Japan's Largest Young Chef Competition 'RED U-35' to Suspend 2026 Competition

Announcement Page https://www.redu35.jp/progress/year2026/notice/

The RED U-35 Executive Committee (hosted by RED U-35 Executive Committee, Gurunavi, Inc.) has decided to suspend the 2026 competition of "RED U-35" (RYORININ’s EMERGING DREAM U-35), a competition aimed at discovering and nurturing young chefs under 35 years old.

This decision positions the suspension period as a "period of preparation for further leaps forward," built upon the foundation of its past achievements.

The committee will work on rebuilding a system that allows chefs who will pioneer the future of Japanese cuisine to shine even brighter.

Background of Competition Suspension and Future Outlook

Since its establishment in 2013, this competition has produced many talented young chefs and brought a fresh perspective to the culinary world. After more than 10 years since its inception, amidst drastic changes in the food environment, we will suspend the competition once to implement a fundamental update, aiming to further strengthen the project's significance and evolve it into a sustainable platform.

"CLUB RED" Activities Will Continue and Be Strengthened

The activities of "CLUB RED," composed of young chefs who have achieved excellent results (Bronze Egg or higher) in past competitions, will continue and expand in the future. Through initiatives such as chef tours, we will also consider new projects aimed at solving fundamental issues in regional food.

RED U-35 aims to return with even greater power, designing a future where chefs can fully demonstrate their talents.

＜Attached Document: Supplementary Information from the RED U-35 Executive Committee＞

RED U-35, Japan's largest chef competition for discovering new era young talent, began in 2013.

RED U-35 has grown in significance with each iteration, serving as a stage for young chefs who dream of cooking, face challenges, and experiment, to test their current selves, and as a place to connect with peers and judges, creating new chemical reactions.

Young chefs who have received recognition here or gained self-awareness have gone on to attract attention and shine as leaders of the new era.

The 12th RED U-35 2025 competition was scaled up in official collaboration with the Osaka-Kansai Expo, allowing the Grand Prix announcement to be made in front of a larger audience. A total of 12 competitions have been held, with a cumulative total of 5,467 young chefs participating, 471 chefs belonging to CLUB RED after winning awards, and 11 Grand Prix winners receiving the coveted red medal.

Having successfully concluded RED U-35 2025, we feel it marks a significant milestone. To further enhance the significance and potential of the RED U-35 project and make it more sustainable and powerful, we have decided to designate 2026 as a "maturation period." During this time, we will conduct various considerations with the aim of restarting. Similar to the resting time essential for delicious cooking, we view this as a step in the culinary process to fundamentally re-examine the competition's format and build a new RED U-35.

We welcome any ideas or collaborations from those who wish to think with us or offer support to move forward in a better way. The RED U-35 Executive Committee and CLUB RED will continue their operations, and we appreciate your ongoing support.

<img src="https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/1511/1601/1511-1601