INTERVIEW: New thinking needed for Malaysia-Japan halal agreement to reach potential, Tokyo halal pioneer warns
A first-mover in Japan’s halal industry believes Malaysia must change its approach to business there before it can really benefit from the agreement signed in November aimed at boosting mutual cooperation. At the same time, he says an uncoordinated certification system is not allowing sufficient Japanese food companies and restaurants to display the halal logo.
Shinya Yokoyama, who organised the country’s first halal trade show in 2014 and advises Japanese government departments on their approach to Islamic compliance, worries Malaysian authorities are missing a trick by encouraging companies to market their food there as halal.
“Halal is not so familiar to Japanese consumers yet, but they are very familiar with Asian foods—your nasi goreng, your nasi lemak, your mee goreng and so on,” Yokoyama told Salaam Gateway.
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