What Changed with "Too Good To Go" Landing in Japan—A Turning Point the Food-Loss-Reduction App Presses on the Food Industry

Fisheries Agency, "White Paper on Fisheries" (Trends in Japan's Catch Volume)

On January 28, 2026, the Denmark-born food-loss app "Too Good To Go" entered the Japanese market. Within a week of launch, registered users topped 250,000 and it took the No. 1 spot in the App Store's overall ranking. This speed shows that Japanese consumers, while holding a desire to "eliminate food waste," had been seeking a means to actually act on it.

How Too Good To Go Works and Its Rollout in Japan

Too Good To Go is a platform where restaurants and retailers sell surplus food before closing as "surprise bags" on the app. Users can buy them at less than half the regular price and pick them up at the store at a set time. The design—"you don't know what's inside until you open it"—gamifies the purchase experience and raises the repeat rate.

Initial partners in Japan include Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, FamilyMart, and NewDays. It started at over 80 stores, centered on Tokyo's Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Meguro areas.

In a user survey, 92% said they "want to use it again." A further 61% answered that they "chose a store they had never visited before," producing two effects at once: cutting food loss and acquiring new customers.

Its Global Track Record and Why Japan Became Its "First Asian Market"

Too Good To Go was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2016 and now operates in 21 countries. It has helped cut over 500 million meals of food waste cumulatively, achieving a reduction effect of about 1.35 million tons in CO2 terms.

Many retailers as candidate partners, making network effects easy to generate

The "Structural Problem of Waste" the Food Industry Faces

Of Japan's 4.64 million tons of annual food loss, the business side (food makers, retailers, restaurants) accounts for about 2.32 million tons. A service like Too Good To Go acts directly on cutting this business-side loss.

Seen from the standpoint of farmers and food makers, the big shift is that surplus food changes from a "loss" into a "revenue opportunity." Food that used to be disposed of at a cost is sold at a discount via the app and prompts new customers to visit.

There are challenges, too. It is currently concentrated in urban areas (Tokyo), and expansion to regional areas is expected to take time. Also, for produce and food makers to participate directly requires reviewing the supply chain, and the service is concentrated on the B2C last mile.

A New Equation for "Food-Loss Reduction × Consumer Experience"

What Too Good To Go demonstrated is the fact that food-loss reduction advances not through the moral appeal of "what a waste" but through the economic incentive of "feeling like you got a deal."

Through the fun of getting food at less than half price, consumers take part in cutting food loss without even noticing. This design—pairing gamification with a price appeal—can serve as a reference model for future food-waste measures.Within Japan, a similar scheme, "TABETE," has run since 2018 and surpassed 1 million registered users in October 2024. MAFF and the Consumer Affairs Agency also launched a "Food Bank Certification System" on April 1, 2026, working to create an environment in which companies can more easily donate food (for details, seethe article on the Food Bank Certification System

). These moves show that the entire food industry is being pressed to shift from a "disposal-premised business model" to a "design premised on zero disposal." Too Good To Go's arrival in Japan was a symbolic event in that shift.

Implications for Farmers and Food Makers

This trend is no bystander matter for farmers who handle off-grade vegetables and surplus produce either. The shift in consumer awareness—"I'll buy even discarded goods if they're tasty"—ties directly to opening sales channels for off-grade produce.

In fact, Agriture's dried-vegetable and upcycling business is an effort to give new value to vegetables rejected for shape or size (About Upcycling Off-Grade Vegetables). The "lowered psychological hurdle toward discarded goods" that Too Good To Go created is a tailwind for such businesses too.

FAQ

Q: Where can I use Too Good To Go?
A: As of January 2026, over 80 stores are participating, centered on Tokyo's Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Meguro areas. Nationwide expansion is planned going forward.

Q: How can farmers and food makers participate?
A: At present the service centers on restaurants and retailers, but a business model in which food makers participate directly is also under consideration. Business inquiries are available from the Too Good To Go website.

Q: How is it different from a food bank?
A: A food bank is a scheme for providing food free of charge, whereas Too Good To Go is a "paid" sales model at less than half price. The difference is that companies can cut loss while still earning revenue.

Reference Information
– Too Good To Go Japan Official
– Circular Economy Hub – Too Good To Go Lands in Japan
– Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Food Loss Statistics, FY2023

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