Taste of Japan in NY—A Reception Party for Japanese Food and Food Culture
On February 17, 2022, a reception party sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries inviting media and food industry affiliates was held at the Japan Society in New York. The reception was held to take advantage of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) deactivation of import measures on Japanese food products associated with radioactive materials based on scientific evidence in September of last year.
At the event, kaiseki bento boxes made with Fukushima prefecture rice for which measures were deactivated, wagyu beef, Japanese yellowtail and scallops, etc. were served, which delighted the attendees.
The attendees enjoyed their food while getting to know the Japanese culture through the demonstration of soba-making by Mr. Shuichi Kotani (Director of the New York Japanese Culinary Academy, and the Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador) and fun ways of using a tenugui (hand towel) by Ms. Ruri Kippenbrock (owner of WUHAO NEWYORK INC., a hand-dyed product specialty store in New York).
“I’m happy that there’s an opportunity like this. Last year marked the 10-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, at which point Japan was greatly helped by the Operation Tomodachi of the United States. Through the recent deactivation of measures, people in the United States can now enjoy various Japanese food products such as Fukushima prefecture rice that was not exportable to the U.S. until now. I would definitely like many people in America to learn the wonders of Japanese food products,” says Ms. Yutaka Arai（Vice-Minister for International Affairs）.