Connecting the Kingdom of the Netherlands with the town Yamada through food culture.

The “Host Town Activities” are becoming active in various parts of Japan in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
At Happo-en, we utilize our knowledge of event production and food to support these various activities. The local governments from the three prefectures affected by the Great Tohoku Japan Earthquake have supported and participated in the “Arigatou Recovery Host Town" program, which has lead to interacting and creating new connections with various countries and regions overseas. One of the local governments is Yamada city in Iwate Prefecture, a seaside town that has had a long history of exchange with the Kingdom of the Netherlands which start back in the Edo period when a Dutch ship landed on its shores.

Happo-en collaborated with Mr. Jun Yamazaki, the owner of the restaurant “Wami Ajidokoro Ippuku” in Yamada city, who we met through our activities and were so inspired by his enthusiasm for local foods and ingredients. Chef Joji Kanno, head chef at Happo-en, and Mr. Yamazaki teamed up to create a scallop rice dish as scallops are considered a specialty of Yamada city. Happo-en also planned and produced serval exchange events in the Kingdom of the Netherlands such as a food exchange event at a restaurant in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and an exchange party that introduced both Iwate and Dutch cuisines. We will continue our activities and act as a bridge between Yamada city and the Kingdom of the Netherlands..