Based on the “Guidelines for Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries,” which were set forth by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on April 1, 2016, a gold certification exam was conducted at an accreditation organization Yanagihara Cooking School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine (headed by Mr. Naoyuki Yanagihara, the Kinsaryu Soke). It was the first gold certification exam conducted at the School and two foreign chefs took the challenging test. As a result, both of them successfully attained the gold certification.As of September 2022, there are 20 holders worldwide of the gold certificate, which lays down the most stringent requirements and the highest levels of skills among the three types of certification. The two gold certification winners have more than two years’ work experience at a Japanese restaurant located in Japan, and hold high aspirations for the Japanese cuisine as proven by, for example, their participation in the Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture Human Resource Development Program (implemented by the Japanese Cuisine and Food Culture Human Resource Development Committee as a MAFF-subsidized project). They are expected to play active roles in the future at a global scale.https://tow.co.jp/certification/ Date: Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 12:00-15:00 Venue: Yanagihara Cooking School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine (1-7-4 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo) Judges : Mr. Naoyuki Yanagihara (Kinsaryu Soke, President of the Yanagihara Cooking School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine, Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador); Mr. Akio Saito (Executive Chef of Shichi Jyuni Kou, Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador) Exam contents: Cooking of Shokado Bento and Suimono Information on the ingredients to be used in the exam is presented to the examinees one month before the exam date. Examinees submit the list of meals to be served in a Shokado Bento box to the secretariat one week before the exam date. On the day of the exam, examinees cook two servings of Shokado Bento and Suimono in three hours. The scope of the exam includes the composition of meals served, cooking practices performed, and the taste of the finished work. About the Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries ProgramWith the aim of disseminating information in foreign countries in an appropriate and effective manner about the attractiveness of Japanese cuisine, food culture, and agricultural, forestry, fishery, and other food products, the Program is operated by private organizations and other entities to award, based on the MAFF’s Guidelines, the bronze, silver, and gold certificate to foreign-national Japanese cuisine chefs who have attained a certain level of knowledge and skills in the Japanese culinary art. Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries (MAFF’s website): https://www.maff.go.jp/j/shokusan/syokubun/tyori.html Biographies of (gold/silver) certification holders (MAFF’s website “Taste of Japan”): https://tasteofjapan.maff.go.jp/jp/supporter/certification/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005235/en/