LDH kitchen Inc. promotes Japanese food culture both in Japan and overseas under the concept of “Food is also entertainment” (Head office: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Hiroyuki Suzuki; hereinafter referred to as “our company”).

Yoshiteru Ikegawa, the owner of Meguro’s “TORISHIKI,” a restaurant which frequently receives MICHELIN stars, operates 14 “TORISHIKI ICHIMON” locations in Japan and overseas, and is renowned as “Japan’s most difficult restaurants to book,” is working together with our company to enhance the value of Japanese food culture. TORISHIKI ICHIMON participated as a special participator in the national tournament, the “41st Culinary Arts Training Facilities Cooking Technique Competition (commonly known as: Gourmetpic, hereinafter referred to as “Gourmetpic”),” held on February 19, 2026 (Thu.) at Musashino Cooking College.

As a result of the competition, the Prime Minister’s Award, the highest honor, was awarded to Yuna Obara (Nagoya Tsuji Culinary Institute / Chinese cuisine).
In addition, Shintaro Sato, an LDH culinary artist and owner of “Toriyaki Ohana” presented the LDH Kitchen Inc. Award (hereinafter referred to as “LDH Kitchen Award”), one of the Special Participating Company Awards newly introduced at this year’s competition.

“Skills, Spirit, and Culture” to the future──The message embodied in the LDH Kitchen Award
Gourmetpic is one of Japan’s leading culinary competitions. Representatives are selected from approximately 13,000 students across 266 culinary training schools nationwide, and 55 finalists who advance through regional competitions proceed to the national tournament.

Our company and Torishiki ICHIMON have long continued efforts to nurture young talent, focusing on the pillars of “the transmission of skills,” “the creation of opportunities for young chefs to take on challenges” and “enhancing the value of food culture.” This participation and award presentation represent another step forward in advancing these initiatives.

Furthermore, this participation also strengthens the foundation for nurturing the chefs of the future and clearly demonstrates our commitment to supporting the inheritance of food culture and the next generation of talent.

Expanding opportunities that connect to the future──The meaning behind the new “Special Participating Company Awards”
The Special Participating Company Awards newly introduced at this year’s competition, was created from the organizers’ philosophy of “shining a light on more young talents.” One recipient is selected in each category from every sponsoring company (three in total per company), and this year six individuals from two companies were honored.

The LDH Kitchen Award is one of these newly established awards, created to encourage and support young talent from the perspective of advancing food culture.

■ LDH Kitchen Award – Winning dishes
Challenges reflected in three plates──Technique and creation at the Heart of “next-generation on-site skills”
At Gourmetpic, selected young chefs bring together all the skills they have cultivated during their studies within a limited amount of time, expressing both “technical precision (fundamentals)” and “the materialization of original ideas (innovation)” in a single dish.
The evaluation goes beyond the finished plate. Judges also assess how the knife is handled, the control of heat, preparation and workflow, hygiene, posture, and overall conduct──in other words, the entire process of being a chef.
The three dishes introduced below are works that truly embody this spirit.

＜ Japanese Cuisine Category ＞

Award Recipient: Minato Tochikubo (Machida College of Culinary Art)
──A dish that embodies the “tranquility of technique”
Japanese cuisine, distinguished by delicate knife work and precise heat control that brings out the natural qualities of the ingredients.
The harmony between the plating and the dashi was beautifully expressed, resulting in a dish where strong fundamentals and refined aesthetic sensibility crystallized into a single plate.

＜ Western Cuisine Category ＞

Award Recipient: Noa Kudo (Koen Culinary Institute)
──Harmony Created by “Technique and Composition”
Built on a foundation of classical techniques, this dish also showcased distinctive creativity in its plate composition and sauce work.
The precision of the cooking and the cohesion of textures stood out, resulting in a work where culinary theory and creative sensibility came together and sparkled in excellence.

＜ Chinese Cuisine Category ＞

Award Recipient: Matoi Aono (International College of Cooking and Confectionary)
──Highlighting ingredients through “speed and precision”
Chinese cuisine that brings out the best in ingredients through cooking at a fast pace and the texture of just-cut ingredients.
The clear depth of flavor and the contrast of colors were striking, resulting in a dish that vividly reflected the tension between speed and technical skill.
 

