Global food service giants are making inroads into the nation's office and hospital cafeterias, triggering mergers and acquisitions in the world's second-largest institutional meal market.
The meal catering industry for institutional clients has long been dominated by small-scale operators, as the top 10 providers in Japan only have a market share slightly above 10 percent.
Now the world's top three food services are gearing up to grab a bigger share of Japan's 4 trillion yen market.