New Project by JCDC: Support for Opening Japanese Cuisine Courses and Dispatching Instructors to Overseas Culinary Schools

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 25, 2025--

While Japanese restaurants overseas continue to proliferate (According to the latest survey, there are 187,000 stores, which is about a 20% increase since 2021.), there is a shortage of chefs with the specialized knowledge and skills in Japanese cuisine, as well as instructors capable of teaching the techniques of Japanese cooking at culinary schools abroad.
In order to make up for this shortage and further promote Japanese cuisine, food culture and ingredients, JCDC (Location: Tokyo, Representative: Yoshihiro Murata) has started a project to dispatch Japanese chefs to overseas culinary schools and other institutions that want to set up Japanese cuisine courses with the aim of teaching correct knowledge and cooking methods for Japanese cuisine, food culture and ingredients, with the cooperation of local Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassadors, the Certification Body and graduates of past JCDC program. In this first year of the project, we have taken this ambitious initiative to Turkey and India.
Participants commented that “until now I thought that ramen and sushi were the only traditional Japanese dishes, but now I finally understand how important dashi is!”, “it was completely different from what I had imagined. This lecture has changed the way I look at Japanese food”, “I want to know more about Japanese food and how it has evolved to the present day”, and so on.

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[Countries where events were held in 2024]
A. Istanbul, Türkiye
-Title: "Japon Mutfak Sanatlari Egitimi Ozel Semineri"
https://www.yenisafak.com/gundem/topkapi-universitesi-usla-uzakdogu-mutfak-akademisi-is-birliginde-profesyonel-japon-mutfak-sanatlari-mezuniyet-ve-unvan-takdim-toreni-gerceklestirildi-4659083
* Held as part of the events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Establishment of Japan-Türkiye Diplomatic Relations

- Location: USLA (Ulslararast Servis & Lezzet Akademisi)
https://www.usla.com.tr/

- Dispatched instructor: Kimio Nonaga (Third generation owner/chef of Nihonbashi Yukari, Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador, A regular member of All Japan Food Association)

- Cooperative local instructor:
Shun-ichi Horikoshi (Owner/Chef of Itsumi, Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador)
https://www.itsumijp.com/
Sinan Damgacioglu (Partner of Uzakdogu Mutfak Akademisi Eğitim ve Danışmanlık A.Ş., Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador; A graduate of the JCDC program for 2016.)
Didem Yalçınkaya (Chef & Owner, Oishii Wok & Sushi; A graduate of the JCDC program for 2022.)

- Organized by
Japanese Cuisine and Dietary Culture Development Committee (JCDC)
https://en.jcdc.tokyo/
Uzakdoğu Mutfak Akademisi (The Certification Body)
https://www.instagram.com/uzakdogumutfakakademisi/
USLA (Ulslararast Servis & Lezzet Akademisi)

- Sponsored by
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF)

- Cooperated by
All Japan Food Association (AJFA)

B. Goa, India
- Title: "Honoring Nature’s Gifts -- Introduction to Traditional Japanese Cuisine"
https://www.bharatfact.com/goa-hosts-first-ever-japanese-cooking-course/

- Location: IHM (Institute of Hotel Management), Goa
https://ihmgoa.gov.in/home

- Dispatched instructor: Kiyoyuki Ichimaida (Professor of Japanese cuisine at Hattori Nutrition College)
https://www.hattori.ac.jp/

- Cooperative local instructor:
Brehadeesh Kumar (Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador, Chief chef of Ginkgo (Japanese Food and Ingredient Supporter Store); A graduate of the JCDC program for 2022.)
https://www.instagram.com/ginkgopune/

- Organized by
Japanese Cuisine and Dietary Culture Development Committee (JCDC)

- Sponsored by
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF)

- Cooperated by
Embassy of Japan in India
Institute of Hotel Management, Goa
Hattori Nutrition College
Hal Yamashita
Kai India, etc.

