On March 4, 2026, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) hosted a lecture by Yoshihiro Murata, the third-generation owner of the Kyoto restaurant "Kikunoi" and Honorary Chairman of the Japanese Culinary Academy. Co-hosted by the FCCJ and the online media "Premium Japan," the lecture covered a wide range of topics, from the essence of Japanese cuisine and the science of umami to fermentation culture and its promotion to the world.

Given that the lecture was given by a leading chef in the Japanese culinary world, there were many people who wanted to participate, and the event was expanded from the initially planned 50 people to 80.

Many people had gathered at the venue even before registration began, eagerly awaiting Mr. Murata's appearance. When he appeared, applause spontaneously erupted from the audience. The interviewer was Mio Shimamura, editor-in-chief of Premium Japan and executive director of the Japan Cultural Promotion Organization (JCCO).

1. The core of Japanese cuisine lies in water and rice.

At the beginning of his lecture, Mr. Murata started by saying, "Even among Japanese people, there are surprisingly many who don't know much about Japanese cuisine." He then defined Japanese cuisine as "a cuisine of subtraction."

Subtractive cooking is a philosophy that involves purifying unnecessary parts of ingredients with water, cooking them, and adding only the minimum amount of flavor so as not to destroy their essence.

"All the materials I use are gifts from God. I believe they are already perfect in themselves."
For example, let's say there is a radish. It is a creation of God and is perfect in itself. Radishes have a hard outer skin to protect the inside, so first you peel it off. Then, because it is spicy and bitter when raw, you soak it in clean water to remove the bitterness, and then you cook it.

"Humans shouldn't add too much flavor to something given to us by God. A little flavor is enough."
Add a little yuzu miso to it, and you've got simmered daikon radish.

"Japanese cuisine is about creating dishes that you can say, 'Now, please eat.'"

He stated that this philosophy of respecting the essence of the ingredients is a major characteristic of Japanese cuisine and what sets it apart from the cuisines of other countries.

2. The Power of Water in Supporting Japanese Cuisine

Mr. Murata emphasizes that water is the most important element in Japanese cuisine.

"Japan has an abundance of delicious drinking water, from Hokkaido to Okinawa."

To give an example of water hardness, Kyoto's is about 40, and Tokyo's is about 60. Tap water in Europe can sometimes reach around 500.
Rice plants, grown in Japan's soft, watery environment, produce rice, which is then cooked and eaten. This is the foundation of the Japanese staple food culture.

The difference in water quality significantly impacts the cooking. Kanto water is somewhat harder, making it difficult to extract the umami from kelp, resulting in a flavor centered around bonito flakes and soy sauce. On the other hand, Kansai water is softer, allowing the kelp broth to extract more flavor, resulting in a more delicate taste.

A question came from the audience: "The water used at Kikunoi in Kyoto and Akasaka is different, so do you change your cooking methods?"
In response, Mr. Murata surprised the audience by revealing that Kikunoi uses well water transported from Kyoto to its Akasaka branch.

"Water nourishes rice, and using koji (rice malt) forms the basis for Japanese fermented seasonings such as sake, miso, and soy sauce."
In recent years, koji has been attracting global attention, and there are reports of Michelin-starred chefs in Europe creating their own unique miso and soy sauce.

"I also teach about fermentation in various parts of the world."

3. What is the true nature of "umami," a term that has become a universal language?

Another characteristic of Japanese cuisine is that it is a system of dishes centered around "umami" (savory taste).
Umami is composed of glutamic acid from kelp, inosinic acid from bonito flakes and meat, and guanylic acid from shiitake mushrooms, and when these are combined, the umami flavor is greatly amplified through a synergistic effect.

Furthermore, since umami has zero calories and can enhance satiety, it becomes possible to cook dishes with less oil.

"A full French course meal, including dessert, consists of 25 items and amounts to approximately 2500 kcal. Adding cheese and dessert can push the total to around 3500 kcal."

The same applies to Italian cuisine; even just eating pasta for lunch can amount to around 900 kcal. On the other hand, a kaiseki meal, which consists of about 65 items, can be enjoyed for around 1000 kcal even if you eat about half a portion of rice.

"Eating kaiseki cuisine every day would be hard on your wallet, but you would lose weight."

Mr. Murata's humor brought laughter to the venue.

