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Hiroshima Prefectural Governor and Officials from French Diplomatic Missions Abroad Meet at
“Gastronomy Connecting Hiroshima and France” Event
Friday, March 10, 12:00 - 14:30

Location: Roppongi, Tokyo “Edition Koji Shimomura”

Hiroshima Prefecture, which will host the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May 2023, has made various efforts to realize a peaceful international society. They see the environment in which they can eat rich foods with peace of mind as also being "peaceful". We believe that sharing the joy of eating also deepens our understanding of each other's culture and is a step toward a peaceful international society.
For this reason, Hiroshima Prefecture has been focusing on international exchange through food, particularly in building relations with France, a country known for its gastronomic delights.
On the occasion of Japan's first export of Hiroshima oysters to the EU in February 2023, an exchange event will be held at a French restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo, to promote the attractiveness of Hiroshima Prefecture's food and to further deepen our friendship.
We look forward to your coverage.

[Event Outline]
“Gastronomy Connecting Hiroshima and France”
■Date: Friday, March 10, 2023, 12:00 - 14:30 *Reception desk for media will open at 11:00
■Place: Edition Koji Shimomura (Roppongi T-Cube 1F, 3-1-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032)
■Nearest station: 3 minutes walk from Roppongi-itchome station　　
■Organizer: Hiroshima Prefecture
■Participants: Consulate-General of France in Kyoto, Embassy of France in Japan, French Chamber of

                       Commerce and Industry in Japan, etc.

[Time Schedule] *Time schedule is subject to change.
12:00 Reception
12:20 Greetings from the Governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, Hidehiko Yuzaki
12:30 Start serving dishes *The following time is interspersed along the way
          - Explanation of the dishes from the chef/cook
          - Explanation of Frozen Oysters by Kunihiro Corporation
          - Explanation of Sake by Fujii Sake Brewery Co.
14:00 Closing speech
14:30 Closing

[Coverage]
The following coverages are available for this event. If you wish to cover the event, please contact us in advance to arrange a time.
- Coverage before the event (11:00-12:00) with Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki,
   Kohei Kawasaki of Kunihiro Corporation, and Norihiro Fujii of Fujii Sake Brewery Co.
- Event coverage and photography (onsite, dishes)
   If you wish to cover the event, please send e-mail to the "Gastronomy Connecting Hiroshima and France

   Office" by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.

[Dishes]
Hiroshima Prefecture is a treasure trove of food, with the largest production of oysters in Japan, Hiba beef with its soft texture, and a variety of traditional Japanese sake. French cuisine that brings out the best of the prefecture's ingredients will be served along with Japanese sake and Burgundy wines to encourage participants to rediscover the gastronomy that connects Hiroshima Prefecture and France.

Chef Koji Shimomura of the venue "Edition Koji Shimomura", Toshio Hoshimoto of "French Restaurant Roger" at Fukuyama New Castle Hotel, Junko Ebisuya of "Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima", and Rina Nakanishi of " Hotel Granvia Hiroshima" will cook on the day. Mr. Hoshimoto, Ms. Ebisuya, and Ms. Nakanishi are the winners of the "Hiroshima Chef Competition," launched in 2014 by the prefecture to discover and foster talented young chefs. After studying at Ferrandi, Europe's premier professional training school, they trained in French restaurants.

- Oyster
In January 2023, Kunihiro Corporation, an oyster business in the prefecture, acquired EU-HACCP certification, making it the first company in Japan to export oysters (frozen oysters in shell) to the EU. The oysters to be exported are from Mitsu Bay, which the prefecture designates as a "clean waters" area. Mitsu Bay, where pearl cultivation was once practiced, is a sea area with good water circulation and clean water quality, which grows oysters with firm and rich flesh. On the day of the event, dishes using frozen oysters on the shell will be served.

- Sake
In 2014, Hiroshima Prefecture established the "Hiroshima Sake Branding Promotion Council" and has been working to expand sales channels and branding of sake produced in Hiroshima Prefecture, with France as the most important market. As of February 2023, eight breweries in Hiroshima Prefecture are members of the Hiroshima Sake Branding Promotion Council. In cooperation with the five breweries, five different types of sake will be served at the event, allowing guests to discover how well French cuisine pairs with sake.

[Hiroshima Prefecture's Relationship with France]
In 2020, Hiroshima Prefecture concluded an agreement with the winegrowers' association of the Burgundy Jura region, one of the world's leading wine-producing regions. This is an agreement to mutually cooperate in order to expand sales channels and branding of sake produced in Hiroshima Prefecture and wine from the Burgundy Jura region. Since the agreement was concluded, efforts such as participation in events have been promoted in cooperation.

In 2023, we began exporting oysters from Mitsu Bay, which is known for its beautiful waters, to Paris, France. Through oysters, which are France's national food, we hope to further deepen exchanges with France.

[Application]
Gastronomy Connecting Hiroshima and France Office   Shiori Toju
info@id-project.jp
(TEL:03-6635-1488)

Please email us the following information.

- Media
- Company
- Department
- Name
- Number of people coming for coverage of the event
- Contact(E-mail/TEL/FAX)　　　　　　　　　　　　
- Camera(Movie/Still) Yes or No　　　　　　　  
- Release date/Broadcast date
- Estimated arrival time
- Items you wish to cover
 -- Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki
 -- Mr. Kawasaki, Kunihiro Corporation
 -- Mr.Fujii, Fujii Sake Brewery Co.
 -- Chef
 -- Event
 -- Dishes
*Personal information entered in this reply form will be handled appropriately and carefully in accordance with

  the Personal Information Protection Law.

*Please send by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.


[Contact]
Gastronomy Connecting Hiroshima and France Office   Shiori Toju
info@id-project.jp (TEL:03-6635-1488)