Japanese Cuisine: A Study of Tradition, Flavor and Culture
with Suntory Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies
The CIA offers bachelor’s degree students the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture and explore its gastronomy through a full-semester concentration.
The Japanese Cuisine Concentration enables students to deeply study the nuances of Japanese ingredients, flavors, techniques, and culinary philosophy. While most of the coursework takes place on the Hyde Park, NY campus, students learn directly from a renowned Japanese chef and a visiting professor from the prestigious Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan.
To complement classroom learning with real-world experience, the program includes a 10-day immersive, carefully curated tour of Japan. Students visit top restaurants, meet expert culinarians, explore agricultural sites, observe skilled kitchenware artisans, and attend lectures—all designed to offer firsthand insight into the country’s food culture.
Through this journey, students gain a deep appreciation for Japanese hospitality, seasonality, craftsmanship, and the pursuit of excellence that defines Japanese cuisine.
This opportunity to engage meaningfully with Japan’s culinary traditions is both life-changing and career-enhancing for aspiring leaders in the global food industry.
Japan’s stature and influence in the culinary world have risen meteorically in recent years. Washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine), a social custom handed down from generation to generation that expresses Japanese people’s respect for nature, was designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013.
If you’re passionate about Japanese cuisine, there’s no better way to experience it than by learning from experts. Hiroko Shimbo, CIA Adjunct Chef Instructor, is an authority on Japanese cuisine, and she teaches the culinary courses in this concentration. She is joined by the renowned chef Hiroki Murashima of the Tsuji Culinary Institute, who leads the advanced culinary course. Become a true master of basic and advanced techniques for preparing authentic Japanese delicacies. You’ll even earn sake certification and prepare a full Kaiseki dinner for esteemed guests.
Learn more about additional concentrations available to CIA students here.
Concentration Highlights
Discover the history and culture of this UNESCO heritage cuisine that has been preserved and mastered by chefs and cooks over centuries.
Discover the fundamental concepts and skills of Japanese cooking, including knife skills, charcoal grilling, steamed foods, rice cookery, frying, noodle making, and more.
Learn to make umami-rich dashi, sashimi, yakitori, tempura, and many more essential Japanese staples.
Explore philosophy and advanced techniques and nuances associated with traditional Kaiseki cuisine.
Prepare classic Japanese menus and dishes both casual and elegant.
Practice skills through with family meals served in class.
The CIA works with the Soul of Japan Foundation to organize a culinary tour of Japan for students enrolled in a Japanese Cuisine course at its Hyde Park, NY campus.
Cuisine and Culture Tour of Japan
As a part of the Japanese Concentration, students will travel to Japan to experience the culture and cuisine first-hand, hosted by Japanese corporate supporters
You’ll travel to Japan and experience the country’s flavors, ingredients, kitchen tools, philosophy, aesthetic themes, and hospitality.
In 10 days, you will tour Tokyo—the city with the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world—and visit the streets of Kyoto and Osaka, with side trips to villages to meet with specialty food and cookware producers.
Watch this video about CIA students experiencing a 10-day culinary tour of Japan
“Having the opportunity to go to Japan and really witness the culture was inspiring and unforgettable. Seeing the way these people lived through their food and hospitality was unlike anywhere on earth. ”
- Isaac Martin, CIA Bachelor’s Degree Student
“Learning how to pay attention to each individual element of not only a single dish, but of an entire menu and eating experience, is one of the most crucial parts of this industry”
“It’s about understanding Japanese culture, their society, and also its people, and understanding the gratitude they have to nature, water, and their cuisine. ”
- Sunny Huang ‘25, CIA Bachelor’s Degree Student
“This trip proved to me that going to the CIA was the best decision of my life.”
- May Yang ‘25, CIA Bachelor’s Degree Student
“I’ve grown so much I can’t even recognize myself from before this experience. I’ve grown a lot in terms of techniques, skills, and knowledge from masters of the cuisine.”
- Onajah Ebanks ‘25, CIA Bachelor’s Degree Student
“There are so many different things that I have learned throughout this one semester that opened up my mind to a completely different way of experiencing food.”
“Japanese cooking classes have equipped me with valuable skills and insights that can be applied across various career paths within the culinary industry. Whether I choose to pursue entrepreneurship, education, writing, consulting or any other venue, my education in Japanese cuisine will undoubtedly be a recipe for success.”
“Japanese culinary culture is something that every chef should study for some period in time as there is so much to learn that can improve the way you think about food.”
Concentration Courses at Hyde Park, New York
The Advanced Japanese Cuisine course with Chef Hiroki Murashima, the Suntory Visiting Professor from Tsuji Culinary Institute, culminates in the production of a Kaiseki dinner served to esteemed guests, including Japanese government representatives, corporate supporters of the Concentration, CIA faculty and administrators, and other invited guests.
Only CIA students in the Food Business Management degree, Applied Food Studies degree, or bachelor’s degree completion program are eligible for this concentration.
