Exploring Brand Naming Tendency of Rice in Japan

Abstract

In Japan, the declining birth rate, aging population, and shrinking domestic market pose challenges for local economies, especially the agricultural economy. Therefore, branding is essential for agricultural and industrial products to remain sustainable in local areas. This study focuses on the brand name, an element that forms a brand. As previous studies have not sufficiently examined the brand names of Japanese agricultural products, this study examines Japanese staple food, rice. Three hundred and fourteen brand names were surveyed to determine whether they are suggestive or nonsuggestive and contain words describing the properties of rice or related to production. The study analyzed the names through unique Japanese letters, such as Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, and English. The results found that most Japanese rice brand names are nonsuggestive, and 141 brands are named in combinations of letters that do not follow conventional rules. Furthermore, as the domestic market situation necessitates devising export methods, more unique names and marketing promotions are required. If rice is shipped to the overseas market using a nonsuggestive name, as in Japan, it would be difficult as Japanese words may not convey the product’s image. Local consumers require words that are easily understood while retaining the Japanese notation and packaging. This study contributes to the field of brand naming, particularly for Japanese agricultural products.