Marunouchi Brings Together Japan's Food Ambassadors! "Japan Food Festa 2014"

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries held the "Japan Food Festa 2014 " eventon November 1st and 2nd. The main venue was Marunouchi Naka-dori in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, where visitors could sample ingredients and dishes from across Japan. The event aimed to give attendees a broad experience of the "food" and "food culture" provided by domestic agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, while also promoting the value of Japanese food overseas. This year marked the third iteration of the event. During the festival, activities included the announcement and award ceremony for the "2nd Local Food National Awards," a contest recognizing outstanding foods utilizing regional food resources, and the sale of dishes prepared by the winning schools from the " 3rd Local! Delicious Food Koshien, " a competition where high school students from across Japan create dishes using regional specialties.

 

Prior to the event's start, an opening ceremony was held at Marunouchi Building. Etsuyoshi Sakuraba, Director-General of the Food Industry Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, stated in his address, "This event deepens the bonds between consumers and producers, and between Japan and the world. Seizing opportunities such as the registration of Washoku ( Japanese cuisine) as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritageand the 2015 Milan Expo, we aim to further promote the culture of Washoku to the world."

Comedian Razor Ramon RG, the special supporter for the "Local Produce National Awards," took the stage. RG performed part of his "47 Prefectures Quirks" routine, created to energize the event, drawing laughter. Additionally, the representatives from Sweden, the Dominican Republic, and Japan, who were in Japan for the "2014 Miss International World Pageant," came to show their support and spoke about the wonders of Japanese cuisine. Popular mascot characters also appeared at the venue, and a ceremonial sake barrel breaking was performed to pray for the event's success.

Along the main venue's Nakadori Street, approximately 90 groups set up booths selling local ingredients, products, and dishes. The area bustled with people enjoying street food and shoppers, recording 168,000 visitors over the two days.

 

The Gold Prize in the "Local Food National Grand Prize" went to "Kaisan no Utage: Oyster Ajillo" from Okayama Prefecture. The winning local food is scheduled to be introduced at the Milan Expo starting in May 2015. The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award at the "Food and Agriculture College Student Awards 2014 " presentation contest, featuring students nationwide involved in food, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, was awarded to the "Science of the Kitchen Project" based in Tokyo. The finals of the "Ultimate Delicious Food Koshien" competition were held the day before the festival, with Gifu Prefectural Gujo High School's "Chicken Rice Burger" taking the championship.