ITOCHU Announces Co-sponsorship of Kimu Ghiottone Junior Booth to Sell Classic Japanese Rice Dishes Using the Takata No Yume Rice Brand from Rikuzen-Takata City

October 27, 2015

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) is dispatching volunteers for the production process of Takata no Yume, a brand of rice being sold by Rikuzen-Takata City, while providing support for the promotion and sales of the product through ITOCHU Food Sales and Marketing Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Hideyori Kondo, President & CEO) in an effort to support the affected areas through its main business activities.

The ITOCHU Group, in a bid to boost the visibility of Takata no Yume, will co-sponsor and provide an ingredient for the Kimu Ghiottone Junior Booth to be on display at JAPAN HARVEST 2015 to take place on Marunouchi Naka Dori on November 7 (Sat.) and 8 (Sun.) The Kimu Ghiottone Junior Booth will be used to sell classic Japanese rice dishes that use Takata no Yume and jointly developed by 17 elementary school children, who were selected from those who applied in response to a public call, along with Chef Yasuhiro Sasajima and Yuichi Kimura of the Yoshimoto Creative Agency Co., Ltd. known as a foodie and comedian. ITOCHU Food Sales and Marketing will co-sponsor Takata no Yume, Nippon Access Inc. will provide meats and fresh vegetables, while ITOCHU-SHOKUHIN Co., Ltd. will offer condiments.

JAPAN HARVEST is a new endeavor aimed at continuing the lineage created by the JAPAN FOOD FESTA, which had been held for the past three years as a festival of foods and that of agricultural and fishing industries. It is a trade fair where world-class Japanese foods from all over the country come together, and is an annual event sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries where people can embody the allure of Japanese cuisine through actual tasting. Its objective is also to have foreign visitors to Japan understand the beauty of Japanese cuisine, with the aim to broadcast this to as many people as possible around the world. ITOCHU endorses the objective of this event and will act as a co-sponsor because the event will serve as an opportunity to have more people find out about Takata no Yume – which is duty-bound to realize the dream of reconstruction in Rikuzen-Takata City – by having well-known people prepare it, and simultaneously transmit the news about the allure of Japanese foods both within the country as well as abroad.

ITOCHU aims to contribution to the industrial reconstruction and regional renewal of the disaster-stricken areas through the Takata no Yume Project and will work on various types of support for the affected areas by maximizing the comprehensive power of the ITOCHU Group.

Overview of the Kimu Ghiottone Junior Booth exhibit

Date and time November 7 (Sat.) – 8 (Sun.), 2015  11:00 - 16:00
Location Marunouchi Naka Dori (in front of the Marunouchi Building)
Content Sales of two classic Japanese rice dishes prepared by 17 elementary school children, who were selected from applicants, along with Chef Yasuhiro Sasajima (owner chef of IL GHIOTTONE), with the booth produced by Yuichi Kimura of the Yoshimoto Creative Agency (name of the menu has not been determined).
Price

500 yen (planned); quantity to be sold: 1,000 servings

(250 servings of each item expected per day)

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JAPAN HARVEST 2015

Date and time 11 am – 4 pm on November 7 (Sat.) – 8 (Sun.)  11:00 to 16:00
Venue Marunouchi Dori, Gyoko Dori, Roppongi Hills
Admission free
Sponsor Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Operated by Japan Harvest Administrative Office
Content

Over 80 tents and food trucks to participate

About Takata no Yume

Takata no Yume is a variety of rice that was launched in 2013 by Rikuzen-Takata City after it suffered devastating damage from the tsunami, with the aim of establishing it as a proprietary brand for the region, assuring regional competitiveness and creating a symbol of agricultural recovery. The city invited the public to suggest a name that would be loved by everyone nationwide, and the name was chosen because the project literally carries the dreams of Rikuzen-Takata City. ITOCHU has been providing volunteer staff members for assistance for processes starting from rice planting all the way until rice harvesting. Distribution of the rice by ITOCHU Food Sales and Marketing began in November 2013. ITOCHU’s efforts to support the affected areas through its main business activities cover the entire process from production to distribution.

ITOCHU’s Takata No Yume Project: