New Award Ceremony to Promote Culinary Residence in Japan

The Relay Awards: Celebrating Culinary Excellence

In an exciting development for the culinary scene in Japan, the Japan Chef-in-Residence Support Association has announced the establishment of a new award system, The Relay Awards. This initiative aims to promote the growth of chef-in-residence programs across Japan while also energizing regional communities. The inaugural awards ceremony is scheduled for December 1, 2025, at the SHIBAURA HOUSE in Tokyo, marked by a focus on community engagement and culinary innovation.

Overview of The Relay Awards

The Relay Awards are designed to honor exceptional kitchen residences that meet three core criteria set forth by the association. The awards will be open to various organizations, individuals, and groups that operate chef-in-residence programs nationwide. Rather than ranking these kitchens, the awards will provide recognition to those demonstrating outstanding practices in fostering culinary exchanges and community involvement.

The name The Relay signifies the association's mission to connect chefs from one place to another, bridging regions and generations while passing the baton of food culture into the future.

The Three Essential Criteria

To qualify for the Relay Awards, kitchen residences must exhibit:
1. Continuity: The program should feature a variety of chefs who can continuously provide dishes throughout the year. This ensures ongoing community engagement rather than being a one-off event.
2. Accessibility: The kitchen residence must be welcoming not only to tourists but also to local residents, facilitating interaction and making everyone feel part of the experience.
3. Integration: A system that promotes interactions between chefs, local residents, and local ingredients must be in place, creating a conducive environment for culinary connections outside the constraints of the restaurant space.

The awards will also assess how these kitchens contribute to regional activation and cultural growth through practical engagement and collaboration with their communities.

Award Schedule

The timeline for participation in the Relay Awards is as follows:

- September 12, 2025: Entry starts for the general public via the association's website.
- October 10, 2025: Deadline for general entries.
- October 17, 2025: Notification of preliminary results.
- October 18-31, 2025: Second-round evaluations.
- November 7-14, 2025: Notification of second-round results.
- December 1, 2025: The Relay Awards ceremony takes place.

Event Details

The awards event on December 1, 2025, will serve as a platform for celebrating winner kitchens and organizations through various activities. Program highlights include opening remarks, presentations of winning kitchen residences, a talk session, photos, and networking opportunities aimed at fostering relationships among awardees and participants.

Importantly, entry to the event will be limited to those with an invitation, planned through a crowdfunding campaign that offers select tickets to supporters.

A Message from the President

The President of the Japan Chef-in-Residence Support Association, Masato Hidaka, expressed the motivation behind establishing the awards, saying, "The Chef-in-Residence initiative provides an incredible opportunity for chefs and local communities to learn and grow together. While we've supported various culinary endeavors, we want to further raise awareness of this initiative, allowing it to flourish nationwide. The Relay Awards symbolize the passing of culinary expertise from chef to chef, community to community, and bridging past traditions to future possibilities. I believe this will mark the first step towards expanded culinary culture fostered by chefs and their communities."

About the Japan Chef-in-Residence Support Association

Founded in 2025, the Japan Chef-in-Residence Support Association operates as a non-profit organization with the goal of promoting and developing culinary residence programs in Japan. Funded by the U.S.-Japan Foundation, the association actively supports emerging chefs and engaging communities to create vibrant experiences, thus enriching the country's culinary landscape.

For more information regarding the Relay Awards and the association's endeavors, please visit the official website. For any media inquiries, feel free to reach out via email.