[The certification program of Japanese Food and Ingredient Supporter Stores Overseas]
https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/trends/foods/supporter/

[Guidelines for Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries]
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/shokusan/syokubun/attach/pdf/tyori-19.pdf

Goa, India @ IHM, Goa

Istanbul, Türkiye @ USLA/Uzakdoğu Mutfak Akademisi

Chef Kimio Nonaga (Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida wildlife officials gave preliminary approval Wednesday for the first black bear hunt since one 10 years ago that was halted early after more than 300 bears were killed in only two days.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 4-1 at a meeting in Ocala in favor of a bear hunt in December and annually into the future, allowing the use of up to six dogs to corner the bears. Methods could include bowhunting, similar to rules for hunting deer, and bear hunting in baited areas.

A final vote is scheduled in August.

The commission staff says the goal is to “begin managing population growth” for bears, which number about 4,000 in Florida. “Managing population growth is important to balance species numbers with suitable habitat and maintain a healthy population,” the staff report says.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, whose fast-growing county hosted the meeting, said his office has received 107 calls about bear encounters with humans over the past nine months — likely only a fraction of actual encounters because many rural residents don't report them. Woods said he supports the hunt.

“It needs to be regulated and it should be regulated. I think we keep not only our citizens safe but the state of Florida’s citizens safe," Woods told the commission.

Several hunters and representatives of outdoors groups urged the commission to approve the hunt, noting Florida is one of only six states with significant black bear populations that does not allow it.

“Bear is a game species. It’s time for us to have some level of bear hunt," said Travis Thompson, executive director at the All Florida conservation organization.

Hunt opponents contend there isn’t enough scientific evidence to justify killing bears and the most reasonable approach is to convince people in Florida’s ever-sprawling developments to secure garbage and take other non-lethal steps to limit human-bear conflicts.

“I implore you to not allow the slaughter of these majestic animals we have in Florida,” said Leslie Carlile, an opponent whose family goes back several generations in Florida. “Trophy hunting is pure evil in my opinion.”

The FWC has received more than 13,000 online comments about the proposal, about three-quarters of them opposed. At Wednesday's meeting, 170 people signed up to speak on both sides of the issue.

Hunt opponent Janet Osborne told the commission it would “take a step backward” by approving the bear proposal.

“The problem is the overpopulation of people,” she said.

Among other things, supporters of the hunt point to a black bear's extremely rare, fatal attack earlier this month on 89-year-old Robert Markel and his dog in a rural part of Collier County, in southwest Florida. Bears are also frequently seen in neighborhoods that stretch into their habitat, one even wandering onto Disney World's Magic Kingdom in 2023.

In the 2015 hunt, hunting permits were for anyone who could pay for them, leading to a chaotic event that was shut down days early. The 300-plus bears killed then included at least 38 females with cubs, meaning the little bears probably died too.

This time, the plan is to have a random, limited drawing of permits with a limit of 187. Hunters could kill only one bear each and only in certain parts of Florida where the bear population is large enough. There would be no killing of cubs and none of females with cubs, according to the FWC staff.

A permit would cost $100 for a Florida resident and $300 for a nonresident.

For 2025, the plan is to hold the hunt from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28. In the future, the FWC foresees a bear hunt between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, subject to more studies about the effect of hunting and the population of the animals.

Private landowners with 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) or more could hold what the FWC calls a “bear harvest program” on their property under the proposal. Bears could be hunted at bait feeding stations on private property.

Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission executive director Roger Young, left, and chairman Rodney Barreto conduct a hearing about proposed bear hunting in Florida Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Ocala, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

An overflow crowd fills the room at a Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission hearing about proposed bear hunting Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Ocala, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Citizens attending a Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission hearing about proposed bear hunting, wear t-shirts against legalized bear hunting in Florida Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Ocala, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

A truck outside a Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission hearing about proposed bear hunting with signs against the hunt Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Ocala, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)