Partners to cooperate on quality control, marketing and education

First store in Tokyo targeted for first half of next year

Kyochon Food & Beverage CEO Song Jong-hwa (left) and Arai Shoji President Arai Rojo pose for a photo at an MOU signing ceremony held at the company's Pangyo headquarters on Sept. 29. [Kyochon Food & Beverage]
Kyochon Food & Beverage CEO Song Jong-hwa (left) and Arai Shoji President Arai Rojo pose for a photo at an MOU signing ceremony held at the company's Pangyo headquarters on Sept. 29. [Kyochon Food & Beverage]

Kyochon Food & Beverage announced Sept. 29 that it signed a strategic MOU with Japanese firm Arai Shoji to enter the Japanese market, with the goal of opening its first location there in the first half of 2027.

Founded in 1920, Arai Shoji has grown through auction and food retail operations. The company acquired Korean food importer and distributor Ongane Holdings in 2020 and expanded into the restaurant business in 2024 with the launch of a Belgian waffle specialty store.

The two companies will build a cooperative framework covering quality control, marketing and operational training. They plan to maintain Kyochon's signature taste and quality consistently in Japan and broaden their reach to local consumers through staff training and marketing collaboration.

The Japan rollout will use a multi-unit franchise model, under which the partner is granted the right to open multiple stores within a designated territory. Kyochon plans to start with a flagship store in Tokyo and gradually expand to surrounding cities.

"Through this agreement, we will lay the groundwork for entering the Japanese market with Arai Shoji — a partner with an established local distribution network and a deep understanding of Korean food," a Kyochon Food & Beverage official said. "We intend to develop Japan into a new growth pillar for our global business."


andy@heraldcorp.com