Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

2020 Training Program Outline[Objectives]
Aiming at promoting initiatives to increase the export of Japanese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products
as well as food by further deepening the understanding of Japanese food and food culture, we invite foreign
chefs of Japanese cuisine from overseas countries. Through training mainly in Japanese restaurants, wewill improve their knowledge of Japanese cuisine and cooking skills. By succeeding in this training, westrive to develop foreign chefs who have completed the training in this program to become our partners foroverseas business deployment by Japanese food related business operators, taking leading roles inpromoting Japanese cuisine and food culture as chefs of Japanese cuisine in their local regions andtransmitting the magnificence of Japanese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products as well as food.
In the 2020 program, the initial plan was changed due to overseas travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19
pandemic. Consequently, we quickly established a system that enables the program to be offered online and worked
on human resource development using a new method.
We introduced an e-learning tool developed according to the guidelines of the Certification of Cooking Skills forJapanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries, Bronze established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries andindividually sent the learning material kits comprised of a Japanese kitchen knife and textbook to the participants,
thereby making it possible to provide the program to many participants. We started accepting applications inSeptember, and we received many applications from around the world. As a result of document screening, 115participants were selected.
The 115 participants initially learned the most basic fundamental aspects of Japanese cuisine (knife techniques andknowledge of “Umami,” etc.) and the level of mastering the knowledge and techniques was confirmed by thesubmission of written and practical assignments. Face-to-face online tests for Bronze certification were held for 45
participants with a passing score on the assignments, and following evaluation by the Kyoto Culinary Art College, 36participants received bronze certification.
As a result of the shortened training period, skill training through practical culinary training at actual restaurants as inpast years could not be provided. However, eight participants who demonstrated particularly outstanding performancewith a deep understanding of Japanese cuisine and food culture were selected for one-to-one online classes. Inaddition, a PR video was created for increasing recognition of this program further and more effective recruiting ofapplications.
Through the many past training participants and those who completed the online training this year, the magnificence ofJapanese cuisine, food culture, and Japan-produced ingredients is being promoted to the world even more.

E-learning Japanese cuisine class

Online exam for the Certification of Cooking Skills forJapanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries, Bronze

One-to-one practical skill lesson

Program introduction video

Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

Testimonials from Participants in the 2020 Program
Éder Tadeu Do Nascimento (Brazil)
Training at JCDC was a great experience for me. I have four years of experience in Japanese cuisine, and I wasable to deepen my understanding of Japanese food culture and its background. In particular, I was very happy
because I was able to learn how to use the senses for individual dishes, respect the ingredients, whet knives, slice
vegetables, and cut fish. Whenever I studied these details, I dedicated all my attention to the class, and I was
honored and fascinated to spend time with such talented chefs. That is why I would like to spread the magnificenceof Japanese cuisine in my home country. I appreciated the opportunity.

Andreas Kronborg Danielsen (Denmark, resident of Bulgaria)
I decided to take this course to pursue my dream of opening an authentic Japanese restaurant in my homecountry of Denmark. Completion of the course enabled me to demonstrate authentic Japanese cuisine morepassionately and communicate the unique magnificence of Japanese cuisine. Through the training, I was able tolearn new aspects of Japanese cuisine. Personally speaking, the greatest part of the course was focusing ontechniques which are often overlooked in other countries than Japan even though these techniques areconsidered essential for professional chefs of Japanese cuisine. I believe this course is perfect for those who arepassionate about learning Japanese cuisine.

Tomasz Oleński (Poland)
The online training was very thoroughly managed and everything went smoothly, and I didn’t find anything that wasunclear. I was able to meet wonderful people I could not have met without this opportunity. Since Poland where I
live is far from Japan, there are not very many opportunities to meet Japanese people. In addition, the quality of all
the learning materials of Japanese food culture is very high, and I believe it would be useful for my ongoinglearning about Japan. I would like to promote the magnificence and unknown greatness of Japanese cuisine
through what I learned in this program. I am going to make full use of everything I learned in the program for myown restaurant in the future.

Niki Vahle (U.S.A.)
I appreciated the opportunity to participate and learn in the JCDC program. Through the training, I was able todeepen my understanding of the magnificence of Japanese cuisine. For example, the climate of Japan was thebackground of the unique growth of Japanese cuisine, and each ingredient plays a specific role in bringing out themain ingredients. I feel like the training built a foundation in myself, and I am going to forge a career in Japanesecuisine by using this foundation. I will promote the magnificence of Japanese cuisine in my hometown andwherever I go while applying the techniques and the magnificence of Japanese cuisine that I learned in theprogram to my cooking.

JCDC Program Certificateof Completion

JCDC Certification,BronzeJapanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

List of Participants and Organization, etc. 2020
[One-to-one Online Training Participants] *Random Order
NameNationality

Éder Tadeu Do Nascimento

BrazilShandhi Peter De Costa

Bangladesh

Niki Vahle

U.S.A.

Marek Hylak

PolandTomasz OleńskiPolandAndreas Kronborg Danielsen

Denmark

Lee Chai Han

TaiwanKarin Aki Yaegashi

Brazil[Online Training Schools/Organization/Restaurants] *Random Order/Honorific titles are omitted
Instructor

ＵＲＬ

KYOTO Kyoto Culinary Art College(TAIWA GAKUEN EDUCATION INC. )Masahiro Nakata

https://sites.google.com/st.taiwa.ac.jp/eng/kyocyo?authuser=0

World Sushi Skills Institute (WSSI)

Hirotoshi Ogawa

https://www.sushi-ssi.com/

Organization/Restaurant

https://72kou.jp/

Shichi-jyuni-kou

Akio Saito

Nihonbashi Yukari

Kimio Nonaga

http://nihonbashi-yukari.com/

Naoyuki Yanagihara

https://www.yanagihara.co.jp/

Yanagihara Cooking School of TraditionalJapanese Cuisine2020 Program Participant Survey Results

Ｑ

Will you be recommending Japanesecuisine and Japan-produced ingredientsto people in your home country morethan before the training?

Ｑ

Do you think it is possible to start using
Japan-produced ingredients or increase theamount of Japan-produced ingredients by 30%
or more within two years at a restaurant, etc.
you work at (approximately 1.3 times increase
when the current amount of use is consideredas 1)?

No change from before
2.5%
I don’t think it is possible
7.5%

Yes
97.5%
（n=40）

It might be possible
37.5%（n=40）

I’m sure it ispossible 55.0%