Aji Fry Boom Arrives! From "Italian Style" to "Luxury Sandwich"—What's Happening in Japan Right Now

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Why Aji Fry Now?

2. The Challenge and Success of the Sacred Place, Matsuura City

3. The Evolution of "Italian-style" Aji Fry in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

4. "Luxury Sandwich" as Seaside Gourmet: The Revolution of Zushi FLATFISH

5. Tokyo Station's "Sanyo Shokudo" and the "Infinite Aji Fry" Experience

6. The Wave of Mass Sales that Changed the Ready-to-Eat and Frozen Food Market: Hotto Motto × Nissui

7. Reading Data on SNS Spread and Inbound Demand

8. Nutrition and Sustainability: Is Aji Fry the Food of the Future?

9. Deliver to the World! Challenges and Prospects for the Globalization of Aji Fry

10. Conclusion: "Fried Fish" Connecting Japan's Regional Revitalization and Food Culture Diversification

1. Introduction: Why Aji Fry Now?

In the spring of 2025, the TV information program 'THE TIME,' featured the "Aji Fry Boom." Immediately after the broadcast, the Japanese and English hashtags #AjiFry on X (formerly Twitter) surged, with related posts exceeding 10,000 in 24 hours. Experts analyze this as an "accidental chemical reaction" where the post-COVID-19 trend of "high protein × low fat" converged with the fish sandwich trend.TBS NEWS DIG

1.1 The Four Major Keywords of the Boom

• Regional Branding: The Sacred Place Strategy of Matsuura City

• The Rise of Specialty Stores: Tokyo Aji Fry, etc.

• Ready-to-Eat Innovation: Hotto Motto's New Nori Bento

• High Added Value in Frozen Foods: Nissui Microwave Products

2. The Challenge and Success of the Sacred Place, Matsuura City

2.1 What is the "Aji Fry Charter"?

On April 27, 2019, Matsuura City declared itself the "Sacred Place of Aji Fry" and simultaneously established the eight-article "Aji Fry Charter." Rules were set for details such as size, freshness, type of oil, and frying temperature, which about 60 affiliated stores in the city adhere to. This built the trust that "there's no going wrong if you eat it in the sacred place."city-matsuura.jpcity-matsuura.jp

2.2 PR and Infrastructure

Matsuura City hung Aji Fry samples from the straps of tourist trains and sold frozen Aji Fry 24 hours a day through vending machines. In the fiscal year 2024 alone, the number of tourists increased by 28% year-on-year, and the economic effect within the city reached approximately 2.3 billion yen (estimated by Matsuura City Tourism Division).TBS NEWS DIG

3. The Evolution of "Italian-style" Aji Fry in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area

3.1 The Birth of Tokyo Aji Fry

Located underground near Ichigaya Station in Chiyoda Ward, "Tokyo Aji Fry" uses only Matsuura Aji from Nagasaki. With a single set meal offering, it surpassed a monthly sales of 12 million yen within a year and a half of opening. The night-only "TKG Italian" is popular among foreign customers, featuring freshly fried Aji topped with egg yolk soy sauce marinade, Parmesan, and black pepper, mixed over white rice.TabelogGurunavi PRO

3.2 Diversity in Flavor Changes

The store is equipped with a set of five homemade flavor change options, including tomato sauce, yuzu pepper, and herb salt, allowing for Italian, Japanese, and Asian styles. The achievement of breaking the stereotype that "Aji Fry is only with sauce" is significant.

4. "Luxury Sandwich" as Seaside Gourmet

4.1 FLATFISH's Aji Fry Sandwich

The long-established fish store "Uohira Shoten" on Zushi Beach sells sandwiches using one and a half Matsuura Aji under the brand "FLATFISH," launched by the young proprietress, available only on Fridays and Saturdays. Moisture is adjusted so that the bread does not get soggy from the tartar sauce, with queues lasting up to 90 minutes.jimoto-ryohin.comZushi Travel

4.2 Synergy with Tourism

Photos of walking and eating along the beach have taken over SNS, with the weekend ratio of inbound tourists at 34%. The three-tiered business model of retail → deli → tourism experience has become a new role model for local retail.

5. Tokyo Station's "Sanyo Shokudo" and the "Infinite Aji Fry" Experience

5.1 System and Price Disruption

Sanyo Shokudo, operated directly by a seafood processing company, offers unlimited Aji Fry for 1,600 yen after 2:30 PM. The average is 12 pieces per person, with the highest record being 50 pieces by a female customer.A Little More EaterTabelog

5.2 The Strength of Direct Routes

Using Matsuura fillets processed in-house and changing the oil every three batches, they balance yield and quality, securing profits even with a cost ratio of 60%.

6. The Wave of Mass Sales that Changed the Ready-to-Eat and Frozen Food Market

6.1 Hotto Motto's "Aji Fry Nori Tartar Bento"

The new product released on April 1 surpassed 5 million meals in three weeks. With tail-on Aji Fry, chikuwa tempura, and tartar sauce for a single coin, store manager surveys reported it as "the fastest repeat rate in nori bento history."hottomotto.comPress Release & News Release Distribution Share No.1｜PR TIMES

6.2 Nissui's "Microwaveable Aji Fry"

The frozen food that reproduces crispy batter in two minutes in the microwave was released nationwide in March. With unique marinating technology and a two-layer structure of coarsely ground breadcrumbs, it challenges the "main dish" position in the frozen food section.Nissui Official SiteFood Network

7. Reading Data on SNS Spread and Inbound Demand

According to an analysis of X posts in June 2025 (by HashTag Research Inc.), 27% of the 120,000 Japanese posts were in foreign languages. Particularly, English, Thai, and Spanish increased, and Aji Fry is penetrating as the "second Japanese meal" for inbound tourists.

8. Nutrition and Sustainability

Aji is rich in EPA and DHA, high in protein, and low in fat. With the expansion of MSC-certified catch quotas, it is attracting attention from European and American retail buyers as sustainable seafood.

9. Deliver to the World! Challenges and Prospects for the Globalization of Aji Fry

• Frozen Fillet Quality Maintenance: Drip Countermeasures in Overseas Transport

• Religious and Vegetarian Adaptation: Non-use of Lard in Oil and Plant Oil Only Indication

• Cultural Translation: Unified Proposal for English Naming as "Japanese Aji Fry"

10. Conclusion

Aji Fry has evolved from a mere "common fried food" to a "comprehensive cultural content" involving regional revitalization, dining trends, ready-to-eat business, frozen food technology, and inbound tourism. The challenge of the sacred place, Matsuura City, is a future model for local fisheries, and the next challenge is international standardization and sustainable resource management. Whether the boom ends as a passing trend or becomes a new pillar of Japanese cuisine—the key lies in the choices of each consumer and the collaboration of production areas, companies, and governments.

📚List of Reference Articles (External Links, in Chronological Order)

1. 2019-04-27
   🔗 Matsuura City "Sacred Place of Aji Fry" Declaration & Full Text of Aji Fry Charter (Official Site)

2. 2024-02-17
   🔗 TBS NEWS DIG｜Matsuura City's Aji Fry Goes Nationwide: What is the Aji Fry Charter?

3. 2024-11-05
   🔗 Nikkei Cross Trend｜Aji Fry Sandwich as "Photogenic Gourmet" Gains Popularity in Zushi

4. 2025-01-22
   🔗 Nissui Official｜Announcement of New Product "Microwaveable Aji Fry"

5. 2025-03-25