FOODEX Japan & INTEX Osaka Printing Guide: Menus, Banners & Booth Graphics

Exhibiting at flagship Asia-Pacific food and beverage trade shows like FOODEX Japan (held at Makuhari Messe) or premier Kansai food expos at INTEX Osaka (such as the Japan International Food Industry Expo, Kansai Wine & Spirits Expo, and Supermarket Trade Show) represents a massive commercial opportunity. From international wine exporters and artisan cheese producers to plant-based food tech innovators, securing distribution across Japan requires an immaculate physical presence.

However, food and beverage (F&B) trade shows present unique operational challenges. Live tasting bars, hot liquid samples, spill risks, strict Japanese food labeling laws, Japanese fire safety regulations (*Bōen* 防炎), and formal business card exchange protocols require specialized print assets.

This comprehensive guide covers everything foreign exhibitors need to know about preparing physical print collateral, navigating Japanese regulations, and securing direct booth delivery for FOODEX Japan and INTEX Osaka.

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The 6-Month Preparation Timeline for FOODEX & INTEX Osaka

To ensure seamless execution without last-minute panic or international shipping delays, follow this step-by-step roadmap:

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Essential Print Collateral for Food & Beverage Booths

1. Wipe-Clean & Waterproof Catalogs & Menu Books

During live tasting sessions, traditional paper flyers absorb wine drips, olive oil, sauce splashes, and moisture from melting ice. Wet marketing materials quickly look unhygienic and unprofessional.

• Solution: We print on YUPO synthetic paper and apply 250-micron heavy PET lamination or liquid coating. These sealed restaurant menu books and product specification sheets can be wiped clean effortlessly with a damp cloth or disinfectant wipe without warping or ink smudging.
• Best Used For: Master tasting menus, wine list binders, ingredient spec books, and buyer reference catalogs.

2. Tri-Fold Product & Wholesale Leaflets

Retail buyers from major Japanese supermarket chains (such as Aeon, Seven & I Holdings, Life, and Itoham) and wholesale importers want concise, structured product data. They rarely carry bulky books around a 100,000-square-meter hall.

• Solution: Our machine-folded tri-fold leaflets (A4 folded down to a compact 99×210 mm DL format) fit neatly into standard exhibition bags, suit jacket pockets, and display racks.
• Key Content to Include:

* Product origin and terroir stories.

* Organic (JAS / USDA / EU Organic), Halal, Kosher, Vegan, and Non-GMO badges.

* Wholesale pricing tiers (FOB, CIF Tokyo/Osaka) and minimum order quantities (MOQ).

* High-resolution QR codes linking to Japanese landing pages or digital press kits.

3. Flame-Retardant Wall Banners & Traditional Nobori Flags

Standing out in crowded, brightly lit exhibition halls like INTEX Osaka Building 6 or Makuhari Messe Halls 1–8 requires vertical visibility above human eye level.

• **Flame-Retardant Banners (*Bōen* 防炎):** Japanese Fire Services Act regulations strictly require that hanging textiles and backdrops in public exhibition venues bear official fire-retardant certification marks. Our heavy-duty tarpaulin flex banners and retractable roll-up banner stands comply with venue safety inspections.
• **Japanese Promotional Flags (*Nobori* 幟):** Traditional Japanese tall vertical flags (promo flags / nobori) are a classic sight across Japanese retail and food festivals. Setting up 1.8-meter nobori flags around your booth corner signals immediate familiarity to Japanese trade visitors.

4. Japanese-Standard Bilingual Business Cards (*Meishi*)

In Japan, business card exchange (*Meishi Koukan*) is a formal, mandatory ritual that precedes every business conversation. Presenting a card with incorrect dimensions or English-only text signals a lack of commitment to the Japanese market.

• Dimensions: Japanese standard business cards are 91×55 mm — slightly wider than standard US or European cards (85×55 mm). Standard US cards will not fit into Japanese buyers' card cases or scanner albums.
• Bilingual Layout: Format English on one side and professional Japanese transliteration on the reverse. Our bilingual business card printing includes native Japanese proofreading so titles (e.g. Managing Director, Master Sommelier, Head of Export) use authentic Japanese corporate nomenclature.

