Japanese restaurant operators and food makers have resumed their forays into the U.S. market, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wane.

In a bid to boost earnings, Japanese companies are more actively opening new stores and engaging in business negotiations in the United States.

Yoshinoya Holdings, which owns a gyūdon beef-on-rice restaurant chain, plans to open two new outlets and renovate 15 in the United States this year. Despite surging materials and labor costs, it is "easy to pass on the costs to prices in the United States," a public relations official from the company said.