Vivid Creations

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the “Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries – Bronze Certification Course” will be held online and carried out remotely for the first time. While previous editions were carried out locally in different selected countries, the examination will be carried out online in 2021, effectively opening registrations to applicants worldwide.

In recent years, Japanese cuisine has become a global boom, with the number of Japanese restaurants increasing to approximately 156,000 outside of Japan. However, only a few of these chefs have actually practiced Japanese cuisine in earnest. Most chefs do not have the opportunity to undergo authentic training, and therefore lack basic knowledge.

In an effort to improve the situation and cultivate proper skills and knowledge of authentic Japanese cuisine, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) established the “Guidelines for Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries” (April 2016) to certify foreign chefs of Japanese cuisine whose knowledge and skills have reached a certain level. While there are three categories of certification including Gold, Silver and Bronze, only the Bronze certification course will be held online this time, since the Gold and Silver examination courses require a more sophisticated level of assessments.

The Bronze Certification course will be held in 2 parts, a paper exam that applicants have to complete online, and a technical examination that requires the applicant to video record himself preparing a few simple Japanese dishes. By passing the paper exam and clearing the requirements for the technical exam, the applicant will be certified as a Japanese cuisine chef and be awarded the Bronze medal. 

While providing chefs outside Japan with easy access and resources to learn Japanese techniques, the course will be beneficial for participants with a good understanding and interest in basic Japanese cuisine culture and techniques. In addition, obtaining a bronze certification will differentiate owners or chefs from other restaurants and attract more customers; it will be effective for management and employment for restaurants as well. For those who sign up for this course, they will be given access to recipes created by Japanese chefs, including those awarded Michelin stars in Japan.

Title

Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries – Bronze Certification Course

Duration

Applicants have a 1 month period to complete the paper and technical examinations

Venue

Applicants can complete both paper and technical exams at a venue of his/her choice

Fee

USD300

Languages

English

Organisers

The Association for the Advancement of Japanese Culinary Art  (Certification Body),

Vivid Creations (Event Management Body)

Guidelines

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Japan (MAFF)

Eligibility

Chefs/aspiring chefs from culinary schools, food-related business operators or institutions

Requirements for applicants include know-how for the basic knowledge and skills of Japanese cuisine

Contents

• Paper Exam:

The paper examination will be conducted online and should take roughly 20 minutes to complete. This paper examination can be done remotely.

• Technical Exam:

Participants are required to prepare a few Japanese dishes. They will be graded on how well they prepare each dish and how the dish is presented. This involves the correct preparation techniques when it comes to Japanese cooking and the precise knife skills required. The entire process is to be filmed by the participant and the recording to be submitted online for grading.

Registration

https://www.japanese-cookingcert.com/

About the Association for the Advancement of the Japanese Culinary Art (AAJ)

AAJ was founded in 1930, with the aim to familiarize and share chefs’ knowledge, recipe and the tricks of the trades among chefs. The number of Japanese restaurants worldwide has been increasing rapidly and Washoku has even been designated as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO in 2013. AAJ seeks to elevate the standards and knowledge sharing for chefs worldwide and to educate new chefs on proper Japanese cuisine techniques. AAJ has seen more than 10,000 members from full-fledged chefs, including Michelin starred chefs.

More about this scheme:

With guidance and advice from the management body, foreign chefs whose knowledge and cooking skills for Japanese cuisine have reached a certain level will be certified based on the Guideline established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). They will be certified by category including: Gold, Silver and Bronze. For more information:

"Guidelines by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, JAPAN"

Additional links:

Website

For inquiries, please contact:

Mr Teo Han Rui

hanrui@vivid-creations.biz