Judging Fresh Sweet Corn Raw! Accepting Entries Nationwide for 'Tabechoku National Sweet Corn Grand Prix 2026', Past Winners Saw Sales Increase Over 20x

Vivid Garden Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Rina Akimoto), which operates 'Tabechoku', Japan's largest direct-from-farm e-commerce site (*2) holding nine No.1 titles (*1) including brand awareness and usage rate, will hold the 'Tabechoku National Sweet Corn Grand Prix 2026', an evaluation event 'for producers', targeting sweet corn producers nationwide on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. This Grand Prix has a basic policy of 'raw tasting evaluation' to strictly evaluate the 'freshness' that brings out the original 'sweetness and juiciness' of sweet corn. The judges will include Chef Masaru Motooka, known for his cooking that utilizes natural ingredients, and a special 'Child Judge Award' will be established, chosen by the honest sensibilities of children. In the past, winning producers have increased their sales by more than 20 times. The strength of this Grand Prix series is that it provides promotional support directly linked to sales, rather than just a simple commendation. Entries are open to producers nationwide, regardless of whether they are registered with Tabechoku. Entry Form: https://forms.gle/cHmxrA6ajpmZiGSV8 Entry Deadline: Until noon on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 Entry Limit: First 80 items (up to 2 varieties per producer) What is the 'Tabechoku National Sweet Corn Grand Prix 2026'? This Grand Prix is an evaluation event hosted by Tabechoku targeting sweet corn producers nationwide, focusing on the 'freshness and deliciousness' of direct-from-farm sweet corn and the 'dedication' of the producers, to discover and broadcast its appeal. Freshness is crucial for sweet corn. The event is held with the aim of letting more people know the original sweetness and juiciness of freshly harvested, direct-delivered sweet corn. Furthermore, this evaluation event is an important event directly linked to the business growth and branding of producers. In past events such as the 'Apple Grand Prix' and 'Asparagus Grand Prix', winning producers have significantly increased their sales. Purpose of the Event This Grand Prix aims to solve the challenges faced by sweet corn producers and provide value to consumers, based on the following four pillars: 1. Visualizing the 'importance of freshness' and 'quality' to realize fair evaluation Sweet corn is sweetest and most juicy right after harvest. Therefore, this Grand Prix requires 'freshly harvested' as a condition for entry, and by basically judging it raw, it brings out and widely appeals the best charms of sweet corn, such as freshness, sweetness, and juiciness unique to direct delivery from the production area. This fairly evaluates the skills and dedication of producers and supports the acquisition of new fans. 2. Strong promotional support directly linked to practical benefits (track record of over 20x sales increase) The results of the Grand Prix will be actively broadcasted on a special page and in an email newsletter for registered users. As a past example, in the Apple Grand Prix held in November 2025, some producers achieved sales more than 20 times higher than the same period the previous year in the month following their award. Beyond mere commendation, we support branding and promotion where winning directly leads to increased sales. 3. Support for next season's production through objective data feedback The evaluation results will be fed back to all producers who wish to receive them, regardless of whether they win or not. By obtaining objective taste evaluations from third parties, producers can use them for specific production plans, such as reviewing their cultivation techniques, selecting varieties for the next year, and identifying areas for improvement. 4. Promoting sustainable agricultural management through appropriate evaluation of skills and dedication As the environment surrounding agricultural management becomes increasingly severe due to soaring material prices and a shortage of successors, it is key to sustainable management for producers that the quality and dedication of their sweet corn are fairly evaluated and supported by fans. Through this Grand Prix, we will visualize the efforts and skills of producers, and support long-term management stability by strengthening sales at appropriate prices and connections with fans. Event Outline Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2026 Result Announcement Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2026 The results will be announced on 'Tabechoku'. Venue: Within the 23 wards of Tokyo (Details will be provided individually only to those who have entered) About the Judging Preliminary Round: Taste professionals will conduct a taste evaluation and select the top 15-20 items. Final Round: Chef Masaru Motooka will conduct the final evaluation. Special Award (Child Judge Award): Selected by child judges aged 5 to 9. Entry Guidelines For producers considering applying, detailed entry and delivery conditions are as follows. 