Sushi is more than just a simple Japanese dish pairing vinegared rice with raw fish – it is a science, a skill and an art form.
Though many claim to be adept in the craft, only a handful have succeeded in becoming world-renowned masters of sushi. Fortunately, the gift is not only limited to the Japanese, and the World Sushi Cup Championships has made it their mission to celebrate the expertise of sushi chefs from every corner of the world.

The World Sushi Cup Championships is intended to recognize the very best chefs in the world of sushi. During the event, contestants go head-to-head in a battle that judges skills, techniques, correct hygiene application, taste, appearance and creativity.

This year marks the sixth competition since it’s original launch back in 2016, and whilst the contest remains open to foreign talent in the industry, due to the ongoing coronavirus situation, only applicants located within Japan are able to apply for this year.

The competition is scheduled to get underway on the 2nd of March, and is split into two separate events – the Open Competition Edomae Sushi Class which will take place between 11:00am and 12:30pm, and the Open Competition Creative Sushi which will commence from 13:30pm and last until 15:00pm. The results will then be announced from 15:30pm.

Open Competition Edomae Sushi Class

Beginning at 11:00am, this first event is a mixture of both a workshop and preliminary round. Participants will watch live demonstrations from a first-class sushi instructor employed by the International Sushi Knowledge Certification Association and the National Federation of Sushi Business Life Hygiene Trade Associations. They will then follow this up by putting what they have learned into practice.

What will be covered?

– An Introduction to Japanese ingredients and food culture
– How to correctly use Japanese ingredients when preparing traditional sushi dish
– A proposal of menu suggestions for beginners in sushi making

Open Competition Creative Sushi

Having been judged on their performance in the Edomae Sushi Class 10 participants will be put through to the final Creative Sushi round. In this round, the contestants will be given 40 minutes (with points deducted if extra time is needed) to prepare a sushi dish of their choosing. The idea is to get creative, and so it is not too unusual to see the use of ingredients that don’t conform to those used in traditional Japanese sushi. These dishes will then be tasted and evaluated by the judges.

Applications for participation in the 2022 event are still open, so if you are a foreigner based in Japan (with or without experience in sushi) and would like to try your hand out in a sushi competition make sure to register online by the 10th of February.

World Sushi Cup Championships 2022

Date: 2 March 2022
Time: (first round) 11:00am – (end of award ceremony) 17:00pm
Venue: ATC Hall, Asia-Pacific Trade Center Osaka
Participation fee: free

First round maximum number of participants: 20
Second round maximum number of participants: 10
Eligible applicants include foreign cooks in Japan who are interested in sushi, foreign cooking school instructors, students, etc.
*The class will be conducted in Japanese with a translation into English. If the interpreter is not necessary then the event will commence in Japanese.