The “Japan Cultural Expo x CLUB RED: Traveling Japan by Dining in Hokuriku” dining event was held at Kenrokuen Teahouse Kenjotei in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Saturday, January 21 and Sunday, January 22, 2022.
The aim of the Japan Cultural Expo x CLUB RED project is to rediscover the appeal of local cuisine, which conveys the culinary culture of the region, for the next generation as well as for people overseas. This year’s event was a follow-up to the one held in Tohoku in 2020 (which was partially cancelled due to COVID-19 measures).
At these events, Japanese cuisine is offered as a form of “beauty” in the same space as crafts and historical buildings so that people can not only taste the food but also recognize it as a part of the culture.
The theme of “Japan Cultural Expo x CLUB RED: Traveling Japan by Dining in Hokuriku” is the cuisine of Ishikawa, Toyama, and Fukui Prefectures in Japan’s Hokuriku region. While they share a common thread of the use of fermentation, each has its own individuality according to the traditions and culture rooted in each land.
Four young chefs from CLUB RED with ties to Hokuriku learned about and experienced the food, culture, and climate of each area during the year-long “Hokuriku Labo”. Utilizing the knowledge they gained from this experience, they created a new generation of local cuisine inspired by Aenokoto, an ancient farm village event in the Noto area, and served it as a multi-course meal at the event.
*CLUB RED is a creative laboratory for cuisine made up of a community of young chefs who have excelled in previous RED U-35 competitions, as well as judges from previous years.
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Japan Cultural Expo x CLUB RED: Traveling Japan by Dining in Hokuriku
[Participating Chefs]
Tohru Kawashima (2018 GOLD EGG, Japanese Cuisine)
Born in 1984 in Ishikawa Prefecture. Owner and chef of Ipponsugi Kawashima (Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture). Entered a cooking school after graduating from junior college. After graduation, honed his skills at Japanese restaurants in Osaka and Kyoto, where he served as head chef.
Toshiharu Sunayama (2017 BRONZE EGG, French Cuisine)
Born in London in 1987 and raised in Saitama Prefecture. Chef at Les Tonnelles (Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture). *Freelance since February 2022. After working at a restaurant in Tokyo, moved to Europe in 2010. Became a sous chef in 2015, working at La Grenouillère for several months before returning to Japan.
Yuta Hamada (2018 BRONZE EGG, Japanese Cuisine)
Born in 1984 and raised in Toyama Prefecture. Head chef at Hamadaya Uozu Ekimae Branch Hamadaya LABO (Toyama).
The youngest person in Japan to be awarded the Medal of Honor for Sake Tasting. Preparing to open a new restaurant in fall 2022.
Meiju Hirata (2017 SILVER EGG, Italian Cuisine)
Born in Tokyo in 1986. After training at an Italian restaurant in Tokyo, moved to Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture in 2016. Owner and chef of Villa della pace (Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture), an auberge restaurant with accommodation facilities.
Sponsors: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Arts Council, NKB Inc.
Planning & Management: RED U-35 (RYORIN’s EMERGING DREAM U-35) Executive Committee, Gurunavi, Inc.
Support: Ishikawa Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, Kanazawa City, Uozu City, Nanao City
“Japan Cultural Expo x CLUB RED: Traveling Japan by Dining in Hokuriku” was held as part of the Japan Cultural Expo, an experience-based program of exhibitions and stage performances organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Japan Arts Council.
*Japan Cultural Expo is a year-round art project that includes art exhibitions, performing arts performances, and art festivals throughout Japan, under the collective theme of “The Japanese People and Nature”, allowing people to experience the beauty of Japan from the Jomon period to the present day. The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan Arts Council, relevant government ministries and agencies, cultural facilities across Japan, local governments, private companies and organizations, and others work together to promote the various arts and cultures that each region is proud of, with the aim of creating a better future by transmitting their diverse and universal appeal to Japan and abroad, and passing them on to future generations.
Japan Cultural Expo Official Website: