Tokyo Taste 2009: A Culinary Extravaganza

Yesterday kicked off one of the most exciting and spectacular events happening in Japan right now: Tokyo Taste. The 3 day gastronomic extravaganza has brought in the best and brightest chefs from all around the world, in an attempt to revitalize the culinary industry and at the same time promote Japanese Cuisine and Culture.

"The cuisine culture of Japan is one of the superior intellectual properties that we have which is a basis of the economy in Japan and of which we can point with pride to the rest of the world. It has been the center of attention recently as one of the important areas that can be used to improve the image of Japan throughout the world."

This will be the first culinary event of its kind in Japan, organizers said, featuring programs such as On-Stage cooking performances, workshops, and exhibition booths for food products.
Many of the programs will be run by an arsenal of celebrity chefs from Australia, Britain, China, France, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United States who will demonstrate their culinary magic in front of hundreds of spectators at Tokyo International Forum.

These include Joel Robuchon from France, the world's most Michelin-starred chef, Ferran Adria from Spain, head chef of famed Catalan restaurant El Bulli, and Kunio Tokuoka, executive chef of Japanese restaurant Kyoto Kitcho.

Many of the organizers believe Tokyo's gastronomic prowess is an invaluable asset and should be promoted more aggressively in an attempt to attract more foreign tourists to Japan. Their goal right now is to expand the number of visitors to Japan from 8.35 million in 2008 to 20 million in 2020. However, due to the global economic downturn and rise in the yen's value, Japan will continue to face an uphill battle trying to achieve this.

By contrast, 80 million people a year pay a visit to France, the world's top tourist destination.