Hirokazu Kobayashi
CEO, Green Insight Japan, Inc.
Professor Emeritus and Visiting Professor, University of Shizuoka
1996, the ban on importing "genetically modified (GM)" crops into Japan was lifted. Immediately after that, concerns about food safety grew. The term “GM” is called "gene recombinant" in Japanese, which carries a more significant meaning. Most people know that the blueprint of the human body is written in "genes," so it is unsurprising that the term "recombinant" raises concerns. In the case of herbicide-resistant "GM" crops, the possibility that their herbicide residues may harm the human body should be considered. Still, during this period, we have not found a single example of "GM" crops being harmful to humans or livestock compared to non-GM ones. The number of "GM crops" varieties approved for import into Japan has increased yearly and now stands at 334. However, they do not reach consumers directly. They are still used as raw materials for processed food and animal feed. Previously, labeling a product as "non-GM" was possible if less than 5% of the product was unintentionally contaminated with genetically modified organisms. However, Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) introduced a more precise labeling system last year, stating that "separate production and distribution controls are in place to prevent contamination with genetically modified organisms."
Genome editing is at the forefront of our company's technology, a cutting-edge extension of genetic recombination technology. However, the term "genome" might sound unfamiliar in Japanese. It is pronounced in a German way and spelled as a phonogram in Japan. This might bring to mind the characters in "Humanoid Monster Bem," a Japanese anime that first aired in 1968. The genome editing technology was published by several researchers in 2012, and among them, Emmanuelle Charpentier (1968-) and Jennifer A. Doudna (1964-) were awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This technology leverages the foreign enemy defense system of bacteria to cut genetic information DNA at specific positions. This enables the targeted destruction of specific genes in plants and animals. The technology, known as "knockout (KO)-type genome editing," is equivalent to mutations that can occur in nature and are indistinguishable. In 2019, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare made food using this technology possible to be cultivated, farmed, and sold with just a notification. As of this year, responsibility for the procedure has been transferred to the CAA. Six items, including two tomatoes, corn, sea bream, tiger pufferfish, and flatfish, have been recognized and released to the public as genome-edited foods in Japan.
Our company is actively exploring the vast market potential in Japan for decaffeinated tea and coffee produced using genome editing. We surveyed consumer interest through idx, LLC as outsourcing. The survey involved 500 participants, with a 50% male and female ratio and an even generational distribution between the ages of 20 and 70. The results were encouraging. Approximately 30% of the respondents reported purchasing decaf tea. When asked about genome editing tea, a significant 52% expressed interest, contingent on its characteristics. This data points to a rapidly growing market for decaf tea and coffee produced by KO-type genome editing in Japan, a trend our company is well-positioned to capitalize on. This exciting market potential should pique the interest of stakeholders and potential investors, highlighting the promising business opportunities in this sector.
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