■ Future initiatives
Collaboration with the association confirmed──Participation as a supporting member (from March 2026)
Our company and Torishiki ICHIMON will officially participate as “*supporting members” from March 2026 in the Japan Association of Training Colleges for Cooks.
Through this participation, we will further strengthen our framework for continuously supporting the young talents who will shape the future, while providing support for the association’s public-interest activities, including education, human resource development, and the promotion of food education.
Official website for the association: https://www.jatcc.or.jp/
*Supporting member: A membership category for individuals and organizations that support the association’s public-interest initiatives.

■ Competition Overview
Name: 41st Culinary Arts Training Facilities Cooking Technique Competition (commonly known as: Gourmetpic)
Date & Time: February 19, 2026 (Thu.)
Venue: Musashino Cooking College (Toshima-Ku, Tokyo)
Organizer: Japan Association of Training Colleges for Cooks
Participants: 55 finalists (Japanese cuisine: 21 individuals / Western cuisine: 21 individuals / Chinese cuisine: 13 individuals)
Eligible Students: Culinary students from 266 schools nationwide (approximately 13,000 expected graduates)
Official Website: https://www.jatcc.or.jp/works/competition/

【Reference】
Detailed Release on the Competition Results (issued by the Association):
The top winner of the 41st Gourmet Pick National Competition is Yuna Obara of Nagoya Tsuji Culinary Institute
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000063.000043735.html (Released on February 25, 2026)
Special participator release (issued by our company)
LDH Kitchen and TORISHIKI ICHIMON become special participants in the “41st Culinary Arts Training Facilities Cooking Technique Competition”
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000021.000139583.html(Released on February 6, 2026)

■ About LDH kitchen
LDH kitchen Inc. is a company that operates under the concept of “Food is also entertainment,” creating value through the culinary experience. Aiming to preserve Japanese food culture, the company works alongside Yoshiteru Ikegawa, owner of the renowned yakitori restaurant “TORISHIKI” to promote the training of skilled artisans and expand opportunities for them to thrive.

In addition, through collaboration with Japan’s leading sushi establishment Sushi Saito, LDH kitchen operates two restaurants—“Sushi Tsubomi” and “Sushi Saito Hanare NANZUKA”—broadening the reach and appeal of Japanese culinary culture.

Furthermore, the company operates “AMAZING COFFEE” nationwide, a coffee shop concept produced by EXILE TETSUYA and on March 20 of this month, a new type of yakiniku restaurant, “Hokkaido Yakiniku Yagien”, supervised by EXILE SHOKICHI, is scheduled to open.

We will continue to promote a broader range of food culture than ever before and, through the distinctive worldview of the LDH Group, strive to create new food experiences rooted in local communities.

■ About TORISHIKI ICHIMON
Since its opening in 2007, Meguro “TORISHIKI” has held a MICHELIN one-star rating for many years and is recognized as “the hardest-to-book yakitori restaurant in Japan”. Its owner Yoshiteru Ikegawa, as the representative of artisan chefs, established “TORISHIKI ICHIMON” to further develop the culture of yakitori.
“One skewer, one life”
——A once-in-a-lifetime skewer.
With this faith in mind, the chefs spend their entire life facing chicken, charcoal and themselves.
This is a brand where like-minded artisans gather together to preserve and cultivate the traditions of Japanese culinary culture and weave them into the future, all while passing on their skills and spirit.
Currently, the brand has 14 stores in Japan and abroad, with plans for further expansion.

— Weaving yakitori culture into the world, for the next generation

■ MORE INFO | For the latest updates, please visit the official website / social media
For details of the stores, information is published on TORISHIKI ICHIMON’s official site and social media below. Please take a look.
TORISHIKI ICHIMON official site: https://torishiki-ichimon.jp/
TORISHIKI ICHIMON official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torishiki_ichimon/
Torimachi｜Bird Lab. official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torimachi_official/