Japanese Food Franchise in Thailand

For those considering entry into the Japanese food franchise market in Thailand, this page introduces the key features and backgrounds of major locally based and Japan-originated brands. Use this overview to compare each brand's strengths and track record as a reference for choosing the right fit for your business.

Japanese Food Franchise Brands
Operating in Thailand

Ozawa Ramen

Franchise Overview

Ozawa Ramen is a ramen brand operated by Megumi Group. The business model centers on delivering authentic ramen at accessible price points. A notable feature of the concept is its revenue-focused store design, with select locations incorporating a karaage (fried chicken) brand to drive higher average spend per customer.

Brand Recognition in Thailand

The brand has been expanding its store network across Thailand, including Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Ozawa Ramen is gaining recognition as a go-to everyday dining option among local consumers and is steadily establishing its position in the local market.

Franchise Membership at a Glance

The franchise fee starts at approximately 500,000 THB, making initial investment relatively accessible. A monthly royalty of 6% applies. Franchisees benefit from comprehensive head office support covering everything from site selection to staff training.

Estimated Total Initial Investment	2,500,000 – 3,000,000 THB
Franchise Fee	500,000 THB
Royalty Fee	6% per month
Working Capital	200,000 THB / month
Deposit	100,000 THB
Marketing Fee	1.5%

Ozawa Ramen
Company Information

Operating Company	MEGUMI GROUP CO., LTD.
Head Office Location	27/11 Soi Kanjanapisek 005/1 Kanjanapisek Rd. Laksong, Bangkae, Bangkok
Franchise Inquiry Page	https://ozawaramen.com/en/franchise/

Nigiwai Sushi

Franchise Overview

Nigiwai Sushi is a Thailand-based local brand offering sushi at accessible price points. The brand drives consumer appeal through its own flavor profiles tailored to Thai preferences and a diverse lineup of fusion menu items, reflecting a product development approach closely aligned with local demand.

Brand Recognition in Thailand

With pricing starting from 9 THB per piece, the brand reaches a broad consumer base. Within just three years of founding, Nigiwai Sushi had grown to over 100 locations^※. The brand is building a strong presence in local areas as a familiar, everyday sushi destination.

Franchise Membership at a Glance

The franchise fee is set at approximately 700,000 THB, with a model designed for relatively fast return on investment. The packaged operating system lowers the barrier to entry, making the franchise accessible even for investors with no prior experience in the food and beverage industry.

Franchise Fee	700,000 THB
Royalty Fee	4% of sales (flat fee of 5,000 THB/month if monthly sales are below 600,000 THB)

Nigiwai Sushi
Company Information

Operating Company	Nigiwai Group Co., Ltd.
Head Office Location	555/44 JW Urban Home Office Village, Songprapha Road, Don Mueang Subdistrict, Don Mueang District, Bangkok, Thailand
Franchise Inquiry Page	https://www.nigiwai.co.th/

Kaiwanbaansushi

Franchise Overview

Kaiwanbaansushi — meaning "sweet egg house" — is a sushi brand tailored specifically for the Thai market. The brand is characterized by generously sized toppings and a sweeter flavor profile preferred by local consumers, with a flexible sales format that also caters to takeout demand.

Brand Recognition in Thailand

The brand has grown to over 260 locations^※, actively opening stores along everyday consumer routes such as gas stations and community malls.

Franchise Membership at a Glance

Multiple store packages are available based on store size, allowing entry at a budget that suits the franchisee's investment capacity. Hands-on store training is built into the program, with an operational framework designed to support early profitability through efficient day-to-day management.

Estimated Construction Budget	Size S (25–30 m2): 360,000 – 540,000 THB Size M (30–60 m2): 600,000 – 1,200,000 THB Size L (60 m2 and above): 1,200,000 – 1,800,000 THB
Royalty Fee	None
Monthly Fee	None
Franchise Fee	Please inquire directly

Kaiwanbaansushi
Company Information

Operating Company	SWEET EGG BAAN SUSHI (THAILAND) CO., LTD.
Head Office Location	353/11 Sri Suriyawong Road, Ratchaburi, Thailand
Franchise Inquiry Page	https://www.kaiwanbaansushi.com/franchise/

Japanese Food Franchise Brands
Originating from Japan

This section introduces brands born in Japan — where they built long-standing reputations — that are now operating in Thailand. Explore the history, track record, and story behind each Japan-originated brand as you consider your franchise options.

HACHIBAN RAMEN

Franchise Overview

HACHIBAN RAMEN was founded in 1967 in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Drawing on the rich vegetable culture of the Hokuriku region, the brand established vegetable-laden ramen as its signature offering and has upheld that regional flavor for nearly 60 years. The founding philosophy of "bringing energy to every customer through food" continues to serve as the guiding principle for menu development and store operations today.

Domestically, the brand operates primarily across Hokuriku and the Kansai region, where its accessible price point and vegetable-forward menu have earned broad appeal across generations. The approach of bringing Japan's everyday ramen culture overseas as-is has carried directly into the brand's expansion across Southeast Asia.

Brand Recognition in Thailand

HACHIBAN RAMEN entered Thailand in 1992 and is one of the Japan-originated ramen brands with over 30 years of in-market experience. The brand's balance between pricing accessible to local consumers and a commitment to Japanese flavor has earned steady recognition. The brand now operates more than 170 locations^※ and has become an established presence in Thailand's dining landscape as a Japanese food chain chosen for everyday meals.

