Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

Training Program 2017 Overview【Objectives】
Aiming at deeper understanding and promoting export of Japan-produced ingredients, we invite foreign chefs of theJapanese cuisine from overseas countries as the participant trainees. Through training in Japanese culinary schooland restaurants, we improve their knowledge of hygiene management, cooking skills, as well as learning mind of‘Omotenashi’ in Japanese cuisine and food culture. By succeeding in these, we try to enhance and develop them tobecome our partners, taking leading roles in transmitting magnificence of the Japanese cuisine and food culture
especially when Japanese food related business operators plan to have overseas business development.

The participants selected through the final screening arrived in June 2018 and attended the Starting
Ceremony. They were welcomed and encouraged by the Chairman, Yoshihiro Murata, Japanese Cuisine andFood Culture Human Resource Development Committee together with the guest, Mr. Koichi Dekura, Director,
Food Culture and Market Development Division, Food Industry Affairs Bureau, the Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries, Japan, language and culinary training schools and the owners of training Japanesecuisine and sushi restaurants
After Japanese language training in Naganuma School, they moved to Kyoto for over one month of the basic
Japanese culinary training in Kyoto Culinary Art College where they learned basic knowledge of Japanesecuisine and practical skills. The culinary school training included visits to fish market, sake brewery, farms,
and Japanese tea ceremony. They all passed paper and practical exam on the last day and went for thepractical restaurant training
Starting Ceremony

Japanese language training

Photo： The Naganuma SchoolLectures on Japanese food culture in culinary school

Practical culinary training in culinary school

Photo： Kyoto Culinary Art College

写真提供：京都調理師専門学校
Photo：Kyoto Culinary Art College

Photo： Kyoto Culinary Art College
写真提供：ル・コルドン・ブルー東京校

Photo： Kyoto Culinary Art College

Visit to Fish Market

Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

After having two months of group training, the participants moved to the next stage, individual training
in Japanese cuisine and sushi restaurants for six months. They improved their skills learned at school
even further in the actual restaurant kitchen with restaurant mentors.
Individual Practical training in restaurants

After finishing the restaurant training, the participants challenged for the final exam in Kyoto Culinary Art
College on the last day, exerting what they learned through the training. Their knowledge and skills ofJapanese cuisine as well as hygiene management, use of Japanese ingredients, cooking utensils andequipment, presentation of dishes, etc. were evaluated rigorously by the three judges.

Assigned works at the final exam

Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

Graduation at Kikunoi Honten, Kyoto, was held with the graduates and members of training schoolsand restaurants. The Mayor of Kyoto, Mr. Daisaku Kadokawa gave appreciations andencouragements for their future. The participants received not only the certificate of the training fromthe Committee but also the Silver Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in ForeignCountries (Guidelines established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries).
The participants who have finished eight months of training are expected to continue developing theirknowledge and skills gained in this program and to promote magnificence of Japanese cuisine, foodculture and Japan-produced ingredients throughout the world as the Japanese cuisine chefs.

Certificate of the program

Certificate of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries

Certification Badge (Silver)Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

Testimonials from the Participants of Program 2017

Jie Long (Jared) Ng (Singapore) Silver medalist
This program is relatively new but I guess it was a really great job well done, very muchsupported each of us from the start to the end. I guess it was tough at first as I don’t speak goodenough Japanese. But I believe working skills speaks for itself and as time goes by, I was able toadapt to each individual of my restaurant.
Season plays a huge part in Japanese Cuisine. For someone that comes from a country without 4 seasons,this was a huge eye opener for me as I was able to understand how season plays a huge part in the wholedining experience. From the plates, ingredients, restaurant set up, to which color does the service staff haveto wear on their kimono. I guess I feel more equipped as a chef now. I felt that even though training might betough but I believe down the road, I am proud to say that I worked in Japan, Kyoto, the home of Kaisekicuisine. Overall experience was good, made good connection and learnt a lot on ingredients and produces. It
was indeed my greatest takeaway and challenge now to do something like this in Singapore.

Anthony Paul George (U.S.A.) Silver medalist
Dashi is the base of almost all Japanese cooking, the balance of kombu and katsuo flavor isextremely important while also making sure to maximize the umami that you receive from thedashi. Japan is a nation of water based cooking, that stems back to the dashi but also the growthof the plants are affected by the high quality water leading to better products. There is also an
extremely important balance between nature and what is being served, every dish has a reason for existing
and typically those reasons have a tie with the history and environment of the city it is in, even to the point
where we have rooms full of plates so that we can best create an atmosphere that is well representative ofnature within the kaiseki courses.
I have learned so much about omotenashi, which was one of my original goals for this program. It is aconcept everywhere in the world but yet it still feels unique to Japan. Omotenashi created the way of life that
I see in Japan which is the mindfulness of others and the self driving goal of many people here to do theirbest to serve the guests. I have never seen more hardworking and kind people in my life. They maintain awelcoming atmosphere at the restaurant that motivated me to do better both at work and in my free time.
I noticed that the attitudes of my coworkers were found everywhere else from the convenience stores totiny restaurants to the large hotels. Everyone wanted to do their best from the bottom of their hearts. That
isn’t simply achieved. And in all my time studying omotenashi I feel that I have made great progress indiscovering omotenashi as well as Japanese cuisine but I still have more to learn.

