Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Gas Energy News to Sponsor "Japan Ingredients Koshien"

In the "Japan Ingredients Koshien," a participatory project promoted by the Future Town Planning Organization (Secretariat: COMMON Inc.) to broadcast the appeal of local food ingredients and regional materials from across the country, it has been officially decided that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Gas Energy News will join as new sponsors.

The "Japan Ingredients Koshien" is a project that visualizes the value of local ingredients, primary industries, and food culture, with events being held nationwide starting in May 2026. Beginning with the Shizuoka competition, the event is scheduled to be hosted in various locations across the country, creating a space where regional producers, businesses, local governments, corporate entities, and visitors come together to rediscover and support the appeal of local materials.

The project has previously received backing from organizations such as the Japan Association of City Mayors (representing approximately 660 municipal mayors nationwide) and the Japan Travel and Tourism Association. With the new sponsorship from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Gas Energy News, the initiative will further expand its efforts toward promoting primary industries, regional revitalization, and food culture.

What is the Japan Ingredients Koshien?

There are numerous attractive food ingredients and local materials across Japan that remain insufficiently recognized.

Meanwhile, Japan's primary industries are facing various challenges, including the aging of producers, a lack of successors, the absence of pricing power, and a structural issue where the true value of materials is difficult to properly evaluate in the market.

In many regions, the reality is that "good materials exist, but their message does not reach consumers."

The Japan Ingredients Koshien is a project that visualizes the value of such regional materials and primary industries not just through mere exhibitions and sales, but through "tasting experiences" and "voting experiences."

The uniqueness of the land, the climate, the passion of the creators, and the accumulation of time.

By having visitors taste, select, and support materials infused with these elements, the appeal of the regions will be connected to new expansions.

Official page: https://ichi.or.jp/

Previous Shizuoka Event Attracted Approximately 8,000 Visitors over Two Days

At the Shizuoka competition held in May 2026, approximately 8,000 people visited over two days.

The venue featured the provision of dishes utilizing ingredients from all over the country, sales of local products, kitchen cars, a farmers' market, stage events, and dietary education content. It provided an opportunity for attendees to actually eat, feel, and vote, thereby experiencing the charm of regional materials firsthand.

At the Shizuoka competition, the "shirayaki" of the Shizuoka Lake Hamana brand eel "Deshiko" won the championship. Comments from attendees included, "It's very delicious," "The taste of the ingredients comes through," and "It made me want to know more about the local ingredients."

Scheduled to be Held in 10 Locations Nationwide. Regional Representative Ingredients Head to the Finals in Osaka

The "Japan Ingredients Koshien" is scheduled to be held in 10 locations across Japan from May 2026 through 2027.

At each venue, visitors will be invited to taste dishes made with regional ingredients selected from all over Japan, and the most popular materials for each venue will be chosen by vote.

Subsequently, the materials selected at each venue will gather in Osaka, the final host city, to hold the championship. The winning ingredient of the "Japan Ingredients Koshien" will be determined from among the regional materials nationwide.

Scheduled Venues

About Sponsorship

To date, the project has received backing from the following organizations and institutions:

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Gas Energy News

Japan Association of City Mayors (approximately 660 municipal mayors nationwide)

Japan Travel and Tourism Association

Other related organizations, such as local governments and boards of education

Expectations for this project are expanding from various perspectives, including the promotion of the appeal of regional materials, the advancement of primary industries, the revitalization of local economies, tourism promotion, and the inheritance of food culture.

For Media Professionals: Coverage and Filming Points

The "Japan Ingredients Koshien" is a participatory event where visitors can experience the appeal of primary industries, regional materials, and food culture from all over the country by "eating, seeing, touching, and voting."

At this event, local producers, business operators, corporate entities, local governments, and attendees gather in the same space, creating opportunities to rediscover the value of regional materials and support them.

We sincerely hope that media professionals will visit to cover and film this event, and broadly broadcast the scene where regional food, primary industries, disaster prevention, dietary education, and public-private partnerships intersect.

Key Points for Coverage and Filming

Scenes of visitors tasting dishes made with regional ingredients from across the country

The participatory mechanism where visitors support regional materials through voting

Scenes of interaction among producers, regional businesses, local governments, and corporate entities

Initiatives where local products, food education, disaster prevention, tourism, and industrial promotion intersect

The potential to lead to the cultivation of new sales channels and PR for regional materials

About the Future Town Planning Organization / COMMON Inc.

The Future Town Planning Organization is a public-private partnership platform that connects local governments, corporate entities, and communities to tackle the resolution of regional issues and the creation of new regional value.

COMMON Inc., which serves as the secretariat, promotes initiatives such as regional revitalization, disaster prevention, tourism, industrial promotion, and the creation of related populations while connecting diverse entities—including local governments, corporate entities, regional organizations, primary industries, and regional business operators—under the vision of "Moving Regions Forward through Co-creation."