Spread the love

Post Views: 9

Since the lifting of travel restrictions to allow independent travellers from countries listed under Japan’s visa-waiver program to enter Japan, the country’s culture and gastronomy have once again taken the spotlight for many visitors to Japan.

1) Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs decided to register Kyoto’s traditional cuisine, known as “Kyo-ryori“, as a national intangible cultural property.

While washoku, or Japanese food, was designated an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2013, Kyoto has a unique culinary culture that has been refined over centuries, for example, Kyo-kaiseki multicourse meals and Shojin-ryori, the traditional food of Buddhist priests. The expression of “Kyoto-ness” permeates everything, including the artistry, the furnishings within the room and the level of hospitality to make up parts of Kyo-Ryori.

2) 2023 Kyoto Osaka MICHELIN Guide has been released.

This news complements the recent announcement of 389 places that have been selected in the 2023 Kyoto Osaka MICHELIN Guide, including 41 restaurants that have been newly awarded. In the historic city of Kyoto, 196 addresses were selected, including 19 new restaurants. It bears the MICHELIN Green Star, awarded to restaurants within the selection that are leading in their sustainable approach to gastronomy. Miyamoso specializes in cuisine centred around wild foraged vegetables and grasses sourced from their secluded village’s new fields and mountains. Meanwhile, in Osaka, 193 restaurants are within the selection, of which 22 are new. For the first time in the Guide’s Kyoto Osaka edition, the MICHELIN Service Award was introduced, which aims to spotlight talented, passionate and experienced professionals in the industry.

Located in the Kansai region of Japan, Kyoto and Osaka are accessible from Kansai Airport and offer a variety of culinary delights for travellers. Ryō-shō and VELROSIER have been newly awarded Two MICHELIN Stars in Kyoto. The MICHELIN Guide Kyoto Osaka selection is available on the MICHELIN Guide website. Sachiko Nakahigashi of two-MICHELIN starred restaurant, Miyamaso received this award.

3) Shinjuku bar Bar Benfiddich is among World’s 50 Best Bars.

This bar specializes in farm-to-bar cocktails, thanks to owner and mixologist Kayama’s ability to sustainably produce fresh herbs from his farm. This year’s World’s 50 Best Bars list included Shinjuku bar Hiroyasu Kayama’s Bar Benfiddich coming in at number 48.
Japan isn’t only renowned for food but also for top-tier mixology and innovative bars.

4) “Meat Meet” program showcases Miyazaki prefecture’s top-quality Japanese beef.

The city authorities have launched a “Meat Meet” program providing details of recommended local restaurants and offering special packages combining accommodation and dining options in the area. Tourists and locals may enjoy a traditional meal that typically includes slices of top-quality Japanese beef washed down with local shochu. The city of Miyakonojo, in Kyushu’s Miyazaki prefecture, is typically known for being Japan’s top producer of meat products but is also the country’s premier shochu producer. It includes a “Meat & Sakagura Tourism” initiative aimed, it says, at “those who love meat and shochu, as well as craft beer and Japanese wine.”
Another traditional Japanese spirit is shochu, usually distilled from grains and vegetables.

5) 7th UNWTO World Forum will be held in Nara, Japan.

The Forum will focus on the role of gastronomy tourism in promoting women empowerment and young talents, advancing cultural exchange and authenticity, enhancing the value for destinations and food producers, as well as showcasing best practices in destination branding through gastronomy tourism and supporting a Global Roadmap on Food Waste Reduction in Tourism. With efforts to advance innovation across the tourism sector, the 7th UNWTO World Forum is themed ‘Gastronomy Tourism for People and Planet: Innovate, Empower and Preserve’ and will be held in Nara, Japan, this 12th to 15th December 2022. With the resumption of international travel in October 2022, Japan hopes to reclaim its spot as a top destination for gourmand tourists moving forward. The event is organized by The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), the Japan Tourism Agency and the Nara Prefectural Government. International-level events are also resuming in Japan.

For more information, visit UNWTO.