Tokyo
The government has launched a campaign against restaurants in the U.S. and Europe that claim to be serving authentic Japanese food while actually offering diners Korean, Chinese, or fusion cuisine. To counter the profusion of faux-Japanese food, the Ministry of Agriculture will award seals of approval to overseas eateries deemed "pure Japanese." "Japanese food is a highly developed art," agriculture minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka told The Washington Post. "It should be beautifully presented, use genuine ingredients, and be made by a trained chef." Commissions set up by Japan in the U.S. and in Europe will evaluate restaurants' "Japanese-ness" and issue seals to those that pass muster. Restaurants that serve "California rolls" or pan-Asian dishes will not qualify.
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