Kjeld Johannesen presents Akira Fujii with a Royal Copenhagen falcon. Also present are Akira Fujii’s wife and the Danish Ambassador to Japan, Carsten Damsgaard.

In recent years, the meat company Yonekyu Corporation has started using only Danish raw ingredients for its production in Japan. CEO Akira Fujii has been personally committed to this process, and it was against this background that he was presented with the Diploma of the Danish Export Association and HRH Prince Henrik’s Medal of Honour.

The award is bestowed on persons or businesses domiciled abroad, but all exporters of Danish products or services may put forward the names of their customers abroad as candidates. And that is exactly what Karsten Bruun Rasmussen from the Danish Agriculture & Food Council did, backed up by Danish Crown.

The ceremony was attended by the Danish Ambassador to Japan, Danish Crown’s Export Manager Jens Bech and Danish Crown’s CEO Kjeld Johannesen, who spoke of his excellent personal relations with Akira Fujii and the long-standing collaboration between Yonekyu and Danish Crown.

Collaboration developing

Yonekyu Corporation is a long-standing and loyal Japanese customer which has helped develop the positive trade in pork between Denmark and Japan. The company receives regular supplies from Danish Crown’s slaughterhouses in Sæby, Ringsted and Horsens.

The positive balance of trade between Denmark and Japan is primarily attributable to Danish pork exports to Japan.

HRH Prince Henrik’s Medal of Honour has been awarded since 1982 and has previously been conferred on, for example, Danish Crown’s CEO in the USA Stig Kjærø, LEGO and Grundfos. The award includes a medal, a diploma and the right to use the royal logo and name.