Franchise Membership at a Glance

The operational know-how accumulated over more than 30 years since entering Thailand in 1992 represents a strength that locally founded brands cannot replicate. The systems refined through long-term market presence — including Thailand-adapted pricing structures and local staff training frameworks — support franchisees in day-to-day operations. Specific fees and conditions for franchise membership in Thailand are not publicly disclosed; please contact the brand directly for details.

HACHIBAN RAMEN
Company Information

Operating Company	HACHI-BAN CO., LTD.
Head Office Location	1-12-18 Shinkanda, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa, Japan
Franchise Inquiry Page	https://www.hachiban.jp/recruit/fc/

MAJI CURRY

Franchise Overview

MAJI CURRY is a beef curry specialty restaurant founded in Osaka. Armed with a signature sauce crafted from dozens of spices and slow-cooked beef, the brand won the Kanda Curry Grand Prix — one of Japan's largest curry competitions — on its very first entry, just seven months after opening^※. The brand went on to win the competition again in 2022, making the brand a two-time winner.

MAJI CURRY brings to its overseas expansion the same unwavering commitment to the sauce it has maintained since day one, along with the Japanese-style curry format of combining diverse toppings. Faithfully delivering Japanese curry culture to each local market is the brand's core value, and that principle holds firm in Thailand and beyond.

Brand Recognition in Thailand

MAJI CURRY has opened locations within commercial facilities in Bangkok and is building a following among consumers with an interest in Japanese curry culture. The brand's award-winning credentials translate readily as a quality signal for Thai consumers, and together with the brand's distinctive topping-selection format, are helping to grow its recognition in the local market.

Franchise Membership at a Glance

The Kanda Curry Grand Prix wins give franchise owners a straightforward way to communicate quality to local consumers. The store concept is designed for compact spaces, with a format suited for high-foot-traffic locations such as commercial facilities. Specific fees and conditions for franchise membership in Thailand are not publicly disclosed; please contact the brand directly for details.

MAJI CURRY
Company Information

Operating Company	Sunpark Co., Ltd.
Head Office Location	5-11-1 Kishibekita, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Franchise Inquiry Page	https://majicurry.com/comp-en/apply-for-a-franchise/

CoCo Ichibanya

Franchise Overview

CoCo Ichibanya is a curry rice specialty chain founded in Aichi Prefecture in 1978. Driven by the founder's desire to let every customer enjoy curry exactly the way they like it, the brand developed an ordering style that allows customers to freely customize spice level, toppings, and rice portion. This system has been the core of the brand since its founding and became the foundation for the wide-ranging domestic support the brand has earned in Japan.

CoCo Ichibanya now operates more than 1,400 locations worldwide and holds the internationally recognized record as the world's largest curry rice specialty chain by number of locations^※. The brand depth built over more than 40 years since founding remains a consistent asset in the Thai market as well.

Brand Recognition in Thailand

CoCo Ichibanya entered the Thai market in 2008 and has been operating in the country for over 15 years, steadily growing its store count with a focus on commercial facilities. The brand's reputation for clean in-store environments consistent with Japanese standards, and the reliability of a consistent taste experience on every visit, have earned acceptance among Thai consumers across a wide range of ages and demographics.

Franchise Membership at a Glance

The store operations framework developed across more than 1,400 locations worldwide is designed to maintain a consistent standard of service regardless of country or region. The fact that CoCo Ichibanya has been operating in Thailand since 2008 — with over 15 years of in-market track record — is a meaningful reference point for prospective franchisees. Specific fees and conditions are not publicly disclosed; please contact the Japan head office or local entity directly for details.

CoCo Ichibanya
Company Information

Operating Company	Ichibanya Co., Ltd.
Head Office Location	6-12-23 Mitsui, Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Franchise Inquiry Page	https://ichibanyausa.com/pages/franchise

How to Choose a Japanese Food
Franchise Brand in Thailand

When starting a new franchise business in Thailand, what are the advantages of choosing a Japan-originated brand from among the many options available? Here are three perspectives to consider when evaluating brands, based on the realities of the local market.

Bangkok Goes Beyond
the Local Crowd

Thailand — Bangkok in particular — is one of Southeast Asia's leading inbound markets. In an environment where foreign residents, business travelers, and tourists move through daily, being a brand recognized in Japan can serve as a trigger for a customer's first visit.

While locally founded brands are optimized for the everyday habits of local consumers, Japan-originated brands have the potential to naturally reach higher average-spend customer segments in addition to that base. A store structure capable of capturing multiple customer segments at once is worth considering from a business stability standpoint as well.

A Japanese Origin
Is Not Something You Can Build Later

The Japanese food franchise market in Thailand is already in a mature phase, with some locally founded brands having reached over 100 locations within three years and others surpassing 260 locations. As the market has grown, so has competition — and commoditization and price pressure are increasingly difficult to avoid.

In that environment, Japanese origins are a strength that cannot be built retroactively. A brand's founding year, track record in Japan, and brand story are difficult for competitors to replicate, and the brand's competitive edge tends to remain intact even as markets become more crowded.

Thirty Years in Japan
Becomes Day One in Thailand

Building a brand from scratch in a local local market takes time and investment to generate awareness. What sets joining a Japan-originated brand apart is the ability to enter with years of domestic operations, store count, and award history already in place from day one.

The fact that HACHIBAN RAMEN has maintained over 170 locations in Thailand for more than 30 years, and that CoCo Ichibanya has continued operating in Thailand for more than 15 years since entering in 2008, serves as concrete evidence that these brands work in the Thai market — evidence that can be used in tenant negotiations and recruitment. The brand's history also reinforces the credibility of the owner, and that is one of the substantive differences from locally founded brands.