HIS’s overseas branches have started food and beverage, apparel and trading businesses in the COVID-19 pandemic, while growing new business networks. We support the expansion of our partners’ businesses by delivering the value of the JAPAN brand as an exclusive partner for overseas franchise business development and the development of sales channels and commercial distribution through our travel and non-travel overseas networks. HIS, like other companies, had a difficult time due to COVID-19, but on the contrary, the decline in sales in the travel business has further accelerated this new business.
The non-travel sector will be strengthened by developing our own routes through local subsidiaries. We have been sending travelers abroad for more than 40 years, and we will furthermore create a scheme for HIS to propose to consumers, in a place prepared by HIS, to add more “food and apparel” to the experience of travelling, especially Japanese food as one of the main things to stimulate further consumption.

As well as the international development, we are also part of the promotion of this brand in Japan and launched【HIS x BREAD & ESPRESSO 47 prefectures local project】. Basically, the concept is a ‘food, community and tourism’ concept with one partner system in one province, and tourism is put into each café. This means that a visit to BREAD, ESPRESSO & Café can be enjoyed as a sightseeing trip. This is HIS’s greatest area of expertise and is exactly what we can do. More than 20 candidate companies have now pledged their participation in the project. Many partners are passionate about contributing to local development, and some of them are customers who always buy BREAD, ESPRESSO & breads.
What is particularly important to note is that both the café and its products in each region always have an important ‘story of the café itself’. For example, the look and feel of the Arashiyama café in Kyoto and the Sakaisuji Club café in Osaka are completely different. The cafés’ names also reflect their original roots: BREAD, ESPRESSO & Sakaisuji Club is a former bank, while BREAD, ESPRESSO & Yuigahama shoten was originally a liquor and tobacco shop, and the shop curtain used in that time is still on display. BREAD, ESPRESSO & Bouquet is located in a flower shop.