1. About Entry Item Details Application Period Until noon on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 Target Sweet corn producers nationwide (Limited to professional producers and those who cultivate it themselves. Registration with Tabechoku is not required) Number of Entries Up to 2 varieties per producer can be entered Entry Limit Up to the first 80 items (Application will close as soon as the limit is reached) Entry Fee 5,000 yen (tax included) per variety Entry Form https://forms.gle/cHmxrA6ajpmZiGSV8 Variety Any variety. Young corn is not eligible. *Bicolor, white, and purple are all eligible for entry 2. About Delivery and Judging Item Details Delivery Deadline Must arrive between 14:00 and 18:00 on Monday, July 6, 2026 Delivery Location Designated location in Tokyo (Details will be provided by the management office) Delivery Specifications/Quantity 8 or more sweet corns of the same variety *Since 'ripeness' and 'freshness' are emphasized, please send those that are as full as possible. [Notes] *Details of the delivery destination will be provided by the management office after the entry is accepted. *Shipping costs for delivery for the evaluation event will be borne by the exhibitor. *We cannot respond to individual objections regarding the evaluation results. Judging Criteria We will conduct a fair taste evaluation based on 'sweetness' and 'juiciness', which are characteristics of fresh sweet corn. *Judging will basically be conducted raw. For the 'Best Microwave Award' and 'Best Grilled Sweet Corn Award', the judges will cook them and specially select the ones that are delicious in each way of eating. *To ensure fairness, both the preliminary and final rounds will be judged in a blind format where the producer's name, production area, and variety name are not identified. About the Judges Chef: Mr. Masaru Motooka Masaru Motooka Higashi-Kawaguchi KAM Moved to France at the age of 19 and trained in various places. At the young age of 23, he became the head chef of 'Restaurant bios', a farm-integrated restaurant in Shizuoka Prefecture. At 25, he won the runner-up prize at Japan's largest chef contest (RED u35). In the same year, he won the (Promising Young Chef Award) at Gault & Millau. Opened Restaurant KAM at the age of 27. He has won numerous awards such as Japan times destination restaurant 2025, Hitosara best chef 50, and best vegetable restaurants. Because of my experience working in a farm-integrated restaurant and the fact that I still grow vegetables myself, I think I can look at vegetables from various directions. I feel that freshness and harvest timing are especially important for sweet corn, and I am personally looking forward to seeing how much the taste, aroma, texture, and appearance can change with just one ingredient, and I am excited that it will be a very happy experience as a chef. 3 Child Judges Three 'child judges' will participate in this Grand Prix. We want the core of the judging to be having the children taste the raw sweet corn as it is and judge it with their pure and unadorned sensibility of feeling 'delicious'. The best sweet corn chosen by the child judges will be awarded the 'Child Judge Award'. Awards (Planned) To evaluate diverse individuality, we will establish multiple categories for awards. [Comprehensive Category] Comprehensively evaluate taste, sweetness, and texture to select excellent sweet corn - Supreme Gold Award: 1 item - Gold Award: 1 item - Silver Award: 1 item - Bronze Award: 1 item [Taste Category] Evaluate by taste to select excellent sweet corn - Best Sweet Award: 2 items - Best Juicy Award: 2 items [Special Awards] Select excellent sweet corn based on eating characteristics - Best Microwave Award: 1 item (Sweet corn that is delicious when heated in a microwave) - Best Grilled Sweet Corn Award: 1 item (Sweet corn that is delicious when grilled) - Child Judge Award: 1 item (The best sweet corn chosen by the child judges) *The number of awards may change depending on the number of participants. Post-Award Developments Strengthening Promotion on 'Tabechoku' For producers who win a Bronze Award or higher, a special feature page will be set up on the Tabechoku site, and promotion utilizing email newsletters, etc., will be implemented. Priority Introduction to Corporate Collaboration Projects When collaboration projects with companies other than Tabechoku arise, winning