4. Changes in the Japanese Diet

However, it is said that the Japanese diet has changed significantly in recent years.

"In the last 20 years, Japan's rice consumption has decreased by about half, while meat consumption has increased several times over."
One reason is that cooking dishes that only involve grilling meat is easier than carefully preparing Japanese cuisine.

Historically, the Japanese diet centered on umami, consisting mainly of vegetables, fish, and rice. However, it has been pointed out that the shift to a diet high in fat and protein has led to an increase in lifestyle-related diseases.

Murata also referred to the "McGovern Report," published in 1977 by George S. McGovern, chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs.

This report evaluates the diet of Japanese people during the Genroku era as an ideal dietary model. It consisted of a meal of one soup and three dishes, with unrefined grains as the staple food, and incorporating fish, beans, vegetables, and seaweed.

"This is the true essence of Japanese cuisine."

He stated that food preferences are formed by education, not genetics, and that it is important to bring traditional Japanese food culture back to the dinner table.

At the same time, he also sounded the alarm about Japan's current food self-sufficiency rate, which remains at only about 40%.

5. International food exchange at the Osaka-Kansai Expo

Furthermore, Shimamura turned the conversation to Murata's recent activities. The first topic discussed was the circumstances surrounding the registration of Japanese cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013.

"France's renowned chef, Alain Ducasse, had already had his food registered as an intangible cultural heritage. It was said that the only thing left to be registered was Japanese cuisine. When I consulted with the governor of Kyoto Prefecture at the time, Governor Yamada, he said, 'That's something we should do.' From there, we gathered the media and announced that we would submit a petition, which brought it to public attention and prompted various government ministries to take action."

Of course, the path to registration was not easy. Many people from the culinary world gathered and held discussions, and they even considered whether to use the term "Japanese cuisine" in the application. As a result, they concluded that the term "Washoku" would be more appropriate.

Mr. Murata himself made numerous trips to UNESCO headquarters to explain his case. With the support of Alain Ducasse, he also engaged in activities such as serving Japanese cuisine to European media, which ultimately led to the registration of Japanese cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013. Since then, the value of Japanese agricultural and marine product exports has more than quadrupled, generating significant economic benefits.

The conversation then moved on to initiatives related to the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo. As part of international exchange through food, Mr. Murata held an international food exchange event called "A World Connected by Deliciousness" at Ninna-ji Temple in Kyoto, a World Cultural Heritage site, inviting top chefs from overseas.

This event was held as part of the "Japanese and World Food Summit," one of the flagship actions connecting the Osaka-Kansai Expo and Kyoto in June 2025. It was also an attempt to embody the Expo's main theme, "Designing a Future Society Where Life Shines," through a "dream team" of top chefs from Japan and abroad.
The opportunity to experience the world's "finest level of deliciousness" attracted a huge crowd to the venue, drawing considerable attention.

"We have Kyle Connaughton from the United States and Mauro Colagreco from France. Both are three-Michelin-starred chefs. We also have Chudali Devakam-Tam, a two-Michelin-starred female chef from Thailand."

Murata explains the reason for inviting them as follows:

"The reason we invited them is because they all own their own farms."

Top chefs from around the world who practice environmentally sustainable agriculture and cooking—growing their own ingredients on their farms and using them in their dishes—gathered in Kyoto for this event.

Meanwhile, chefs who will lead the next generation of Japanese cuisine also participated from Japan.
These are young owners of long-established Kyoto restaurants, including Takuji Takahashi (3rd generation of Kinobu), Yoshihiro Takahashi (15th generation of Hyotei), Tomoharu Murata (4th generation of Kikunoi), Kumaichi Kurisu (4th generation of Tankuma Kitaten), Yuichiro Araki (10th generation of Uosaburo), Motoki Nakamura (7th generation of Ichishi Soden Nakamura), Naoyuki Tokuoka (4th generation of Kyoto Kitcho), and Yudai Konishi (11th generation of Mankame-ro). (Titles omitted)
"Now that we're thinking about generational change, the younger generation has really done a great job."

The ingredients used at the event also carried a powerful message. These included alternative ingredients such as seaweed, which are attracting attention from the perspective of sustainability, such as health and marine environment conservation; ingredients registered under the GI system that protect regional characteristics; local Kyoto ingredients; and ingredients to support the recovery of disaster-stricken areas.

