Localization Award Winner: Osakana Dango
Update: 2024.09.24
Among the 13 companies that participated in the Kochi Prefecture project in 2023, Yamamoto Kamaboko took on numerous challenges to prepare their products for the Singapore market.
When expanding internationally, localization of both the product and marketing material is crucial.
A product that is popular in Japan won’t necessarily be successful overseas. To succeed in foreign markets, you must cater to what local consumers want.
Yamamoto Kamaboko localized their product in three key ways:
- Taste and Shape
- Cooking Methods
- Product Name
What might seem obvious also became clear during local tastings. Singaporean’s perception of “spicy” differs from that of the Japanese. A product marketed as “Spicy Kamaboko (fish balls)“ in Japan was not nearly spicy enough for Singaporeans consumers.
Fish balls are popular in Singapore, but unlike Japan, where they are eaten raw or grilled, Singaporeans tend to enjoy them in hot pots and soups. To better suit their eating habits, Yamamoto Kamaboko reshaped their product to work as an ingredient for these dishes, frying them to add a different texture.
Since the name “fish ball” was already trademarked in Singapore, they adopted the name “Osakana Dango”(Fish Balls), a name that the company president, Mr. Yamamoto, had envisioned for some time. He even used AI to create a charming logo for the product, which is absolutely adorable!
Yamamoto also worked meticulously on creating a flyer, making full use of ChatGPT for both visuals and text, showing us how much potential AI holds for business.
Yamamoto Kamaboko prides itself on five key commitments:
- Ingredients (Fish, Salt, Water, Oil)
- Additive-free (No preservatives or sweeteners)
- Fully locally sourced (From Muroto, Kochi Japan)
- Handmade
- Sharing deliciousness beyond borders and religions (They’ve obtained Halal certification.)
Kamaboko crafted with such care isn’t something you typically find in regular supermarkets. Working together on this project, I was impressed by their dedication to every detail and their strong desire to deliver this amazing product to people around the world.
When thinking of Kochi’s iconic foods, most people picture grilled bonito or tuna. The fishermen of Muroto, who catch these fish, often brought along Yamamoto Kamaboko’s tempura fish balls when heading out to the Pacific fishing grounds. Doesn’t that make you want to try the fish balls chosen by people who truly know the fish?
You can feel their dedication through their website as well:
https://muroto-kamabokoya.jp