Japan Refrigerated Transport Market

Market Overview:

Japan refrigerated transport market size reached USD 1,193 Million in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 2,427 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% during 2025-2033. The expanding food industry, which require temperature-controlled logistics to maintain freshness and safety of perishable food products, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat, is primarily driving the market.

Refrigerated transport, also known as reefer transport, is a specialized mode of transportation designed to maintain specific temperature and humidity conditions for perishable goods during transit. It is crucial for the safe and efficient distribution of products like food, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals that require controlled environments to preserve their quality and safety. Refrigerated transport typically involves refrigerated trucks, vans, or containers equipped with advanced cooling systems. These systems maintain temperatures ranging from below-freezing to above-freezing, depending on the cargo's requirements. Precise temperature control ensures that products remain fresh and free from spoilage, bacterial growth, or degradation. This form of transportation plays a pivotal role in supply chains, enabling the distribution of fresh produce and temperature-sensitive goods across long distances. It ensures that consumers have access to a wide variety of products year-round while reducing waste and ensuring product safety and quality. Overall, refrigerated transport is essential for industries reliant on temperature-sensitive goods, contributing to food security, reducing food waste, and supporting the economy.

Japan Refrigerated Transport Market Trends:

The refrigerated transport market in Japan is experiencing robust growth due to a confluence of key drivers. Firstly, the increasing demand for perishable goods, such as fresh produce and pharmaceuticals, is propelling the market forward. As consumers increasingly prioritize health-conscious choices, the need for the safe and efficient transportation of temperature-sensitive products has surged. Moreover, the inflating utilization of supply chains and the expansion of e-commerce have played a pivotal role in driving the refrigerated transport sector. With products being sourced and distributed across vast distances, the requirement for reliable cold chain logistics has become paramount. Consequently, this has led to a surge in demand for refrigerated vehicles and specialized cold storage facilities. Additionally, stringent regulatory requirements and food safety standards have reinforced the importance of maintaining precise temperature control during transportation. This factor, combined with the growing awareness of food safety among consumers, is expected to drive the refrigerated transport market in Japan during the forecast period.

Japan Refrigerated Transport Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country level for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on mode of transportation, technology, temperature, and application.

Mode of Transportation Insights:

• Refrigerated Road Transport
• Refrigerated Sea Transport
• Refrigerated Rail Transport
• Refrigerated Air Transport

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the mode of transportation. This includes refrigerated road transport, refrigerated sea transport, refrigerated rail transport, and refrigerated air transport.

Technology Insights:

• Vapor Compression Systems
• Air-Blown Evaporators
• Eutectic Devices
• Cryogenic Systems

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the technology have also been provided in the report. This includes vapor compression systems, air-blown evaporators, eutectic devices, and cryogenic systems.

Temperature Insights:

• Single-Temperature
• Multi-Temperature

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the temperature. This includes single-temperature and multi-temperature.

Application Insights:

• Chilled Food Products 
  • Dairy Products
  • Bakery and Confectionery Products
  • Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
  • Others
• Frozen Food Products 
  • Frozen Dairy Products
  • Processed Meat Products
  • Fish and Seafood Products
  • Others
• Others

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the application have also been provided in the report. This includes chilled food products (dairy products, bakery and confectionery products, fresh fruits and vegetables, and others), frozen food products (frozen dairy products, processed meat products, fish and seafood products, and others), and others.

Regional Insights:

• Kanto Region
• Kansai/Kinki Region
• Central/ Chubu Region
• Kyushu-Okinawa Region
• Tohoku Region
• Chugoku Region
• Hokkaido Region
• Shikoku Region

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include Kanto Region, Kansai/Kinki Region, Central/ Chubu Region, Kyushu-Okinawa Region, Tohoku Region, Chugoku Region, Hokkaido Region, and Shikoku Region.

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.

Japan Refrigerated Transport Market News:

• May 2024: AZ-COM MARUWA Holdings Inc. terminated its offer to acquire a 99% stake in Chilled & Frozen Logistics Holdings Co., Ltd. The initial acquisition proposal was made on March 21, 2024, valued at ¥65.1 billion. Both companies had appointed legal and financial advisors for the transaction before its termination.
• February 2024: Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and OOCL announced a new refrigerated ocean transportation service using electric field technology to preserve food freshness during long-distance shipping. This low-carbon alternative enabled chilled, non-frozen transport of products like pork and salmon. The initiative also helped reduce food loss, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.
• February 2024: Ocean Network Express (ONE) launched trial shipments of the world’s first dual-temperature refrigerated container with Controlled Atmosphere (CA) functions. Developed with PPIH and NAX Japan, this innovation allowed different perishables to be shipped together while maintaining freshness. It aimed to reduce food loss, costs, and CO₂ emissions in marine transport.

Japan Refrigerated Transport Market Report Coverage:

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the Japan refrigerated transport market from 2019-2033.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the Japan refrigerated transport market.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the Japan refrigerated transport industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.