The Culinary Institute of America

Aceto, meaning “vinegar” in Italian, is a restaurant in Kyoto owned by the renowned Iio Jozo vinegar brewery, and serves Italian-Japanese fusion cuisine. CIA students enjoy a unique hands-on dining experience, wearing nori sheets around their necks and creating sushi hand-rolls from a curated buffet of dishes. Watch as tradition, creativity, and fun come together in this one-of-a-kind culinary adventure. This dinner was a part of CIA’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration, where students spent 10 unforgettable days exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Founded in 1893, Iio Jozo is a fifth-generation rice vinegar brewery in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. As part of the CIA’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration, students spent 10 unforgettable days exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. In this video, watch the students tour the historic brewery and experience a special vinegar tasting, learning firsthand about this essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Chef Tsuyoshi Hori and his soba chef, of Sarashina Horii Soba Restaurant in Tokyo, show CIA students how to make soba noodles with buckwheat flour. The class was held at Yanagihara Cooking School in Tokyo, which hosts students from CIA’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration each year.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

From the importance of the perfect oil temperature, to working with impeccably fresh ingredients, Chef Hitoshi Arai gives CIA students a master class in making tempura. Hitoshi Arai is a tempura master and executive chef and owner of Tenko, a tempura restaurant in Tokyo.
They gather together for their lesson at Yanagihara Cooking School, a culinary school in Tokyo, that specializes in traditional Japanese cuisine, and hosts students from The Culinary Institute of America in the Japanese Cuisine and Culture Concentration program.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Chef Kenya Sakai, of Kenya Restaurant in Kyoto's Okazaki neighborhood, is known for his unique blend of Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisines. He shows us his playful take on penne pasta by serving hollowed out burdock root with tomato sauce, as well as a dish he calls “Rice Meeting” featuring small dishes arranged around a bowl of rice.  
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Hajime Yoneda is chef of Hajime, a  Michelin three-starred restaurant in Osaka. Known for using meticulous techniques to create dishes that celebrate nature, earth, and space, his food is inspired by the natural world and features intricate plating. He shows us the restaurant’s signature "Chikyu" (Earth) dish showcasing 110 vegetables, grains, and seafood representing earth’s life cycles on a plate.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Nestled in the heart of Tokyo’s vibrant Roppongi neighborhood, Shojin Sougo restaurant serves traditional shojin ryori with a modern flair. Shojin ryori is a traditional form of Japanese Buddhist cuisine, known for its focus on plant-based ingredients and mindful preparation.
Daisuke Nomura is the chef and owner of Shojin Sougo, and he talks about respecting seasonal ingredients and using all parts of the vegetable in his exquisitely prepared vegan dishes. Chef Nomura's restaurant earned him a spot on the Plant Forward Global 50, a group of 50 chefs worldwide leading the movement for plant-based cuisine.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

As part of The Culinary Institute of America’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration, students embark on a 10-day journey to Japan to explore the country’s ingredients, iconic dishes, kitchen tools, and aesthetics. The trip takes them from the vibrant food culture of Osaka, to the historic beauty of Kyoto, and finishes in the bustling streets of Tokyo—the city with more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other in the world. Join CIA students as they immerse themselves in the traditions and flavors that define Japanese cuisine.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/