Japanese Culinary Academy invites professional chefs from around globe

The Japanese Culinary Academy, a nonprofit organization in Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, has been inviting professional chefs of Japanese cuisine at home and abroad to participate in the fifth Japan Culinary Art Competition.

The competition is aimed at spreading Japanese cooking and gastronomical culture around the world, establishing global standards for Japanese cuisine, and fostering chefs of Japanese cuisine around the globe.

The number of applicants for the competition has also been on the rise thanks to the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine, totaling 201 chefs in the fourth competition from August 2013 to February 2014.

This year’s competition, to be held under the theme of “Imagination! Opening up New Japanese Cuisine,” features two aspects of traditional local cuisine – menu creation and cooking.

With application closing on May 31, regional qualifying rounds will be held at six locations in Japan and one in Seoul, South Korea, before the Kyoto Finals in February 2016.

Since its establishment in August 2004, the Japanese Culinary Academy (JCA) has fostered, inherited and develop Japanese cuisine at home and abroad in a bid to promote “global understanding of Japanese cuisine” and contribute to “the next generation of Japanese food chefs.” The JCA will continue to foster, inherit and develop Japanese gastronomical culture, which is recognized as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

A statement by Yoshihiro Murata, JCA chairman and the owner and chef of Kikunoi, a famed kaiseki restaurant.

Although Japanese cuisine is registered as an intangible cultural heritage, it is in fact in a crisis situation. As a business, Japanese cuisine is still difficult to enter and young chefs shun Japanese cuisine due to a lengthy apprenticeship. The Japanese Culinary Academy has decided to organize the fifth Japanese Culinary Art Competition, believing it is our important mission to foster Japanese chefs and cooks. We strongly urge many Japanese chefs to enter the competition.