The bilateral exchange celebration between Japan and Spain, which commemorates a 400-year relationship, was the event chosen by Rivera Japan to present itself to the Japanese public in style, with a programme based on the identity and origins of the company. The Corporacion Hijos de Rivera subsidiary is both importer and distributor of its products in Japan, a market with huge potential to absorb not only the beers but also the mineral waters, ciders and wines produced by Hijos de Rivera.
The first act carried out by Rivera Japan for its presentation was held on the 11th of October in the breath-taking rooms of the hotel Park Hyatt de Tokyo. Around one hundred clients and Japanese drinks distributors attended the event in which Jose Maria Rivera highlighted the strategic proposal that the company has for the Japanese market via its subsidiary, which already has its own offices in the centre of Tokyo. His words emphasised values such as origin, tradition, innovation and quality, characteristics which make up the identity of Corporacion Hijos de Rivera, and which are highly valued by the Japanese public.
The perfect finale was offered by Carlos Núñez, who performed pieces linked to the origin of all our products: Galicia. Beers such as Estrella Galicia and 1906, Cabreiroá mineral water, Maeloc ciders, and the Ponte da Boga wines were only some of the products that were available for the guests to sample.
This week, Rivera Japan has decided to share its launch with the general public, bringing Galician gastronomy to two emblematic locations in Tokyo. The chefs Pepe Solla y Xosé Cannas have become Estrella Galicia ambassadors preparing a number of dishes to marry with the Corporación Hijos de Rivera in the Hilton. Hotel restaurant. Throughout the week they have been working side by side with Japanese chefs in order to transmit the essence of Galician gastronomy to clients. In addition, one of the most highly acclaimed Japanese restaurants due to its respect for Japanese traditions, Tamura, will be the venue for a night of Spanish-Japanese fusion cuisine to which a select group of diners from the Japanese restaurant sector will be invited. Solla and Cannas have shared the whole process of design and preparation of the dishes with Mr Tamura, the soul and owner of the restaurant, from a visit to the Tsukiji market first thing in the morning to choose top quality raw materials, to the putting together of the dishes in the kitchen.
In the words of Pepe Solla, “It’s an incredible experience to work shoulder to shoulder with a Japanese chef like Tamura, and to experience the whole market to table process has been enriching.” For Xosé Cannas, “They have coordinated a tasting menu married with our products that fuses elements from Galician and Japanese cuisine in each of the dishes, and will be surprising for the diners (and it will definitely surprise the diners)”.
Fumie Kitahori, Director of Rivera Japan, points out that “we still have a lot of work ahead in the Japanese market, but the reception of our products has been fantastic up to now.” Thus, she highlights that “the Japanese consumer values immensely those products that have their own identity which distinguishes them from the rest and, as in our case, takes pride in their Galician origins and to have the backing of the tradition of a centenary company is very positive when it comes to facing this challenge”.
