RED U-35 (RYORININ’s EMERGING DREAM) was launched in 2013 as Japan’s largest culinary competition to discover the young talented chefs of tomorrow. Backed by Japan’s food industry leaders, this contest evaluates its contestants from a completely different perspective compared to other competitions for the purpose of discovering and supporting the growth of a new generation of chefs (creators) who are filled with dreams, ambitions, and new values. Our hope is that this competition will inspire the chefs of our future, help to shape their vision, and thus, raise the foundation and values of Japan’s culinary world in the future.
And who are these challengers, these next-generation food creators with fresh perspectives, that are inspired to introduce sweeping changes?
They are young, ambitious chefs that step outside their own comfort zone to interact with farmers and other producers throughout Japan and to experience diverse food cultures around the world. Together, they take a hard look at the food-related issues facing society in their search for what lies beyond the act of cooking.
This is what the RED PROJECT is all about. We discover new talent through the RED U-35 competition, and bring these chefs together through CLUB RED so that they can connect with one another and create something new.
Important: Cancellation of the RED U-35 2020
RED U-35 Committee regretfully announce today the RED U-35 2020 will be cancelled due to the current situation of novel coronavirus in Japan.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and corporation.
RED U-35 (RYORININ’s EMERGING DREAM U-35) Committee
Chefs (age 35 or younger) who dream of becoming great chefs
- You must be age 35 or younger on December 31, 2020 (your date of birth must be on or after January 1, 1985).
- You must be a professional chef (your main line of work must be in the culinary profession).
* Applications are accepted not only from chefs who work at restaurants or hotels (both in and outside of Japan), but also from those who work as chefs on call, culinary researchers, and instructors at culinary schools.
* Students (unemployed and currently attending school) cannot apply.
- Applications are accepted from people of all nationalities. However, non-Japanese persons must have at least three years of experience working in Japan in the culinary profession.
- The application procedures and all communication during the competition will be in the Japanese language.
- You must be able to attend all judging events and award ceremonies held in Japan.
- You and the restaurants/hotels at which you work must not be affiliated in any way with any organized crime groups or other antisocial forces.
- Former grand prize winners of previous RED U-35 competitions (RED EGG) cannot apply.
A dish for the future
Applicants are free to interpret this theme in their own way and should express their ideas and messages as chefs through the menus that they invent.
・1st : Document Screening
・2nd : Online Screening
・3rd : Technical Screening
・Final(that is held in a different manner at every contest)
RED U-35 screens its applicants using a unique method that is completely different from other culinary contests, in order to discover potential star chefs of the future. The contest receives nearly 500 applicants every year. These contestants are screened for their skills and personality through a process that takes about half a year. The first step is document screening, followed by the second screening through video (YouTube), then the third step of technical screening, followed by the fourth and final screening that is held in a different manner at every contest. The key point of these screenings is that the judges look not at the level of perfection and skills at this present time, but for possibilities and potentials of the contestants to make great strides in the future. The competition ends with an award ceremony, at which the final results are announced, and the Grand Prix winner is presented widely to the general public.
・Passion, belief and dreams that the contestant has as a chef.
・Skills, inventiveness, expressive abilities and talent.
・Future prospects and potential.
Grand Prix
Prize money of 10 million yen
The winner of the 2020 competition will be awarded 10 million yen because the prize money will be carried over from the 2019 competition, which did not produce a grand prize winner.
Second Place
Prize money of 500,000 yen
Asako Kishi Award
Awarded to the highest-placed female chef
Hisao Taki Award
Awarded to give encouragement to a young Japanese chef currently working overseas who shows promise of achieving dramatic growth in the future
RED EGG
-Grand Prix-
not applicable
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Yohei Narita
Japanese Cuisine
"Kikunoi [main restaurant]" (Kyoto)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Tatsuya Noda
Défricher cuisine
"Collective Maison nôl" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Asako Kishi Award Hisao Taki AwardNae Ogawa
French Cuisine
"Paris.Hawaii" (Hawaii)
GOLD EGG
Yusuke Takagi
Chinese Cuisine
looking for a new job
GOLD EGG
Satoshi Ogino
Japanese Cuisine
