Japan Rising: Inside RSPO’s First Japanese Roadshow

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) mobilised its first-ever Japan Roadshow in Tokyo and Osaka from 25 June to 1 July 2026. Connecting directly with a diverse network of RSPO Members, partners, and government officials, the roadshow deepened engagement among 16 corporate members and two government ministries.

Crucially, the roadshow highlighted a central theme for the region: how Japanese members are actively navigating the balance between meeting stringent global compliance requirements and making meaningful, on-the-ground contributions to sustainable palm oil sourcing.

“RSPO’s first successful roadshow in Japan reflects the growing commitment of Japanese companies, stakeholders, and policymakers to a common goal: advancing sustainable palm oil sourcing, raising consumer awareness of the RSPO Trademark, and driving positive change towards a more sustainable, nature-positive economy,” said Sachie Kamakura, RSPO Japan Representative.

JaSPON x RSPO Japan Update Session (30 June 2026): Updating RSPO Japan Market Update, ongoing Supply Chain Certification (SCC) revision, and WWF sharing “Smallholders and Sustainable Supply Chain”.

Japan is currently RSPO’s fifth-largest membership base, with 357 RSPO Members. Imports of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) to Japan continue to show strong growth, representing 53.2% of the nation’s total palm oil imports in 2025. Alongside the Japan Sustainable Palm Oil Network (JaSPON), RSPO’s Japanese members have forged a collective built upon aligned incentives and a shared commitment to spur market transformation.

High-level government engagement

RSPO convened productive dialogues with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Ministry of the Environment (MoE).

Discussions with the MAFF underscored a recent bilateral agreement between the Prime Ministers of Japan and Malaysia, championing joint efforts to build responsible palm oil supply chains, advance collaborative research for tropical forest protection, and expand mutually beneficial agri-food trade. Building on this international cooperation, the Ministry highlighted support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and a landmark MoU between RSPO, Mitsui & Co. Ltd. (Japan), Wild Asia (Malaysia), and the Sabah Jurisdictional Approach to Sustainable Palm Oil (JASPO). This positions the Kimlong project in Sabah as a pilot for a stable, sustainable supply chain model for Japanese buyers.

Furthermore, the MAFF emphasised its MIDORI policy—a comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing sustainable food systems and ensuring all imports of food products are sustainably sourced by 2030—which supports Japanese exporters in meeting evolving global sustainability frameworks. Complementing this, the MoE explored opportunities within the circular economy’s “waste-to-value” model, focusing on translating government procurement guidelines into consumer-facing pilot projects.

Engaging companies: Navigating supply chain realities

During the week-long roadshow, RSPO met with several key Japanese companies, including Asahi Group, Calbee, Fuji Oil, Itochu, Mitsui & Co., Nissin Foods, Nisshin Oillio and Saraya, among others. The dialogues provided critical insights into the unique supply chain dynamics of the Japanese market.

Strengthening Mass Balance and claims guidance: Due to domestic infrastructure constraints, Japanese members rely heavily on the Mass Balance (MB) model, particularly for complex oleochemicals used in personal care. Discussions highlighted the need to explore ways to reinforce MB as a credible, commercially viable baseline. Conversations also explored the potential value of tailored, Japanese-language claims toolkits to help members seamlessly align RSPO standards with global frameworks like the EUDR, SBTi, and GHG Protocol Scope 3.

Digital traceability and operational efficiency: To address evolving regulations, discussions explored future capabilities for the prisma traceability platform. Members highlighted the potential value of digital upgrades to facilitate corporate due diligence, digitise impact data, and streamline administration. Optimising multi-site certification rules and expanding local auditor capacity to drive further uptake by Japanese RSPO members in their domestic and global markets were also identified as key areas to potentially reduce administrative workloads.

Empowering smallholders: Recognising that smallholders represent roughly 40% of Malaysian and Indonesian production, empowerment was a cross-cutting theme. Saraya reported an 18-fold increase in smallholder participation since 2018, driven by advocating for credit systems that facilitate direct market access. Taiyo Yushi, new to the space, also showed strong interest in supporting smallholder programmes. Stakeholders emphasised the value of optimising certification processes and exploring broader incentive mechanisms to facilitate their inclusion in the supply chain.

An emerging role model in Asia

Several actionable next steps emerged from the roadshow, including scaling the Mitsui Sabah pilot into a replicable landscape model and exploring localised, Japanese-language guidance aligned with domestic corporate planning cycles.

To ensure the Japanese market continues to shape global standards, RSPO is extending formal invitations to Japanese members to participate in its governance initiatives, task forces, and standing committees. Fueled by the concerted efforts of member companies, stakeholders, and policymakers, this collaborative drive is building a more resilient, transparent supply chain—elevating Japan as a rising sustainable palm oil role model in Asia.