Japan's MAFF To Raise Profile Of Japanese Cuisine, Culture In Singapore

SINGAPORE, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry announced a concerted campaign, “Celebrate Japanese Cuisine and Culture!”, to bring together a series of trade and consumer events to raise the profile of Japanese cuisine and culture in Singapore. Starting in October, the campaign will include the well-received Oishii Japan 2013 exhibition for industry players, as well as three new consumer events – Oishii Japan Dining Experience, Oishii! X JRunway and Japan Food Festival. Singapore saw a 2.7 per cent increase in Japanese F&B imports to 14.5 billion Yen in 2012. The Ministry has launched a series of campaigns in the region, including Singapore, to promote culinary tourism and showcase the versatility of Japanese cuisine. Director-General of Food Industry Affairs Bureau, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Masayuki Yamashita said: “Today, Japanese restaurants in the world are said to be 55,000, which are more than double than about 10 years ago. The number of Japanese restaurants in Singapore has increased to reach 880 from 180 over the last five years. “Celebrate Japanese Cuisine and Culture” is to be held with the theme of food in Singapore. "I hope that all generations of people and families can enjoy a variety of Japanese cuisine, Masayuki said when announcing the event on Thursday. Oishii Japan, Asean’s first and largest dedicated showcase on Japanese F&B, will return following its successful debut last year. To be held from Oct 17 to 19, 2013 at Suntec Singapore, the showcase consists of three core areas: classic foods, innovative products, and the Japanese F&B business. Trade visitors can explore business opportunities with some 230 exhibitors from 26 prefectures, including a dedicated booth by MAFF which will showcase food items and hold tasting sessions. Oishii Japan 2013 is open only to trade visitors on Oct 17 and 18. Members of the public can visit the expo on Oct 19. Oishii Japan Dining Experience, taking place from Friday to Nov 30, will showcase special set menus and deals in restaurants islandwide, using authentic Japanese ingredients. With over 50 participating restaurants, food lovers can look forward to enjoying bespoke Nihon Bishoku menus for a limited time period. Specially put together for Oishii Japan Dining Experience, each restaurant will serve up a delicious menu consisting of their highly-raved speciality dishes for diners’ gastronomic pleasure. Japan Food Festival, to be held on the weekends from Nov 2 to 24 at Liang Court, will showcase food related activities that will provide more in-depth appreciation for Japanese cuisine. In line with the school holidays, families and Japanese food lovers can look forward to spending enriching weekends with interactive and fun-filled activities. Fashionistas with a sweet tooth will be delighted to see desserts featured as they shop to their heart’s content. In partnership with popular Japanese fashion boutique JRunway, a one-day event Oishii! X JRunway will be held on Nov 1. Guests will get to attend a talk by JRunway’s popular bloggers on Japanese food, and sample Japanese sweets and sake for free. The event is open to general public. -- BERNAMA