KOJI THE KITCHEN Academy vol.6 has been scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026!
On February 22 (Sunday) and February 23 (Monday), we plan to hold a co-sponsored event with the Higashimikawa Food Valley Initiative x Kakegawa Gastronomy Symposium.
Please join us for this special event where you can learn about and experience the food culture of Higashimikawa to Kakegawa.
What is KTK Academy?
Kojiya Sanzaemon, a seed koji manufacturer with 600 years of history, launched "KOJI THE KITCHEN" in 2021, a project to explore new possibilities of koji and create a new food culture.
Koji, which has supported Japanese food culture since ancient times, has recently been attracting global attention in various fields such as "gastronomy," "food tech," "gut health," and "food and agriculture."
Throughout its long history, Kojiya Sanzaemon has walked hand in hand with Japan's foundational fermentation culture, encompassing miso, soy sauce, mirin, and sake. In recent years, the value of koji has been rediscovered in creative cuisine by top chefs around the world, as well as in the food tech field, including alternative foods and upcycling.
KOJI THE KITCHEN Academy was born against this backdrop as a place for learning and experiencing koji to connect it to the future.
It is a program where participants deepen their understanding by learning about the small microorganisms of koji mold from a wide range of perspectives including history, culture, society, and art, and by actually touching, tasting, and discussing it. Through basic lectures, workshops, discussions, talks by domestic and international guests, and a special dinner prepared by a hotel executive chef, you can experience koji with all five senses.
The venue, the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, is a "hidden gourmet destination" blessed with some of the best agricultural and livestock products in Japan.
Why not explore the future of koji together, experiencing the diverse ingredients and fermentation culture that can only be found in this region?
Recommended for:
●Business owners and development managers who want to differentiate their company by incorporating koji and fermentation into their business.
●Those who want to discuss fermentation not only from the perspective of "nature" and "agriculture" but also from the perspective of "manufacturing technology."
●Those who want to propose a uniquely Japanese approach to existing gastronomy.
●Those who want to gain a new perspective on the connection between "fermentation" and "local communities."