Taste of success: Olive oil from southern Japan earns international praise

Food & Beverage

Kagoshima’s local revitalization efforts pay off as luxury hotels come calling

Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture sees rain throughout the year, making it suited for growing sweet olives. (Kagoshima Olive)

MASAMITSU ITO

August 23, 2025 10:23 JST

KAGOSHIMA, Japan — Olive oil made in Japan’s Kagoshima prefecture is gaining recognition among luxury hotels as the cultivation of olives — a project launched a little more than a decade ago for local revitalization — bears fruit.