Chongqing water shield entering Japanese market

Soon, the shelves of around 100 upscale lifestyle supermarkets in Japan will be graced by a new addition — ready-to-eat canned water shield sourced from Southwest China's Chongqing.

Water shield, or chuncaiin Chinese, is an aquatic, perennial herb with floating leaves that grows in ponds, lakes and slow-moving streams. It is an exquisite culinary delight that provides an organic option for discerning consumers and helps in tackling local production shortages.

Recently, at a water shield export shipment ceremony held in Chongqing's Shizhu Tujia autonomous county, a truck loaded with 100,000 ready-to-eat canned water shield valued at about $100,400 departed from Chongqing Shuihuotu Food Industry Co Ltd.

The shipment is destined for Hakata Port in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, according to Li Ying, chairman of the company.

"This milestone export marks a significant achievement in directly exporting water shield products from Shizhu to Japan," said Li.

In the past, water shield products from Shizhu were not directly traded to Japan. Instead, they went through a trading company located in Zhejiang province, and were exported by a company in Shanghai. This marks the first instance of direct exports from the local area to Japan, Li added.

Toward the end of last year, Zhang Hua, Party secretary of Shizhu, led a delegation from Shizhu to Fukuoka. Through the delegation's economic and trade negotiations and friendly exchanges, a $100 million export contract was signed, with $80 million specifically designated for Shizhu's water shield products.

Situated high in the mountains of Chongqing, Shizhu boasts one of the largest production bases in the world for water shield, a vegetable favored by both Chinese and Japanese for its health properties.

Water shield normally has deep green oval leaves of approximately 6 to 10 centimeters, arranged alternately and is covered with a gelatinous material and characterized by a unique texture. It is high in fiber and known to help in lowering fever and in strengthening weak stomachs. It is often cooked in soup or salads.

"This batch of ready-to-eat canned water shield will officially enter my company's supply chain system in Japan today, and will soon be available in 100 high-end lifestyle supermarkets in Japan, addressing the market gap," Yu Wenhang, general manager of AS Co Ltd in Japan, said during the ceremony.

A Chinese expatriate who has lived in Japan for over 20 years and who has been primarily involved in the supply chain of Japanese supermarkets, Yu said that around 80 percent of the Japanese population is acquainted with water shield. However, its production output in Japan is very low.

Additionally, water shield from Shizhu stands out for its excellent texture, quality and freshness, and aligns well with the dietary preferences of the Japanese. "I have confidence in the market, my business partner and Shizhu's water shield," he said.

Japan is known for its highest life expectancy in the world, a fact closely tied to the dietary habits of its population. In addition to consuming large amounts of deep-sea fish, the Japanese also eat various "longevity vegetables", such as water shield.

China has a long history of cultivating water shield in a few select regions, including Chongqing and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Hubei provinces.

Chongqing's Shizhu began large-scale water shield cultivation in 11 townships in 1992. It has now emerged as a leading hub for water shield production in the world with a fully developed industry chain — enabling this delicacy to be widely available in households.

With a planting area of about 933 hectares and an annual production of about 14,000 metric tons, the local water shield industry's comprehensive output value reached 300 million yuan ($41.78 million) in 2023, and is expected to reach 350 million yuan this year, according to the local bureau of commerce.