In the 80s', the era of the rise of the middle class, also created a booming of Japanese culture in Hong Kong.
In the late 70s' and early 80s', the Hong Kong society gradually became affluent. One of the most obvious features was the Japanese food and culture began to become very popular in Hong Kong. The goods with European and American names were praised. Traditional items were also widely accepted through modern packaging.
The development of Japanese food in Hong Kong can be traced back to the 1960s’. The first Japanese restaurant was opened in Imperial Hotel on Nathan Road. It particularly served the Japanese residing in Hong Kong. Later, the Daimaru Department Store was open. It established a food section but only sold Japanese canned food.
In the early 70s', Mr. Dai Tak Feng founded a food company. He began to introduce Japanese snacks like “Three-sugar", "Space Sugar" and "Kam Dai Zi" and advertised them on TV. The youngsters growing in the 1970s’ started to contact the Japanese culture through these classic snacks. In the 80s', the society became prosperous. Due to a large amount of food introducing by trading companies, the Japanese food widely spread and the marble soda was popular for a time.
Prior to the 1980s’, Japanese department stores were not popular. Their target customers were confined to the upper and middle class. Until the mid 80s', more Japanese department stores stationed in Hong Kong, the target customers were the emerging middle class, of whom born in poor families in the 60s', and benefited from the livelihood improvement policy engineered by Governor MacLehose in the 70s'. They had the opportunities to receive higher education and seized the chance to enter into management level because of Hong Kong transforming into a financial centre. The new emerging middle class on one hand could not get rid of the traditional burden inherited from the previous generation, and also failed to fully accept the modern westernized thinking