The dishes created through the collaboration between top international chefs and young Kyoto chefs were truly unique and could only be produced here. The menu featured dishes that blended tradition with innovation, and the event, held as a standing reception during the day and a seated dinner in the evening, was a resounding success from start to finish.

This initiative went beyond being merely a food event, becoming a highly significant platform for proposing the future of food to the world.

6. The "Ocean Forest Project" to revitalize Japan's oceans.

The lecture also touched upon the "Ocean Forest Project," one of the activities in which Mr. Murata has served as chairman in recent years.

"Are you aware that Japan's seas have weakened rapidly over the past decade or so?"

Murata began by saying this and then spoke about the changes in the sea that he had actually witnessed.

"I went to Mishima in Shizuoka Prefecture the other day, and there was only one fishing boat in Mishima Bay. Chef Shinobu Namae of L'Effervescence, with whom I work, went diving and said there were hardly any seaweed or fish in the water."

Currently, the disappearance of seaweed beds and the deterioration of seaweed growth environments are becoming serious problems in seas throughout Japan. The rapid decline of seaweed is disrupting marine ecosystems and is beginning to have a significant impact on our food supply.

This phenomenon is called "isoyake" (seaweed barrenness), and it occurs when seaweed beds disappear due to an increase in organisms that feed on seaweed, such as rabbitfish and parrotfish in western Japan, and sea urchins in northern Japan. Seaweed beds not only serve as spawning grounds for fish and nursery for juvenile fish, but they also play an important role in supporting the marine ecosystem by decomposing organic matter and absorbing carbon dioxide to supply oxygen.

"Japan is a maritime nation with the sixth longest coastline in the world. It has many ria coastlines, and the seas are naturally very hospitable to fish."

However, the loss of seaweed beds is rapidly diminishing the richness of the ocean.

"We must reclaim Japan's rich seas. To do that, first, the public needs to know the current state of Japan's seas."

The Ocean Forest Project, which Mr. Murata is working on, was born out of this sense of crisis. Its aim is to restore the marine ecosystem of Japan by regenerating ocean forests, which are primarily composed of seaweed.

"Unless Japan, a maritime nation, revives its habit of eating seaweed, the seas around Japan will never recover."

Seaweed is an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Kombu, nori, wakame, and other basic ingredients in Japanese cooking are all gifts from the sea.

"We have to do something now for the sake of our children and grandchildren."
As Mr. Murata spoke, his words revealed not only his role as a Japanese chef, but also a strong sense of responsibility to protect Japan's natural environment.

7. Nurturing Japanese cuisine from a "seedling" into a "big tree"

At the end of the lecture, a participant asked, "What are your thoughts on the fact that unique forms of Japanese cuisine are emerging in various parts of the world?"

Mr. Murata replied:

"I think it's about time that each country started developing its own version of Japanese cuisine."

Japanese cuisine is currently in the seedling stage, and it is something that will spread its branches and leaves from now on.

"If we cut it down now, Japanese cuisine will become like a bonsai tree."

He said it's important not only to preserve tradition, but also to nurture it within the global context.

"I want to nurture Japanese cuisine from a sapling into a large tree."

The lecture left a strong impression on me because of its commitment to sharing the value of Japanese cuisine with the world, along with scientific knowledge.

Yoshihiro Murata

Born in Kyoto in 1951. While attending Ritsumeikan University, he traveled to France to study French cuisine. He returned to Japan six months later. After training at a traditional Japanese restaurant, he became the third-generation owner of "Kikunoi" in 1993. In 2004, he opened "Akasaka Kikunoi." In 2007, "Akasaka Kikunoi" received two Michelin stars. In 2009, the Kyoto main branch received three Michelin stars, and "Roan Kikunoi" received two stars. He provides the in-flight meal "Hanagoyomi" for Singapore Airlines, and in 2017 opened "Muge Sanbo," which offers bento boxes and sweets. In 2013, he played a key role in the registration of "Washoku: Traditional Dietary Cultures of the Japanese" as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and in 2022, in the registration of "Kyoto Cuisine" as a National Registered Intangible Cultural Property. He has received numerous awards, including the "Person of Cultural Merit." He is the Honorary Chairman of the "Japan Culinary Academy," a specified non-profit organization.

Text by Yuko Taniguchi
Photos by Toshiyuki Furuya