As global interest in Japan’s culinary culture continues to grow, the city of Kyoto in November was designated as the country’s first "special economic zone" allowing foreigners to work in restaurants specializing in Japanese cuisine.
Under the Immigration Control Law, foreign chefs are not permitted to work in restaurants serving traditional Japanese food, but that will change as the government is set to begin issuing visas before the end of the current fiscal year.
With the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Dec. 4 recognizing Japanese "washoku" cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, more chefs from around the world are likely to be drawn to Kyoto under the new visa system.
The city already has its fair share of non-Japanese training in the country's culinary arts.
At Kikunoi, a Japanese restaurant in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward, 26-year-old Imad Saade, is now studying at his own expense. His father runs a chain of Japanese restaurants in his home country of Lebanon.
"I want to learn about selecting dishware and ingredients and about food presentation," he said.
Hu Jizhou, 26, from Heilongjiang province, China, and Jong Yong-hyok, 21, from South Korea, are both studying at the Kyoto Culinary Art College in the city’s Nakagyo Ward. Jong, whose father operates a Japanese-style "yakiniku" restaurant in South Korea, said: "My dream is to serve food like small Japanese-style 'kobachi' dishes as well. After I graduate, I want to work and study at a 'kyo-ryori' restaurant."
At the Tsuji Culinary Institute of Advanced Studies in Osaka's Abeno Ward, three South Koreans including 27-year-old Kwon Dong-won studied calligraphy and how to serve dishes in addition to cooking. Kwon said enthusiastically, "I want to show people the cuisine's cultural background, too."
Only foreigners with cooking skills who are sent to Japan by a restaurant in their home country are eligible for the special visa, which is valid for a maximum of two years. Kikunoi is already considering hiring a French chef.
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