About Us / 私たちについて

About Us

Akabane Bussan has walked alongside the food of the Philippines since our founding in 1993. Here we share what drives us, and why customers keep choosing us.

Message / 代表メッセージ

Walking together with our customers.

Akabane Bussan began in 1993, with a small specialty store for Philippine foods called “Sarap Bussan” in Akabane, Kita-ku, Tokyo. It is because we have been supported by such powerful, cheerful and energetic customers and employees that we have been able to face every kind of difficulty and keep moving forward.

However much the world may change, our founding principle does not: safer, more affordable, faster and more trustworthy Philippine foods. I promise that all of us, as one team, will keep providing services that fit the times and the needs of our customers.

How did the business begin?

Before founding the company, I had opened a general goods store on youthful momentum, but it was not going well and I was struggling. Then one day I happened to walk past a church in the neighborhood, and heard the most wonderful laughter. When I looked, it was a group of Filipinos gathered at the church. I started talking to them, and they were so bright and so much fun. I felt it right away: “There is something interesting here!” So I started learning about the Philippines, and when I tried stocking Philippine foods in the store, people were delighted beyond anything I had imagined. Philippine foods were rare in Japan at the time, so word spread by mouth, and I thought, “We have got something.”

What are you working on now?

We want to offer even more of what delights our Filipino customers, but many products simply cannot be imported into Japan. So we asked ourselves, “Can we make them in Japan?” and we are now producing a wide variety of products domestically. We carry forward the “taste of the Philippines, the taste of home” that people from the Philippines hold in their memories, while developing our own attractive products with the added value that Japanese manufacturing brings: safety, reliability and high quality. Sometimes Filipinos tell us, “This is even better than back home!” That makes it all worthwhile.

Customer First / お客様第一主義

The know-how of “Akabane Bussan quality,” built up over the years,
for the smiles of every customer.

01 — Hospitality

A call center and customer service built on hospitality

So that customers can order with confidence, knowledgeable staff are on hand to answer questions about our products and explain them in detail. Alongside Japanese, native speakers of English and Tagalog are on staff full-time.

02 — Logistics

High-quality logistics management

To deliver the products our customers are looking forward to quickly, accurately and safely, we operate our own logistics base. That is one of our strengths. Rather than leaving the quality of logistics to others, we raise it ourselves, managing everything from receiving to shipping efficiently and speedily under one roof. We keep refining our systems, and handle each and every product with care before it ships.

Advantage / 私たちの強み

We organically connect our own sales and distribution network, specialized in the Filipino community in Japan.

Wholesale for businesses

Wholesale to retailers such as Filipino shops and mass merchandisers (from a single shelf to a full display unit)
A wide range of proposals for the products in demand: authentic seasonings, snacks, instant foods and more
For restaurants, menu proposals and flash-frozen ready-cooked packs in addition to ingredient supply

Retail & online shopping

Order online, or with a single phone call. Whichever suits you best.
Service in Japanese, English and Tagalog
Satisfying prices, thanks to the strength of direct-from-wholesale sales. Quantity discounts are available to individual customers too.

Sharing our research and marketing insights

Up-to-the-minute customer purchasing trends from our retail business, fed back to our wholesale customers
Our own data analysis of purchasing trends and demographics across the Filipino community in Japan
Social media management services, and marketing support that connects businesses with Filipino influencers