On June 12 (Friday), second-year students from the Chef Department at International Culinary & Pastry School (hereinafter "the school"), operated by NSG Group's International Comprehensive Gakuen, a school corporation located in Chuo Ward, Niigata City (Principal: Kazuyuki Shitani), conducted a bento box sales event using underutilized fish, with the theme of reducing food waste.

The fish were provided by the Niigata Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative Federation, with which the school signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement in 2025. Students from the Italian-French Cuisine, Chinese Cuisine, Comprehensive Japanese Cuisine, and Japanese Cuisine & Sushi courses showcased their daily culinary training by preparing takeout bento boxes.

The ingredients used in the bento boxes were underutilized fish species that do not typically reach the market. In particular, fish with irregular sizes unsuitable for commercial sale were carefully prepared to highlight their unique flavors. The fish species used were Kanagashiwa, Hireguro, and Hirame. The Chinese Cuisine course prepared Kanagashiwa as a spicy stir-fry, the Japanese Cuisine course steamed Hireguro in a traditional style, and Hirame was made into a Bonne-style pie topped with a creamy mushroom sauce.

The school, which emphasizes practical education, chose "food waste" as the theme for this initiative. The goal was to teach students how to carefully prepare fish that do not meet market size standards, while also developing techniques to utilize edible ingredients that would otherwise be discarded. This project served as a hands-on training exercise for Chef Department students to actively engage with social issues and cultivate skills applicable in future professional kitchens.

Comment from Yua Horikawa, Chinese Cuisine Course:

"I previously studied fisheries at Niigata Prefectural Marine High School. Being involved in a practical training project that effectively utilizes fish and turns them into marketable products is deeply meaningful to me. I hope to apply this experience in my future culinary career."

The school is a comprehensive institution focused on food education, comprising 10 departments centered around six core programs: the Chef Department (2-year), Health Cooking Department (2-year), Cafe Department (2-year), Cooking Department (1-year), all of which qualify students for the national 'Cooking License'; the Pastry Chef Department (2-year), which qualifies for the national 'Pastry Hygiene Specialist' license; and the Nutritionist Department (2-year), which qualifies for the national 'Nutritionist' license.

Since its founding, the school has promoted its educational activities based on four pillars: 'Practical Education,' 'Ingredient Education,' 'International Education,' and 'Humanity Education.' Among these, sales training exercises, such as this student-led event, serve as key platforms for practical learning.

The school hopes that students will use the experiences gained from such sales practices as a springboard for great success across various sectors of the food industry.

International Culinary & Pastry School <Official Website> https://food-673.jp/

[Departments]

Cooking License Programs: Chef Department, Health Cooking Department, Cafe Department, Cooking Department

Pastry Hygiene Specialist Programs: Pastry Chef Department

Nutritionist Programs: Nutritionist Department

Joint University Programs: Food & License Advanced Course, Food Business & Information Advanced Course

Others: Food Production Department, Health Food Business Department

Location: 953-1 Omachi-dori 6-banchō, Chūō-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture

Representative: Principal Kazuyuki Shitani

<About NSG Group>

NSG Group is a corporate group composed of 101 organizations, centered on education and healthcare/welfare/care services. It operates across diverse sectors including health and sports, construction and real estate, food and agriculture, trading, advertising, ICT, hotels, apparel, beauty, human resources services, and entertainment. With the keywords 'People,' 'Peace of Mind,' 'Work,' and 'Attraction,' NSG Group works from a private-sector standpoint to create businesses that revitalize local communities, aiming to make each region 'the richest and happiest city in the world.'

<NSG Group Website> https://www.nsg.gr.jp/

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Event