As sustainability and environmental considerations gain prominence, Japan's food service industry is emphasizing the importance of using local products. Nevertheless, many traditional dishes that reflect local specialties and culture are threatened by the concentration of culinary ingredients in metropolitan areas and the decline of regional ryotei* culture.

We want to encourage chefs and others to explore the climate, culture, and local characteristics that form the basis of Japanese cuisine, and to adopt a spirit of Onko Soshin, or seeking new guidance from the past. In other words, we want you to acquire the knowledge and skills to look closely at local indigenous ingredients and transform them into beautiful Washoku creations that incorporate Gomi (the five tastes : sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami), Goshiki (the five colors: red, blue/green, yellow, white, and black), and Goho (the core cooking skills: cutting, simmering, grilling, steaming, and deep-frying).

JCAA welcomes industry professionals who take pride in Japanese cuisine to compete for the Japanese Culinary Arts Award. By exchanging their knowledge of traditional Japanese ingredients and techniques, participating chefs develop the skills to help preserve, invigorate, and promote Japanese cuisine around the world.

* A type of traditional Japanese restaurant, which traditionally accepts new customers only by referral and which often feature entertainment by geisha. Ryotei are typically places where high-level business or political meetings can take place discreetly.

Guidelines for Entry

Foreign chefs competing for the Road to Japanese Culinary Arts Award will employ Gomi, Goshiki, and Goho to create dishes that reflect local specialties and culture from their own regions while respecting seasonality and showcasing the distinctive flavor of local ingredients. ”Local cuisine” can be a region in your home country or a region in Japan, but the dish you envision and submit for competition must be executed in a Japanese culinary format.

When applying for the competition, contestants will choose one ingredient (excluding seasonings) for which they will invent and prepare assigned dishes for the initial screening and final rounds. In the final round, contestants will execute their “new local cuisine” with their chosen ingredients and a surprise/unknown ingredient from JCAA.

Road to JCAA (JCAA foreigners section) preliminary rounds will be held in 3 locations:
A. European Qualifier: London
B. Asian Qualifier: Singapore
C. Online Qualifier: online

In addition to certificates and medals, the winners of the final round in Kyoto will receive UMAMI prize (cash prize) from Japanese Culinary Academy in addition to a certificate and a medal, each prize winner in the Kyoto Final will receive the UMAMI Prize (cash prize) from the Japanese Culinary Academy as an extra prize.

• Applicants must have non-Japanese nationality, regardless of current residence or employment in Japan.
• Entrants must be available to participate in both the culinary training workshop March 4-8 and the final round of competition on March 9, 2025.