Forty years on: From unlikely pitch to global staple.
Norwegian salmon continues to dominate the global sushi market four decades after its introduction to Japan through a government-backed export initiative known as Project Japan.
With International Sushi Day approaching on 18 June, the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) is marking 40 years since raw salmon from Norway was first promoted as a sushi ingredient in Japan. Prior to the 1980s, raw salmon was not commonly used in traditional Japanese cuisine, primarily due to concerns about parasites in Pacific stocks.
In 1985, a delegation led by Norway’s then-Minister of Fisheries, Thor Listau, travelled to Tokyo to explore export opportunities for salmon. Amid declining tuna stocks and rising domestic demand for sushi, the group promoted Norwegian farmed salmon as a substitute. Over the following decade, Norwegian officials and industry representatives worked to introduce the product through diplomatic channels, trade events, and restaurant tastings, including at the Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo.
Initial uptake was limited, but by the early 2000s, Japan had become a major export destination for Norwegian salmon. Norwegian exports to Japan rose from just 2 tonnes in 1980 to over 45,000 tonnes annually two decades later, according to NSC figures.
Today, the Council estimates that around 30% of Norwegian salmon is consumed raw, primarily in sushi, sashimi, and poke. In its 2023 Japan market study, the NSC reported that 59% of Japanese consumers surveyed preferred to eat salmon raw, compared with just 14% who preferred it seared or cooked.
According to NSC’s 2020 global consumer survey, salmon is the top-ranked sushi topping in 17 out of 20 countries studied. The Council also reports that Norway currently accounts for approximately 53% of global salmon supply, with exports reaching 113 countries.
NSC Country Director to Japan, Johan Kvalheim, said that while the initiative began as a bilateral trade effort, it ultimately contributed to the wider international acceptance of raw salmon in sushi. “Through Project Japan’s efforts, Norwegian salmon became a preferred choice in Japanese cuisine. Then Japan brought Norwegian salmon to the world.”
Norwegian Seafood Council CEO Christian Chramer said the 40-year milestone highlights the long-term impact of market-building strategies in Japan on broader global demand for farmed salmon.
The NSC is a publicly owned company funded by a levy on all Norwegian seafood exports and operates under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.