In our previous article, we met with Midori Foray.
The ambassador for Maison Taittinger in Japan, she also presides over the Japanese selection of the Arsnova International Culinary Prize. With great rigour, a Japanese chef was thus chosen to compete in the final on 3 February 2026 in Paris.
Founded in 1967 by Claude Taittinger in tribute to his father, the ArsNova International Culinary Prize (known as the Taittinger until 2024) is a prestigious cooking competition held exclusively for professional chefs working in France, Belgium-Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, the United States and Japan.
Its aim: to play a role in preserving culinary heritage and passing on know-how to younger generations. Requiring impeccable execution, it encourages chefs to cultivate both their own unique approach and search for meaning in their cooking, considered the keys to culinary success. Originality and excellence are particularly important values in Japan, which has taken part in the competition since 1984. Hiroshi Horita had the honour of bringing home the trophy in the first year his country participated. Often well placed, Japanese finalists have scooped the prize twice in the years that followed: Kenichiro Sekiya in 2018, the same year of his mentor Joël Robuchon’s passing, and Ryo Horiuchi in 2022.
An exceptional jury
Tasked with organising the selection process since 2024, Champagne Taittinger Ambassador Midori Foray assembled a highly experienced jury for the 58th edition of the Prize in 2025-2026. Its members included two of the three former ArsNova Prize winners (chefs Sekiya 3* and Horiuchi) and two finalists (executive chefs Renaud Augier and Yu Sugimoto), as well as Lionel Beccat, 2* chef at Esquisse in Toyko. In September, four candidates unveiled their creations for the judges, all showcasing this year’s signature venison theme. Yuki Higashizono came out on top and will represent Japan in the grand international final on 3 February 2026 in Paris. The head chef from the Flying Hog Grill in Kagoshima is already well-acquainted with France, having carried out some of his training alongside MOF or starred chefs there before returning to his homeland to practice his art. His nomination will be made official at a charity dinner in Tokyo on 4 November (which we discussed in our previous article).
A spirit of solidarity
The event aims to be prestigious with a community focus. “The competition not only gives us an opportunity to shine a light on the cooking profession, which suffered a great deal during Covid, and to communicate with chefs, but also to promote food education and mealtimes for shared experiences and connection. This has become a very important issue in Japan, as it is in France,” highlights Midori Foray. Profits from the latest charity dinner provided support to various food-related initiatives for children on the Noto Peninsula, which was hit by a devastating earthquake on 1 January 2024. This community focus is fully aligned with the charitable trust Philanthropic ArsNova, which now sponsors the Signature Culinary Prize with a view to championing international cuisine on the one hand and improving access to healthy food and the pleasures of eating on the other.
