Japan's Culinary Culture Commendation System

 

Overview

The Japan's Culinary Culture Commendation System is a program designed to evaluate chefs and artisans with traditional techniques and skills, fostering the training of successors. It aims to protect and develop Japan's food culture while promoting its value both domestically and internationally.

Representative Activity Plans

  • Successor Training Program: Conducts training sessions and workshops for chefs and artisans with traditional techniques to nurture the next generation.
  • Promoting Value Domestically and Internationally: Disseminates the charm of Japan's food culture by participating in international events and exhibitions or utilizing online platforms for information sharing.
  • Regional Revitalization Projects: Promotes efforts to preserve regional traditional food culture and utilize it as a tourism resource.

Expectations from the Japanese People

  • Protection and Inheritance of Traditional Culture: The system is highly regarded for its significant role in evaluating traditional techniques and skills and passing them on to future generations.
  • Enhancing International Recognition: By promoting the value of Japan's food culture both domestically and globally, the system is seen as an initiative to boost international brand power.
  • Contribution to Regional Revitalization: By commending regional traditional food culture, the system is considered to contribute to the revitalization of regional economies and tourism.

Concerns Raised by the Japanese People

  • Concerns about Fairness: There are criticisms that the criteria for selecting commendation targets are vague and biased towards specific regions or fields.

    Why?

    • Lack of Specificity in Selection Criteria: While criteria such as historical, artistic, and cultural contributions are presented, how these are applied in practice is unclear, leading to concerns about a lack of transparency in the selection process.
    • Regional Bias: It is pointed out that selected commendation targets are concentrated in specific areas or fields. For instance, chefs and artisans from urban areas are often chosen, while rural traditional food cultures are not adequately recognized.
    • Composition of the Selection Committee: Concerns have been raised about the committee being skewed towards certain fields or backgrounds, lacking diverse perspectives.

  • Questions About Effectiveness: Some question how much the system actually contributes to the development of food culture and the training of successors, citing a lack of visible outcomes.

  • Criticism of Budget Usage: There are voices questioning whether the funds used for the system should be allocated to other cultural promotion or education sectors.

If this is a government-led initiative, the budget and results must be disclosed. Moreover, it is crucial to make cultural aspects widely accessible and transparent.

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