trade Marketing division, which oversees the sales side of marketing strategy. Our main responsibilities include creating pricing strategies, developing and executing in-store visibility initiatives, and monitoring performance. In simple terms, my role is to expand the presence of bibigo and Micho, a fermented fruit vinegar-based drink, in the Japanese market.
Q. What made you decide to join CJ Foods?
What drew me most was the potential of the bibigo brand and its emphasis on taste. In Japan, many companies tend to prioritize cooking convenience, but bibigo stood out for placing quality and flavor above all else. I still remember the first time I tried bibigo gyoza — I was so impressed by the texture and juiciness of the meat and filling.
In addition, Korean culture, including K-food, has become a natural part of everyday life in Japan, especially among younger generations. It’s not just a passing trend but something that’s steadily taking root. In this atmosphere, I was convinced that bibigo has even greater room to grow in Japan. I wanted to be part of that journey and contribute to its success.
Q. How has your experience been since joining CJ Foods?
I was struck by how much faster and more open the culture was than I expected. At other companies, a new idea might go through multiple rounds of meetings before getting greenlit. At CJ Foods, we often find common ground in a single meeting, make a decision right away and move straight into the execution phase.
I’ve also been impressed by the company’s passion for bringing Korean food to the world. At trade shows and exhibitions, bibigo operates some of the largest booths, standing out among competitors. And when introducing products to major Japanese retailers, the goal isn’t just to place them in the “Korean products” section but to secure space in the standard frozen food aisles. The vision is clear: Korean food shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions — it should become a natural part of everyday dining.
Q. What strategies are needed for bibigo to become a part of Japanese consumers’ everyday dining?
Japanese consumers place a strong emphasis on quality and brand image. That’s why providing opportunities for them to taste the product before purchasing is highly effective.
For example, with bibigo gyoza, we actively host in-store tasting events to highlight its unique strengths — generous size, juicy ingredients and rich flavor. While many Japanese food companies scaled back sampling after the pandemic due to cost concerns, we believe there is no stronger persuasion than actually tasting the product. For that reason, we continue to invest heavily in these efforts.
Q. What changes will the new Chiba plant bring to distribution and sales in the Japanese market?
The frozen food market in Japan faces significant logistical challenges, particularly with last-mile delivery — the final stage of delivery to consumers. For products like frozen foods, for which freshness and temperature control are critical, it is considered the most challenging and costly part of the logistics process. Because of this, online sales are still in their early stages. Currently, bibigo frozen products are mainly sold through offline channels such as supermarkets, drugstores and convenience stores. In contrast, shelf-stable products like CJ Micho and DASIDA have already seen strong growth on online platforms such as Amazon and Rakuten.
The completion of the new Chiba plant is expected to bring positive changes to Japan’s distribution system. With a more stable and efficient production and logistics system in place, supply flexibility will increase. This will not only strengthen our competitiveness in existing offline channels but also serve as an important foundation to expand into online distribution channels in the future.
Q. What strategies do you have to further expand CJ Foods’ influence in the Japanese market?
In Japan, younger generations continue to be the source of new trends, and every distribution channel is focused on finding effective ways to reach them. Recently, a new approach that’s been gaining traction is linking smartphones with in-store digital signage — digital displays used in commercial settings for advertising, information delivery and branding purposes.
Since CJ Foods is still in the process of steadily expanding its presence in Japan, this is an ideal moment to take innovative steps with minimal risk. Our focus moving forward will be on bringing bibigo even closer to consumers, leveraging emerging platforms such as retail media and using them to expand market share.
One of the greatest advantages of being a company that is growing on the global stage is the freedom to experiment without being constrained by past limitations. With the Chiba plant now fully operational, we plan to explore new sales channels and test differentiated approaches across distribution and marketing. We invite you to watch CJ Foods’ journey as we continue to grow in Japan.