"Akasaka Ogino" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Takahiro Inoue
Italian Cuisine
"Pesceco" (Nagasaki)
Hisao Taki Award
Masahiko Kawano
French Cuisine
"béni" (Singapore)
Hisao Taki Award
Hiromichi Hisada
French Cuisine
"La table de Breizh café" (Cancale, France)
RED EGG
-Grand Prix-
Shota Itoi
French Cuisine
"Maison de Taka Ashiya" (Hyogo)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Koshiro Tateiwa
Chinese Cuisine
"Wakiya Ichiemi Charou" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Masashi Motooka
French Cuisine
"Restaurant Bio-s" (Shizuoka)
GOLD EGG
Asako Kishi AwardSaki Yamamoto
French Cuisine
"CONRAD TOKYO" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Tohru Kawashima
Japanese Cuisine
preparing for a start-up
GOLD EGGHisao Taki Award
Tamaki Kobayashi
French Cuisine
"Maison Vérot" (Paris)
SILVER EGG Hisao Taki Award
Manabu Asanuma
Japanese Cuisine
"MIFUNE NY" (New York)
Hisao Taki Award
Junichi Honda
Japanese Cuisine
"SUN with AQUA Japanese Dining" (Shanghai)
RED EGG
-Grand Prix-
Kenji Akai
innovative
"AKAI" (Hiroshima)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
So Otowa
French Cuisine
"Otowa restaurant" (Tochigi)
GOLD EGG
Fuma Saki
Japanese Cuisine
looking for a new job
GOLD EGG
Riku Yakushijin
French Cuisine
preparing for a start-up
GOLD EGG
Tomoya Yamaguchi
Italian Cuisine
"IL TEATRINO DA SALONE" " (Tokyo)
SILVER EGG Asako Kishi Award
Chinatsu Fujiki
French Cuisine
"Restaurant Umi" (Tokyo)
RED EGG
-Grand Prix-
Kazutoyo Inoue
Chinese Cuisine
"szechwan restaurant Chen” (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Yohei Narita
Japanese Cuisine
"Kikunoi[main restaurant]" (Kyoto)
GOLD EGG
Asako Kishi Award
Yukino Katsura
Western Cuisine
"Bouley at Home" (New York)
GOLD EGG
Kenya Sakai
Japanese Cuisine
"Kyo Seika" (Kyoto)
GOLD EGG
Moe Hattori
Chinese Cuisine
"Lao-Fuu-Tsaii[main restaurant]" (Hyogo)
GOLD EGG
Yasuhiro Fujio
French Cuisine
preparing for a start-up
RED EGG
-Grand Prix-
Hiroyuki Shinohara
Chinese Cuisine
"ShinoiS" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Tatsuya Noda
Défricher cuisine
"Collective maison nôl" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Kenta Kayama
Creative Cuisine
"Margotto e Baciare" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Masaki Kurata
Japanese Cuisine
"Kurata" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Tsuyoshi Miyazaki
French Cuisine
"Noglu Saintonge" (Paris)
GOLD EGG
Fumio Yonezawa
Char-broiled aging meat Cuisine
"The Burn" (Tokyo)
SILVER EGG Asako Kishi Award
Haruka Sawachi
French Japone Cuisine
"6036" (Paris)
RED EGG
-Grand Prix-
Hiroki Yoshitake
Creative Cuisine
"Sola Factory co." (Fukuoka)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Kenichiro Sekiya
French Cuisine
"L'ATELIER de Joël Robuchon" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Daisuke Kaneko
French Cuisine
"L'AS/CORK" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Hiraku Fukushima
Chinese Cuisine
"Turandot Yusenkyo" (Kanagawa)
GOLD EGG
Koichi Maekawa
Japanese Cuisine
"Gion Sasaki" (Kyoto)
GOLD EGG
Hironori Maeda
Japanese Cuisine
"The 13 Hotel Tokugawa" (Macau)
RED EGG
-Grand Prix-
Keizo Sugimoto
French Cuisine
"Restaurant La FinS” (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Shintaro Awa
French Cuisine
"Hotel Le Bristol Paris" (paris)
GOLD EGG
-Second Place-
Akihiro Kogishi
French Cuisine
"Au gout du jour merveille HAKATA" (Fukuoka)
GOLD EGG
Kenichiro Sekiya
French Cuisine
"L'ATELIER de Joël Robuchon" (Tokyo)
GOLD EGG
Seita Nakahara
Italian Cuisine
"Terra" (Singapore)
GOLD EGG
Daisuke Hiraga
Chinese Cuisine
"W's Lotus Garden" (Fukuoka)
Head judge
Kunio Tokuoka
"Kyoto Kitcho"
Executive Chef
Judge
Yuji Wakiya
"Wakiya Ichiemi Charou"
Chef-owner
Judge
Tetsuya Wakuda
"Tetsuya's" Chef-owner
Judge
Yasuhiro Sasajima
"Il Ghiottone" Chef-owner
Judge
Toshihiko Yoroizuka
"Toshi Yoroizuka"
Chef-owner
Judge
Fumiko Kono
Producer of cuisines
Judge
Shinobu Namae
"L'Effervescence"
Chef
Judge
Yuki Ota
President of Japan Fencing Federation
General Producer
Kundo Koyama
Script writer
Proposer
Asako Kishi
(the late)
Journalist and Culinary critic
Proposer
Hisao Taki
Gurunavi Inc. Chairman and Director
CLUB RED is a creative culinary laboratory that brings RED U-35 (RYORININ's EMERGING DREAM) contestants who received high ratings (received the Bronze Egg or above and Asako Kishi Award / Hisao Taki Award) together with the contests’ successive judges. The club conducts diverse activities to give chefs a place to exchange, experience, and promote their culinary pursuits.
The club was launched in spring 2015 in order to realize RED U-35’s philosophy of discovering young talented chefs of tomorrow, and fostering them to become future star chefs of Japan. By partnering actively with many different companies, organizations and local governments, CLUB RED provides its members with opportunities to conduct activities that take them beyond the confines of the kitchen of their own restaurant, thus serving the purpose of enabling them to gain a depth of experience as a chef, as well as having them contribute to Japan’s culinary future. We believe in the future of CLUB RED, which holds great value and potential toward unearthing exquisite tastes