5. Tasting Stand Stickers, Labels & Packaging Seals

For live food and beverage sampling, presenting clean, branded sample containers reinforces premium product positioning.

• Solution: Custom die-cut stickers & decals with food-safe adhesive for clear plastic tasting cups, eco-friendly wooden spoons, glass wine bottles, and takeaway sample boxes.
• Materials: Waterproof gloss vinyl or textured kraft paper for artisanal, organic food aesthetics.

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Technical Print Specifications & Material Selection Matrix

Selecting the proper substrate ensures your materials look pristine throughout four intense trade show days:

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Japanese Food Safety & Mandatory Allergen Rules

When printing promotional brochures, packaging, or sampling menus in Japan, compliance with Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) labeling standards is mandatory. Displaying allergen icons builds immediate trust with health-conscious Japanese buyers.

The 8 Mandatory Allergens (*Tokutei Gen材料* 特定原材料)

By Japanese law, food products containing any of the following eight ingredients must be explicitly declared:

1. 1Egg (卵 - *Tamago*)
2. 2Milk (乳 - *Nyū*)
3. 3Wheat (小麦 - *Komugi*)
4. 4Buckwheat (そば - *Soba*)
5. 5Peanut (落花生 - *Rakkasei*)
6. 6Shrimp (えび - *Ebi*)
7. 7Crab (かに - *Kani*)
8. 8Walnut (くるみ - *Kurumi*)

Recommended Additional Declarations (20 Items)

In addition to mandatory items, declaring ingredients such as Soy (大豆), Sesame (ごま), Pork (豚肉), Beef (牛肉), Chicken (鶏肉), Salmon (さけ), and Gelatin (ゼラチン) is strongly recommended for tasting handouts.

*Print Japan provides native Japanese proofreading to ensure allergen icons and ingredient lists are accurately translated and formatted on your leaflets and stickers.*

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Venue Logistics: INTEX Osaka & Makuhari Messe

Carrying heavy rolls of banners, boxes of catalogs, and display stands through international airports or crowded Shinkansen bullet trains is exhausting and risky. Packages frequently get damaged in transit or delayed at customs.

INTEX Osaka Venue Delivery (Kansai Region)

Located on Suminoe-ku’s Nanko man-made island in Osaka Bay, INTEX Osaka features over 70,000 square meters of exhibition space divided into six major halls:

• Halls 1, 2 & 3: Large food manufacturing and industrial machinery expos.
• Halls 4 & 5 (A/B): Wine, spirits, gourmet specialty foods, and organic trade shows.
• Hall 6 (A/B): Major retail, supermarket, and hotel/restaurant tech showcases.

Through our strategic production partnership in Osaka, Print Japan ships your printed assets directly to your designated hall and booth number. Deliveries arrive during official exhibitor setup days prior to public opening.

FOODEX Japan / Makuhari Messe Venue Delivery (Chiba / Kanto)

For exhibitors at FOODEX Japan at Makuhari Messe, we deliver directly to Halls 1–11, International Conference Hall, and Event Hall spaces. Learn more in our dedicated Makuhari Messe Exhibitor Guide.

*For exhibitors at other Japanese trade venues, explore our guides for Tokyo Big Sight, PACIFICO Yokohama, Kyoto International Conference Center, and Nagoya Congress Center.*

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How to Order Food Trade Show Printing in English

1. 1Submit Brief & Artwork: Send your artwork files (PDF, AI, EPS) via our online quote form or message us directly on WhatsApp.
2. 2Free Artwork & Allergen Check: Our English team inspects resolution, CMYK color space, Japanese 3mm bleed, and allergen text layout free of charge.
3. 3Seamless Direct Delivery: We print locally in Japan and ship straight to your booth space at INTEX Osaka or Makuhari Messe with full tracking.

Need emergency last-minute printing during your trip? Contact our Same-Day Printing team for rapid 24-hour turnaround across Tokyo and Osaka!