About The Original Sushi Competition 2002

The Original Sushi Competition was founded as part of the 'Japan 2001' (Year of Cultural Exchange), and continues to increase awareness of Japanese culture through the medium of Japanese food.

Top sushi chef Masayoshi Kazato is keen to inspire and encourage youngsters to taste and make real sushi, "So many people think that sushi is just a piece of raw fish and a lump of rice," he said, "but there's so much more involved. I'd like people to appreciate sushi is something that comes from the heart."

Saturday 1st March 2003	International School of London
139 Gunnersbury Lane, London W3 8LG. Tel: 020 8992 5823 Attendees:Students, parents and visitors to the International Food Festival organised by the school (about 400 people)
Monday March 3rd 2003	Le Cordon Bleu
114 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2HH Tel: 020 7935 3503 Attendees: Students from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute and professional chefs (about 40 people)
Wednesday March 5th 2003	Moshi Moshi Sushi Brighton
Bartholomew Square, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1JS Tel: 01273 719 915 Attendees: Local primary school students and their parents (about 40 people)
Friday March 7th 2003	Hall School Wimbledon
17 The Down, Wimbledon, London SW20 8HF Tel: 020 8879 9200 Attendees: Students from Year 7 and their parents (about 80 people)

Sushi chefs going live on air!

All Japan Sushi Association
Two chefs have been brought to the UK to showcase Saikuzushi from the All Japan Sushi Association (AJSA). The AJSA is the biggest sushi-related society with 20,000 members. Authorised by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Japan, the society's activities include organising the prestigious Sushi Skill Contest, which is held every four years. Their activities range from organising the contests to consultancy of sushi restaurants.

		Since 1996, Masayoshi has been a host at the Sakura festival in Washington D.C., a good-will event between Japan and the US. He participated at a sushi exhibition held at the Japanese Embassy in America in 1997, and has been the contest director of the annual All American Sushi Skill Contest since 2000. Masayoshi has also been involved in the Sakura Festival in Germany to mark the completion of the Japanese consulate in Berlin in 2001. In 2002, he attended a sushi event in aid of the 9/11 tragedy; later that year he was involved in a similar event for the Czech Republic flood disaster.

		Takashi is especially renowned for his innovation in creative sushi design, and is the chef at Kintaro Sushi, which is based in Tokyo's Ueno distric and is home to many other Saikuzushists. Takashi is also the recent winner of the 2003 Gold Prize in the Nigiri category at the Sushi Skill Contest, which has been dubbed as the Olympics for sushi chefs! The contest gives sushi chefs an opportunity to show off and share their skills.