The Washoku World Challenge (WWC) 2016, a contest of "washoku," or Japanese cooking, limited to foreign nationals, will once again be held this year, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. The event is designed to identify talented individuals engaged in the field of Japanese cuisine in different countries and regions, and further popularize the special appeal of Japanese food.

This year marks the fourth such event, and we have begun receiving applications from cooks of non-Japanese nationality to compete in WWC. The deadline for applications is scheduled to be August 31.Ten applicants who have passed the initial screening will participate in the final competition to be held in Tokyo on December 15, 2016.

The initial document screening will be held in mid-September, based on the applicants' entry sheets that describe the recipes of their dish. Contestants will be judged comprehensively on how well their dishes fit the characteristics of Japanese cooking, as well as the beauty of appearance, originality and the applicant's approach toward Japanese cuisine. A second screening will be held in early October where the judges sample the dishes re-created, based on the recipes, and select 10 finalists who will go on to the actual competition. In the actual competition, the finalists will be asked to prepare, at the competition venue, the dishes they described in their applications, plus another dish using specified ingredients as their task. A panel of judges comprising culinary experts and renowned individuals will evaluate the contestants based on their culinary techniques, the taste of the dishes, and the degree of perfection achieved.

To further spread the popularity of Japanese cuisine and Japanese food ingredients around the world, and make them part of people's everyday living, the presence of cooks from different countries who understand the tastes of local people is essential. WWC aims to discover men and women who offer authentic and delicious Japanese food, and supports their efforts in contributing further to spreading Japanese food and food ingredients.

For details on how to apply, please refer to the following website:

http://washoku-worldchallenge.jp/2016/en/

For inquiries on application-related matters:

http://washoku-worldchallenge.jp/2016/en/index.html#contact