On November 18, 2025, the City of Fukuoka, as part of its Universal Food Accessibility Promotion Initiative, hosted a basic seminar and training session along with a tasting exhibition of vegan, vegetarian, and other inclusive foods and ingredients.
The venue selected for the event was Grand Hyatt Fukuoka, a hotel that has long been proactive in developing vegan-friendly menu options. The hotel’s Executive Chef of The Market F, Akihiro Fukasa, also took the stage.
Basic Seminar & Training on Catering to Vegetarian and Vegan Food Needs
In the basic seminar, Haruko Kawano, representative of our organization VegeProject Japan, served as the lecturer. She introduced fundamental knowledge about catering to vegetarian and vegan food needs, along with case studies, recent developments, and practical approaches to implementation.
This was followed by a presentation from Executive Chef Fukasa of Grand Hyatt Fukuoka, who introduced the hotel’s initiatives and conducted a live cooking demonstration of their vegan hamburger, which is actually served at the hotel. Throughout the demonstration, he also discussed techniques for creating vegan dishes and the benefits of offering them.
For the tasting session, the following vegan dishes were served: vegetable minestrone, deep-fried tofu and seasonal vegetables with balsamic sauce, seasonal vegetable aspic, magenta vegan curry made with beets and chickpeas, and vegan stollen—offered in anticipation of the upcoming Christmas season.
Participants, including restaurant owners and many other business operators, deepened their understanding of vegetarian and vegan food and expressed surprise at how delicious the dishes were.
Tasting Exhibition of Vegan, Vegetarian, and Other Inclusive Foods and Ingredients
After the seminar, a tasting exhibition was held in the adjacent room. About 20 manufacturers from across Japan that handle vegan food products gathered for the event. Many of these participating companies have obtained, or are currently applying for, vegan certification from our organization.
Exhibiting companies with vegan-certified or currently applying products (in alphabetical order):
・Agro Ludens Inc.: Rice-based alternative meat and bread
・Ako Aranami Salt Co., Ltd.: Salt products
・Azuma Foods Co., Ltd.: Seafood and meat alternatives
・C&G Miyazaki LLC: Ice cream made with fruits from Miyazaki Prefecture
・Hamaya Katsuobushi Co., Ltd.: 100% plant-based multipurpose broth with a bonito-like flavor
・Hasegawa Confectionery Co., Ltd.: Rice-flour soft-serve ice cream and waffle cones
・Heinz Japan Ltd.: Demi-glace sauce, BBQ sauce, falafel, etc.
・Houmoto Sesame Tofu Shop Co., Ltd.: Sesame tofu and related sweets
・Karuna Co., Ltd.: Fish alternatives such as mentaiko and tuna, and soy meat
・Maruzen Food Industry Co., Ltd.: Animal-free tonkotsu-style, soy sauce, and tantanmen soups
・Rokko Butter Co., Ltd.: Cheese alternatives
・Shochiku-En Co., Ltd.: Vegan and gluten-free cakes and bread
・Smile Create Co., Ltd.: Soy-based ice cream in flavors such as lemon and hojicha
・TableMark Co., Ltd.: Vegan karaage, cutlets, sweets, and more
Many local business operators attended the event, sampled vegan-friendly products, and spoke directly with manufacturers as they considered how to incorporate these offerings into their own businesses.
