Italian Cuisine Week 2021 will be held across Japan from November 22 until November 28, featuring over 40 events celebrating the rich variety and history of Italian cuisine. In addition to tasting events offered by participating restaurants, cooking workshops will also take place across the country and online, with authentic Italian recipes for you to try at home. 

With the theme of “food sustainability,” this year sees numerous online webinars and panel discussions that will look at how sustainable kitchens, zero waste cooking and the Mediterranean diet can contribute to protecting the environment and maintaining healthy lifestyles. 

Now in its sixth year, Italian Cuisine Week is the most popular of many cultural events organized by the Italian Embassy in Japan annually and, for the 2021 edition, an online catalogue of Japan’s Italian restaurants has also been announced. Divided into four sections: breakfast, aperitif, restaurants and pizzerias, the digital catalog provides information about the best places to enjoy Italian food and culture around Japan. 

If you’re keen to participate in a tasting, learn a new dish or join a webinar or panel discussion, we’ve listed some of our favorite events below. The full program and digital restaurant catalog can be downloaded here. 

Online Webinars

November 22 – “Sustainability and traditional Italian Cuisine”
Starting from a sustainable kitchen,  this discussion will explore the key factors of food sustainability: no waste and no loss, urban farming and sustainable fishing. Free discussion Hosted on Zoom via this link.

November 22 – “Balsamic Vinegar in Italian Art History”
Free registration Zoom webinar

November 25 – “ENIT Italy Food and Travel” 
YouTube Live from Frienze central market in Italy. Free online event via this link

November 25 – “Lifestyles for human and planet prosperity: connections between Mediterranean Diet and Okinawa Diet”
Online and free via this link.

Offline Events and Tastings

November 27 – “Panettone Tasting”
Try six different kinds of panettone at Osteria dello Scudo in Shinjuku. Register in advance via this link.

December 3 – “ICCJ Gala Dinner and Concert”
Featuring an authentic Italian dinner and a lottery with special prizes. Tickets available via this link.

November 24 – 25 – “Italian Cuisine Exhibition”
Features introductions to Italian cuisine, a cooking demonstration and wine tasting seminar at Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center in Minato-ku. Reservation required. 

November 25 – “Grappa, an Italian History”
At the Italian Cultural Institute in Chiyoda-ku, Hayashi Shigeru, an expert sommelier expert in Italian wines, will talk about grappa and how its history is intertwined with the history of Italy. The event will be held in Japanese with Italian simultaneous interpretation. Free admission, registration essential via this link.

Workshops

November 22 – 28  “Online Cooking Workshop with Davide Fabiano”
Chef Davide Fabiano will demonstrate how to prepare hand-made spaghetti with lamb sauce, a classic dish from Abruzzi in central Italy. Online and free via this link. 

Recipes

From November 22 – Sustainable Italian recipes from Italian and Japanese chefs will be available for free via this link

Restaurant Deals and Events

From November 22 until December 5, 30 restaurants will hold tastings and offer special dishes. See the full restaurant list via this link.

December 22 – December 31 – “Prosecco DOC Restaurant Campaign”

200 restaurants across Japan will sell 20 brands of Prosecco DOC, see the full restaurant list via this link.