Japanese Cuisineand Food Culture
Human ResourceDevelopmentProgram
Training program on Japanese cuisine for non-Japanese chefs
aiming to become Japanese cuisine professionals, officially
supported by MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) of Japan
Japanese Cuisine & Food Culture Human Resource Development Program

Now Accepting Applications for 2023 Program Participants
Japanese Cuisine & Food Culture Human Resource Development Committee (JCDC) is seeking non-Japanesechefs who have a will to acquire correct knowledge of Japanese food and food culture and cooking skills. The
Basic Course includes online training and a short-term practical training in Japan for the trainees who haveachieved particularly outstanding results. The Advanced Course consists of a short online training and a longterm practical training for approximately six months in the kitchen of a Japanese restaurant in Japan.
If interested, you are advised to contact the secretariat by e-mail below.
An official application form* will be sent to you.

nihonshoku@tow.co.jp（ Contact people: Ms. Aya Hamasuna, Ms. Yayoi Makino ）*Please fill out the application form with applicant name, address, age, portrait photo, career with Japanese cuisine, current restaurant of employment, reason forapplying, and other required information, and send it via e-mail along with copies of applicant and guarantor's IDs. Please note that incomplete applications will not
be considered official.
*Application deadline: Friday, June 30, 2023, 23:59 (strictly enforced). ＊JST(UTC+9)《 Notes for applicants 》
This program is designed to provide professional chefs with basic knowledge and skills in Japanese cuisine and topromote the excellence of Japanese cuisine, dietary culture, and Japanese ingredients throughout the world. This
program is not a cooking class for amateurs teaching recipes. During the training, participants will learn basic
knowledge and skills related to Japanese food and food culture, hygiene management, basic handling of cooking
utensils and knives, basic techniques of Japanese cuisine (the Five Techniques), dashi and umami, Japanese
ingredients, and technical terms for Japanese cuisine.

Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture Human Resource Development Committee

Note: This program is organized by the Japanese Cuisine & Food Culture Human Resource Development Committee (JCDC),with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan.

※ Past reports are available at:https://tow.co.jp/program/

* Dates are JST (UTC+9) .
* Schedule is subject to change.
◆ Application deadline: Friday, June 30, 2023, 23:59 (strictly enforced).
◆ Notification of acceptance: Successful applicants will be notified on July 4, 2023 (Tuesday) or some time closer to this date. (Nonotification will be made to unsuccessful applicants.)◆ Determination of trainees: Trainees will be officially determined as trainees upon signing the pledge form. (by Monday, July 10, 2023)

Basic Course(Estimated number of trainees: about 35 for online training, including 10 for invitational training)
Saturday, July 15, toSunday, October 1, 2023

<Online training by e-learning method>- A training course (Lessons 1–10) based on an e-learning curriculum created in line with the Bronze
Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries (*1), established by MAFF.
- You will receive a basic set of educational materials (Textbook & Japanese kitchen knife/whetstone )necessary for training. Please be reminded that you are required to submit a report on the designatedlesson on Japanese cuisine in order to receive the set. Participants failing to do so will be disqualified.

Monday, October 2, toFriday, October 13, 2023

<Exam to confirm the level of understanding for e-learning lessons>Tests to check the level of understanding for each e-learning lesson (written and skill tests)

Through Monday, October 23,2023<Notification of results>
The results of tests on e-learning course progress will be notified.

Monday, November 6, toWednesday, November 15, 2023

<Bronze certification exam>(Qualified for the exam are only those who have passed e-learning course progress check tests.)
Successful trainees will be registered as Bronze-certified chefs and will receive a Bronze Certificate each.

Early December to late January
2023＜Japanese language training (online)>- Bronze certificate holders who have achieved particularly outstanding results and have been selected as
invited trainees are eligible for this.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Arrival in Japan

Thursday, February 1, toFriday, February 16, 2024

<Invited Training Program>
The trainees who have passed the bronze exam and have achieved particularly outstanding results will be
invited to Japan for training.
- Group training (classroom lectures at culinary schools, visits to foodstuff production sites, etc.)- Individual training (practical training at a Japanese restaurant)

Advanced Course(Estimated number of trainees: a few)
Saturday, July 15, toWednesday, August 23, 2023

<Online training by e-learning method>- A training course (Lessons 1–10) based on an e-learning curriculum created in line with the Bronze
Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries, established by MAFF

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Arrival in Japan

Friday, August 25, toSaturday, September 2, 2023

<Invited Training Program (1)>- Group training (classroom lectures at culinary school, visits to foodstuff production sites, etc.)- Bronze certification examination*Japanese knife sets and whetstones necessary for the training will be distributed.

