Exchange with other creative cities

A forum held in Phetchaburi, Thailand, one of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy. We were invited by Phetchaburi and presented a case study at a seminar within the forum. We also joined an excursion to experience Phetchaburi’s food culture and deepened exchange with other participating cities and local stakeholders.

An event held in the Macau Special Administrative Region (China), one of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy. At a section of this large international travel expo, organized annually by the Macao Government Tourism Office, chefs invited from 23 UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy worldwide showcased and served traditional dishes to visitors.
As a related program, Mr. Satoshi Kamei, a chef from Usuki City, also gave a lecture and exchanged views with chefs from a local luxury hotel, among others.
This enabled us to promote Usuki’s food culture not only to general visitors but also to local stakeholders, and exchanges with chefs from other cities helped boost momentum among Usuki’s culinary professionals.

We took part in the Japan edition of Terra Madre – Salone del Gusto, the world’s largest Slow Food festival held every two years in Turin, Italy. The event was held for the first time in Tomiya City, Miyagi Prefecture, with the aim of bringing together “food based on Slow Food principles” from across Japan and creating a place where all stakeholders—producers, chefs, distribution professionals, educators, and citizens—could come together to exchange ideas and reflect on today’s many challenges facing the food system.
At the Usuki City booth, we sold a wide range of organic agricultural products, including organic ginger, and promoted them while interacting with visitors and other exhibitors. We also held a screening of 100-nen Gohan and a related talk session, allowing us to introduce Usuki’s initiatives to attendees.

A crafts-related event held in Kanazawa City (Japan UCCN member city in the field of Crafts & Folk Art), with total attendance of 25,000. As part of a domestic member-city exchange program, cities in the fields of Gastronomy and Crafts & Folk Art were invited to host workshops and other activities where visitors could experience each city’s culture.
Usuki’s workshop was very well received and drew many visitors. An exchange meeting was also held between participating cities and local stakeholders, helping businesses connect with one another and creating opportunities for future collaborative projects.

We participated—together with the Usuki High School UNESCO Club—in a two-day event organized by the Tsuruoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Youth Division. At the “2nd UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy Meeting,” we presented initiatives by Usuki City and Usuki High School. A food market, the “Noodle Festival,” was held concurrently, where we sold kabosu citrus and kabosu soda, allowing us to promote Usuki’s food culture to many visitors.
The day after the event, we visited Yamagata Prefectural Kamo Fisheries High School and were able to deepen exchange among students.

We participated in a food conference held in Kuching, Malaysia. We gave a presentation on Usuki’s gastronomy and tourism, and also joined a panel discussion focusing on tourism policies that leverage food culture.

We attended the world’s largest Slow Food festival in Turin, Italy, as part of the Japanese delegation. The event brought together over 3,000 delegates from 130 countries and more than 600 producers and businesses from around the world. More than 300 workshops and conferences were held, and the festival drew a cumulative total of about 350,000 visitors over five days.
Usuki City promoted its food culture in multiple ways: we showcased it using panels at the Japan booth; offered tastings of processed foods made in Usuki and collected feedback; and had Usuki ingredients used in onigiri fillings sold and served at the Japan booth.

We participated—together with local chefs and the Usuki High School UNESCO Club—in a two-day event organized by the Tsuruoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry Youth Division. On Day 1, high school students from Tsuruoka and Usuki gave presentations, and chefs from both cities took part in a talk session and cooking demonstration. On Day 2, we sold gyomen (noodles made from minced eso fish paste) at food stalls.
Visitors enjoyed tasting Usuki’s food, exchange among chefs was strengthened, and the experience also contributed to new skill development for the high school students.