Anthony Yoshio Fukuhara(U.S.A.)

Silver medalist

From what I’ve experienced, Japanese cuisine is slow, but it is an art. There’s the carethat goes into each ingredient, from the preparation to the cooking to the plating. That samecare goes into the plates and dishes that get used with food. Sometimes the flavors are still alittle light for my tastes but I’ve started to grow an appreciation for the light/mild flavors ofJapanese cuisine.
I still do plan on opening my own washoku restaurant, but this experience has opened up my mind to
the full picture of washoku and what I will have to study/ train in order to fully bring washoku cuisine backhome. I feel like I have gained a basic understanding in some areas of washoku, but there’s still so much tolearn in those areas and so many other areas I still have yet to learn. Upon completing this program, it hashelped me develop a list of things that I will have to immerse myself in.

Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

Testimonials from the Participants of Program 2017

Ｑ

Having experienced the program, do you want to start using or increasing Japanproduced ingredients in your home country’s restaurant?

Yes, will consider (if possible)
13.3%

Yes, very much
86.7%
（n=15）

ＱOn finishing the program, how do Japanese cuisine and culture attract you?
(Multiple answers)

Good taste

12

Beautiful decoration for presentation

10

Seasonal expression

14

Culture of Dashi/Umami

12

Skills of single-edged knife

11

Healthy/nourishment balance

8

Cooking methods to bring out each ingredient

11

Various kinds of highly qualified ingredients

11

Dietary culture of rice and water

9

Techniques of fermented food and seasoning

11

Respect for Nature

11

Manner of ‘Omotenashi’11051015（n=15）

Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture
Human Resource Development Committee

List of Participants and Restaurants 2017
【Participants】※Random order
NameNationality

Paride Pasetti

Italy（Resident in UK）

Paolo Mauceri

Italy（Resident in UK）

Wa Ka (Billy) Kong

ＵＳＡ

Christopher Brian MassadＵＳＡ

Jie Long (Jared) Ng

Singapore

Michael Akiyoshi Lai

ＵＳＡ

Anthony Yoshio Fukuhara

ＵＳＡMichael Steven Reid

ＵＳＡ

Anthony Paul George

ＵＳＡFrank Maximilian Glausen

ＵＳＡ

Celso Hideji Amano

BrazilJonathan Franklin Klip

CanadaItaly（Resident in UK）

Roberto CatraCharles Martin TaylerUK

Md Jahidul Islam

Bangladesh【Restaurants】※Random order
AreaRestaurant

OwnerＵＲＬ

Kyoto

Kikunoi (main restaurant)

Yoshihiro Murata

http://kikunoi.jp/

Tankuma Kitamise (Kyoto main)

Masahiro Kurisu

http://www.tankumakita.jp/

Kyoto Traditional Cuisine Kinobu

Takuji Takahashi

http://www.kinobu.co.jp/open.html

Uosaburo

Shigeo Araki

http://www.uosaburo.com/access.html

Gion Sasaki

Hiroshi Sasaki

http://gion-sasaki.sakura.ne.jp/

Kyoto Cuisine Restaurant Takeshigero

Yoji Satake

http://www.takeshigero.com/

Arashiyama Kumahiko

Motoi Kurisu

http://www.kumahiko.com/index.html

Isshi Souden Nakamura

Motokazu Nakamura

http://www.kyoryori-nakamura.com/

Tokyo/Chiba/Kanazawa

Akasaka Kikunoi

Yoshihiro Murata

http://kikunoi.jp/kikunoiweb/Akasaka/index

Tsukiji Tamura

Takashi Tamura

http://www.tsukiji-tamura.com/

Ginza Sushi-Ko Honten

Mamoru Sugiyama

Sakaezushi

Masayoshi Kazato

http://sushi-skills.com/sakae2/

Nihonbashi Yukari

Kimio Nonaga

http://nihonbashi-yukari.com/

Akasaka Asada

Shota Asada

http://www.asadayaihei.co.jp/akasaka/

Japanese Cuisine Zeniya

Shinichiro Takagi

http://zeniya.co.jp/