In 2025, Japanese mayonnaise marked its 100th anniversary. This everyday table staple was first made and sold in Japan in March 1925.

Back then, the very word "mayonnaise" was unfamiliar in Japan, and the small early jars were reportedly mistaken for pomade hair styling wax. First-year sales came to just 120 cases (600 kg)—the modest beginning of Japan's mayonnaise culture.

The Founder's Vision: Health for the Japanese People

The man behind Japan's first mayonnaise was Toichiro Nakashima, founder of Kewpie. In the 1910s, sent to Europe and the United States as an overseas trainee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, he encountered mayonnaise abroad.

Watching Americans eat salad daily, he was struck by the flavor and nutrition of the mayonnaise on their potato salad. Driven by a wish to "contribute to the physique and health of the Japanese people," he set out to develop a nutritious mayonnaise rich in egg yolk.

A Uniquely Japanese Evolution: The Egg-Yolk Choice

After returning home and watching Western influences spread through cities in the wake of the Great Kanto Earthquake, Nakashima began producing Japan's first mayonnaise in March 1925. He named it "Kewpie Mayonnaise" after the then-popular Kewpie doll, wishing for it to be "loved by everyone."

Its defining feature was the "egg-yolk type," using only yolks. Compared with the whole-egg style common in the West, it delivered a deeper, richer taste—a choice that would later give Japanese mayonnaise a distinctive place in the world.

The Road to Acceptance: Advertising and Tastings

Even so, it was slow to catch on at first. There was no habit of eating raw vegetables, and the price was high. Nakashima poured more than the product's sales into advertising, commissioning a famous painter to depict a family table around mayonnaise and running tasting events. Early on, it was pitched as a sauce for meat and fish rather than raw vegetables.

The effort paid off, and by 1941 annual shipments reached about 500 tons. Wartime shortages of ingredients then forced a halt in production, upholding the conviction that "you cannot make good mayonnaise without good ingredients."

Post-War Growth: Containers and Culture

Production resumed in 1948, and 1958 brought a turning point: mayonnaise in a squeezable one-hand poly bottle. Around this time, the custom of eating raw vegetables spread and usage grew sharply. Other makers entered in the late 1950s and 60s, and mayonnaise settled in as a fixture of the Japanese table.

A History of Quality: The Battle Against Oxygen

The great challenge in making mayonnaise was preventing the oxidation of the oil that makes up much of the product. Kewpie kept working to reduce oxygen in the process, eventually reaching a one-year shelf life for both jars and poly bottles when unopened. Multi-layer bottles block oxygen, air at the opening is replaced with nitrogen, and even trace oxygen in the oil is removed. These advances also helped expand exports by sea.

Global Expansion: 79 Countries and Regions

Overseas expansion began with the U.S. market in 1982, followed by Thailand in 1987 and China in 1993. Kewpie Mayonnaise is now sold in 79 countries and regions.

The overseas business has grown sharply over the past decade, with double-digit growth centered on China and Southeast Asia. The overseas segment's revenue was on track to approach the 100-billion-yen scale for the fiscal year ending November 2025, and Kewpie is targeting 180 billion yen in overseas sales by fiscal 2028.

Popularity in America: Social Media and Mayo Terrace

In the United States especially, Japanese mayonnaise became so popular on platforms like TikTok that supply struggled to keep up. A food blogger's video using it on a salmon rice bowl drew millions of views, searches spiked, and some stores sold out. In 2010, it ranked number one on a major U.S. online shopping site.

The "Mayo Terrace" experience facility in Chofu, Tokyo, has drawn a rising number of visitors from abroad. To meet demand, Kewpie brought a second production site online in Tennessee in May 2025. Together with its California plant, the two-site setup accelerates its push into North America, the world's largest salad-condiment market.

Adapting to Local Tastes

In going global, Kewpie has developed products tuned to each country's food culture. In China, where fruit salad is popular, it sells a sweeter version with added sugar. In Thailand, where many favor spicy flavors and Japanese food, it offers Sriracha and wasabi mayonnaise. In Malaysia, "Chili Mayo," blending mayonnaise with the national chili sauce, is a hit.

At the same time, the Kewpie Mayonnaise made at overseas sites keeps the same egg-yolk type as in Japan. Preserving the essential richness and umami while flexibly meeting local needs is what underpins its global success.

Tailwinds for Japanese Condiment Exports

The Japanese government has been encouraging food exports, and mayonnaise—distinctly Japanese in flavor yet appreciated abroad—sits within that trend. The idea that "you should buy mayonnaise when you visit Japan" has spread internationally. A flavor Japanese households take for granted is being discovered elsewhere as something new.

Toward the Next Century

On its 100th anniversary, Kewpie adopted the slogan "still in progress. Kewpie Mayonnaise 100 years. And time doesn't stop."

From a small jar once mistaken for hair wax, Japanese mayonnaise has grown over a century into a condiment enjoyed across 79 countries and regions. A concern for health, a commitment to quality, and the flexibility to adapt to each market: these three form the foundation for its next hundred years.