AEON Stores HK and Japan’s IDEA partner up to bring Tsuruhashi Fugetsu to HK

Retail chain AEON Stores and Japanese restaurant group IDEA Company have formed a strategic partnership to bring the Japanese chain restaurant Tsuruhashi Fugetsu (鶴橋風月) to Hong Kong.

According to the release, the partnership was established through participation in a business matching activity organised by InvestHK.

As part of the partnership, AEON Hong Kong will help the development of the Tsuruhashi Fugetsu brand in Hong Kong, strengthen the facilitation of the brand's characteristics, and promote the expansion of specialty stores. Meanwhile, it also aims to bring customers a brand-new Japanese dining experience.

With a history of over 70 years in Japan, Tsuruhashi Fugetsu aims to preserve its traditional taste and hospitality. It specialises in Okonomiyaki (大阪燒) with unique flavour, fresh ingredients, and healthy recipes, according to the release. One of its signature dishes is the "Fugestsu Yaki mix" (風月燒), which includes a combination of seafood ingredients such as squid, shrimp, pork, and beef.

As of May 2024, Tsuruhashi Fugetsu has expanded globally, including in the US, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan. Particularly in Taiwan, the store layout has expanded to Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan. As the restaurant seeks to reach a wider audience, it will expand into Hong Kong for the first time with an aim to achieve steady growth.

Meanwhile, AEON has been rooted in Hong Kong for 39 years and has been reviewing and strengthening its store opening, construction and operation system. In addition to operating general merchandise stores (GMS) and independent supermarkets, AEON Hong Kong has been opening specialty stores in recent years, including KOMEDA’S Coffee, Daiso Japan and Mono Mono, to introduce more diversified products and services. 

Takenori Nagashima, managing director, AEON Stores, said, "The group continued to expand its store network. At the same time, it leverages the advantages of the AEON Japan Group and various channels to introduce more well-known Japanese brands, such as ‘Tsuruhashi Fugetsu’, to Hong Kong stores, in the hope of attracting more customers with brand new environments and experiences. The strategic partnership may accelerate AEON Hong Kong in the format of restaurant chain stores, enhancing our core competitiveness.”

“With the Japanese special menu with unique flavour, fresh ingredients and healthy recipes of ‘Tsuruhashi Fugetsu’, together with AEON's ‘customer first’ service concept and constant innovation with customers as the starting point, we believe that it will bring a pleasant and satisfying dining experience to customers,” Nagashima added. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to AEON Stores Hong Kong for more information. 

Currently, AEON Stroes operates 10 GMS, two independent supermarkets, 33 independent Living PLAZA by AEON, 30 independent Daiso Japan, one independent Bento Express by AEON and four Mono Mono and three KOMEDA'S Coffee in Hong Kong. It also operates 21 GMS and 15 independent supermarkets in Guangdong.

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