producers will be introduced with priority. Provision of Award Labels Winning producers will receive 'Award Label' data free of charge, which can be freely used for promotional materials regarding their 'Award at the Tabechoku National Sweet Corn Grand Prix 2026'. Past Use Cases - Using the label on the main photo of the Tabechoku product page - Affixing it to cardboard boxes when shipping Example of Award Label Use (Within Tabechoku/Product Page) Example of Award Label Use (Packaging Box) *Contents are subject to change. Please note in advance. About Media Coverage on the Day At the judging event to be held in the 23 wards of Tokyo on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, we accept coverage and observation of the judging scene and the winning sweet corn. Media representatives who wish to cover or observe, please apply from the following. We will reply with detailed location and time information. - Media Application Form: https://forms.gle/VubingRb83TM7EDEA Contents that can be photographed on the day (Example: Scenes from past Grand Prix) Items participating in the final round lined up all at once Judging in progress Podium (Contents are subject to change) About Evaluation Events Hosted by Tabechoku Aiming for a world where the dedication of producers is fairly evaluated, we hold events in the optimal format for each item. The feature of this Grand Prix is that it does not stop at mere commendation. For winners, we continuously provide practical support directly linked to business growth, such as sales promotion support within Tabechoku, priority introduction to collaborations with companies, and provision of award labels. We focus on supporting the development of producers even after they win. Past Event Track Record - April 2026: Tabechoku National Asparagus Grand Prix 2026 https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000464.000025043.html - February 2026: Tabechoku National Mandarin/Citrus Grand Prix 2026 https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000449.000025043.html - February 2026: Tabechoku Strawberry Grand Prix 2026 https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000438.000025043.html - November 2025: Tabechoku Apple Grand Prix 2025 https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000342.000025043.html - October 2025: Tabechoku Rice Grand Prix 2025 https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000337.000025043.html ◾️About 'Tabechoku' Tabechoku is a direct-from-farm e-commerce site where you can purchase food and flowers directly from dedicated producers. It has acquired nine No.1 titles (*1) such as brand awareness and usage rate among domestic direct-from-farm e-commerce sites. It handles a wide range of food items including vegetables, fruits, rice, meat, fish, and beverages, as well as flowers, and features direct communication where consumers can tell producers their thoughts on the food. It also offers 'Tabechoku Concierge', a regular vegetable delivery service that selects producers matching your preferences, and 'Vivid TABLE', a frozen food subscription service. Furthermore, it operates 'Tabechoku for Business', a service for corporations that can be used for employee benefits and promotional campaigns. As of April 2026, the number of users has exceeded 1.35 million, the number of registered producers has exceeded 11,500, and about 50,000 carefully selected excellent items are listed. - URL: https://www.tabechoku.com/ - Official X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/tabechoku - Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabechoku/ (*1) Acquired No.1 in nine categories among domestic direct-from-farm e-commerce sites: 'Customer Awareness', 'Customer Usage Rate', 'Customer Intention to Use', 'Web Access Count', 'SNS Follower Count', 'Number of Producers', 'Producer Awareness', 'Producer Usage Rate', and 'Producer Intention to Use'. Press Release URL: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000344.000025043.html (*2) Direct-from-farm e-commerce site: An e-commerce site specialized for producers, characterized by producers shipping products directly to consumers' homes. ◾️About Vivid Garden Inc. Representative: President and CEO Rina Akimoto Headquarters Location: 4F Daiichi Building, 1-7-3 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo Date of Establishment: November 29, 2016 Business Description: Development and operation of 'Tabechoku', a direct-from-farm e-commerce site where you can buy food and flowers directly from producers nationwide, 'Vivid TABLE', a frozen food brand where you can see the faces of producers, and support for government agencies and local governments. Company Website: https://vivid-garden.co.jp/ Official X (Twitter): https://x.com/vivid_garden_jp