TOKYO -- Japanese companies are stepping up their business in Southeast Asia to cash in on the region's growth. This time they are pouring investment into food and beverage containers. Showa Denko will invest 7 billion yen ($63.9 million) to boost its aluminum can production capacity in Vietnam, while Hokkan Holdings has started manufacturing and selling beverage containers in Indonesia through a joint venture with a local maker. The Southeast Asian food market is expanding. Annual processed food sales in six major countries are projected to surge to $92.1 billion in 2023, according to U.K. research company Euromonitor.