EAT! MEET! JAPAN 2020 Award-Winners
Gold
Hiroshima-Style Okonomiyaki Cooking Class at Okosta Studio
Conveniently located by Hiroshima Station, join the makers of Japan’s iconic okonomiyaki sauce for a hands-on Hiroshimayaki cooking class.
OKOSTA • Hiroshima
DETAILS
Silver
Amezaiku (Traditional Japanese Candy) Sculpting Class in Tokyo
Learn the thousand-year-old craft of amezaiku, Japanese sugar sculpting, during a fun workshop in the historic Asakusa district of Tokyo.
Tezuka Kogei Co., Ltd. • Tokyo
DETAILSRamen Tasting Tour at 3 Award-Winning Tokyo Ramen Shops
Join ramen aficionado Frank for a tasting tour that includes 6 mini bowls of ramen at 3 different Tokyo ramen shops.
Finom Co., Ltd. • Tokyo
DETAILSBecome a Sake Brewer with Kurabito Stay in Saku, Nagano
A once-in-a-lifetime experience awaits in the sake-brewing region of Saku, Nagano. Step into the shoes of a sake brewer during 2-3 days of sake making, tasting, and tours.
KURABITO STAY Co., Ltd. • Nagano
DETAILS2-Day Farmstay in Yamaura Featuring Frozen Tofu, Kanten Jelly, and Traditional Local Cuisine
Join a 2-day farm stay in Yamaura, meeting local producers and village grandmas in and learning firsthand how to make frozen tofu cuisine, kanten jelly, and traditional local dishes.
Chino Tourism Promotion Organization • Nagano
DETAILSMake Your Own Tea Blend: Shizuoka Tea Farm Tour at the Base of Mt. Fuji
This Shizuoka tea farm tour encourages visitors to have a quiet, peaceful moment beneath Mt. Fuji, engaging the senses in a cup of tea.
Mt. Fuji Marumo Tea Garden Co., Ltd. • Shizuoka
DETAILSSwim with Sea Bream: Ago Bay Boat Tour & Cooking Class in Mie Fishing Village
A rare, once-in-a-lifetime experience, spend a day with a local fisherman in Mie Prefecture and dive (literally) into Japanese fishing culture!
Yuuei Fisheries Co., Ltd. • Mie
DETAILSAma Hut Seafood Dining Experience with Japan’s Traditional Female Divers
Experience the warm hospitality of seasoned ama divers, eating seafood that was freshly-caught by them just that morning and dancing along to a local folk song.
Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado (Hyoyoshiya Co., Ltd.) • Mie
DETAILSObubu Tea Farm Club Membership
Enjoy online events and quarterly shipments of fresh, high-quality teas straight from Obubu Tea Farm, all while supporting the local agricultural industry in Wazuka, Kyoto.
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms • Kyoto
DETAILSTajima Beef Tasting Course in the Kamakura Snow Huts of Northern Hyogo
A luxurious wintertime experience that can only be experienced in Hyogo prefecture, join this kamakura (snow hut) dining experience featuring a tasting of 61 cuts of local Tajima beef.
Muraoka Promotion Corporation • Hyogo
DETAILSOkinawa Tour: Awamori Cave Expedition with Regional Okinawan Cuisine
Descend down into the world’s only awamori cave, delving into the rich culture of Okinawa’s favorite distilled alcohol and tasting regional delicacies during this Okinawa tour.
Japan Guide Junko • Okinawa
DETAILS
Bronze
Professional Japanese Culinary Program in Tsuruoka, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy
An exclusive, limited-time experience, this Japanese culinary program in Tsuruoka, Japan’s only UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, teaches specialized Japanese cooking techniques to food professionals in five languages.
GEN Japan Co., Ltd. • Yamagata
DETAILSBounty of Nagara River Tour With Multi-Course Ayu Sweetfish Meal
Bridging Japanese indigenous ingredients and Western cuisine, this Nagara River eco-tour ends with a five-course Italian meal that celebrates local Ayu sweetfish, which only thrive in the clearest waters.
Ukaiya Future Council • Gifu
DETAILSLocal Inaka Sushi (Countryside Sushi) Cooking Class in Kochi
A culinary tradition that stems from the time before modern transportation, learn how to make Kochi Prefecture’s local “inaka sushi” (countryside sushi), but with innovative flavor combinations like tomato miso!
NPO Hidaka Wanowakai • Kochi
DETAILS
Jury Award
Mayuko’s Japanese Home Cooking Class in Tokyo
Located in the upscale residential neighborhood near Meiji Jingu Shrine, join Mayuko in her home for a cooking class that teaches the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine.
Mayuko's Little Kitchen • Tokyo
DETAILS