Sunday, September 3, 2023, to
Friday, February 16, 2024

<Invited Training Program (2)>- Individual training (practical training at a Japanese restaurant)- Final examination (Silver certification examination)➢ You can receive online training in any timeframe you like if an internet connection enabling e-learningis available.
• You can study the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine via learning materials (videos https://japanese-cuisine.com/andtextbook) supervised by the Japanese Culinary Academy (*2).
• During the training program, trainers from JCDC secretariat or the Kyoto Culinary Art College (*3) will be available toattentively answer participants’ questions.
(*1) A certification program established to certify non-Japanese chefs of Japanese cuisine who have gained correct knowledge and skills inJapanese cuisine in accordance with the guidelines established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/shokusan/syokubun/pdf/chori_o_e.pdf(*2) NPO that promotes global understanding of Japanese cuisine, holds training programs, conducts research, and more.
https://culinary-academy.jp/english(*3) Prestigious culinary school boasting 90 years of history and tradition that has produced many famous chefs in Japanese cuisine.
https://sites.google.com/st.taiwa.ac.jp/eng/kyocyo?authuser=0

Eligibility for program participation⚫ Have nationality other than Japanese.
⚫ Have a will and desire to learn about Japanese cuisine and food culture, and be physically fit and healthy for training.
⚫ Aged between 18 and around 35 at the time of the program's start.
⚫ Be a culinary school graduate or possess cooking experience at Japanese restaurant(s).
(Experience of working at a “Japanese Food and Ingredient Supporter Stores Overseas”* is preferred.)⚫ For the Advanced course, a minimum of three years or equivalent work experience in a Japanese restaurant is preferred.
⚫ Have the ability to speak (at a conversational level or above), read, and write English or Japanese.
⚫ Have an internet connection enabling the applicant to watch the online training videos.
⚫ Have a network of distributors and importers of Japan-produced ingredients.
⚫ Able to visit and stay in Japan according to the designated schedule and conditions.
⚫ Able to cover costs incurred outside program-covered expenses.
⚫ Have a will to become a supporter of Japanese cuisine, food culture, and Japan-produced ingredients after
completion of the program.
* Japanese Food and Ingredient Supporter Stores Overseas https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/trends/foods/supporter.html

Program-covered expenses< Basic Course>⚫ Tuition for online lessons⚫ Basic set needed for the program: Textbook (English version), Japanese kitchen knife (usuba bocho, or thin-bladed knife), whetstone*Communication and food expenses related to the online training course are to be borne by the trainees themselves.
<< During stay in Japan of participants selected for extra training due to their outstanding performance, etc. >>⚫ Round-trip flights between your country and Japan. * Economy class flights timed with the schedule specified by JCDC.
⚫ Accommodation expenses during stay in Japan.
* Accommodation facility is specified by JCDC.
⚫ Training-related expenses (face-to-face training fees, participation fees for ingredient-focused training tour, etc.)* When a participant leaves halfway through the program, the participant will be required to return all expenses.

< Advanced Course >⚫ Tuition for online lessons⚫ Basic set needed for the program: Textbook (English version), Japanese kitchen knife set, whetstone*Communication and food expenses related to the online training course are to be borne by the trainees themselves.
⚫ Round-trip flights between your country and Japan. * Economy class flights timed with the schedule specified by JCDC.
⚫ Accommodation expenses during stay in Japan.
* Accommodation facility is specified by JCDC.
⚫ Training-related expenses (face-to-face training fees, participation fees for ingredient-focused training tour, etc.)* When a participant leaves halfway through the program, the participant will be required to return all expenses.

Others
The collaboration tool Lark will be used for the program, so participants will need to install the application.
https://www.larksuite.com/

What is “Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries”?
This is a system allowing private bodies, etc. to voluntarily certify foreign chefs of Japanese cuisine living abroad who
have reached a certain level of knowledge and cooking skills in Japanese cuisine, based on the “Guidelines forCertification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries” established by MAFF. Certification is given
according to the level of achievement by relevant chefs.

“Bronze” Certificate:
Given to recipients of short-term
training in Japanese cooking“Silver” Certificate:
Guidelines for Certification of
Given to graduates of Japanese cooking schools, etc. or Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine
those having equivalent work experience of about one year in Foreign Countries (overview)