Sushi Tops Japan’s List of Foods It Wants Shared Abroad, Survey Finds
A mid-September survey of 600 Japanese adults by sushi-robot maker Suzumo Machinery found 68.2% would recommend sushi to overseas visitors. Nearly half want foreign diners to taste food of the same quality as in Japan, and most put taste ahead of price.
Sushi is the food Japanese people most want to see enjoyed in its authentic form overseas, according to a mid-September 2026 survey by sushi-robot maker Suzumo Machinery, in which 68.2% of respondents picked it as the dish to recommend to people abroad.
The poll covered 600 people aged 20 and over. Suzumo Machinery makes sushi- and rice-serving robots.
Japanese cuisine is a major draw for inbound tourists and is popular across the globe. The survey asked what Japanese people hope diners elsewhere will experience.
Sushi first in mind and in recommendation
Asked what food comes to mind first when they hear "Japanese food," 80.0% said sushi. It ranked first in every age group. Among respondents in their sixties and over, 88.3% named it.
Tempura came second at 57.2%, followed by miso soup at 44.3%.
On what to recommend to people overseas, sushi again led, and tempura (42.0%) again came second. Shabu-shabu and sukiyaki followed at 26.0%, then ramen at 24.0% and onigiri, or rice balls, at 23.7%.
Miso soup fell to eighth place on that list, chosen by just 21.3%, even though it had ranked third as a first association with Japanese food.
Same taste, same quality
The largest group of respondents, 48.8%, said they want foreign diners to be able to "eat food that has the same taste and quality as that in Japan." About 30% of those in their twenties felt this way. The share rose with age, reaching 65% among those in their sixties and over.
The challenge, according to the survey report, is delivering that taste and quality while keeping prices reasonable, as sushi grows more popular overseas.
Asked which should take priority, 70% in total chose taste and quality. Of those, 35.3% said it matters "even if it raises the price," and 34.5% called it "somewhat more important." Only 15.8% overall said reasonable prices were better.
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