JAPAN TODAY – January 19, 2016 – TOKYO — Japan will launch a system for certifying skilled foreign chefs of traditional Japanese food from fiscal 2016, hoping to raise the quality of the cuisine offered overseas and gain fans for the country’s agricultural and fisheries products, government officials said Monday.

“Washoku” has become increasingly popular worldwide after it was recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013, but it has given rise to many restaurants that claim to offer Japanese cuisine but provide food that is fundamentally different.

The farm ministry is now formulating a guideline for recognizing chefs at Japanese restaurants and sushi stores abroad depending on their levels of understanding of the food culture, treatment of raw fish and other seafood, and manner towards customers, including how to present a dish or offer greetings, according to the officials.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will select a private body to manage the certification system through a public offering, and restaurants and cooking colleges will train and provide lessons to chefs under the guideline, they said.

Foreign chefs who have worked two years or longer in Japan will likely be given “gold” status, while those who have studied at cooking colleges for over six months will likely be ranked “silver,” followed by “bronze” for those who have received training for several days. The certification marks could be posted at overseas restaurants they work at.

“By enhancing their understanding of washoku, we hope to raise the quality of (Japanese) restaurants overseas and expand exports of Japanese farm products and seasonings,” said a ministry official.

As of July 2015, there were some 88,700 restaurants registered as Japanese restaurants globally, up sharply from roughly 55,100 in 2013, according to the ministry.