The Conference of Japanese Food Distributors in New York will present the Japan Pavilion at the 2009 International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, held March 1-3 at the city's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Also taking place at the same location will be the Flavor of Japan Seminars.

The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York is held every March and is the largest food service industry show on the entire East Coast. The 2009 show will mark the event's 14th year, with some 550 vendors exhibiting over 10 thousand different food products. Attendees will represent restaurants, hotels and a wide variety of other food industry-related services.

The Japan Pavilion will feature 24 booths representing four members of the Conference- Central Boeki, Daiei Trading, Nishimoto Trading and New York Mutual Trading and 30 manufacturers of the products sold by those distributors. Another Conference member, JFC, decided to have its own booth before this year's Japan Pavilion was planned; however this will still be considered part of the Conference's activities.

Among the wide variety of unique and high-quality products on display will be Japanese liquors, including sake and shochu, which have been enjoying wide popularity among New Yorkers. Foods will showcase the indispensible ingredients of traditional Japanese cuisine: shoyu (soy sauce), miso, kome (rice), kombu (seaweed), katsuo-bushi (dried bonito) and, of course, wasabi. Also featured will be green tea and konjac (alimentary yam paste), long-recognized for their health benefits. And for added variety, Wa-bocho (Japanese knives), the extraordinary products that make sashimi and sushi possible, will be on display.

At the Flavor of Japan Seminars, Mr. Yosuke Higuchi, chef-in-residence of the Consulate General of Japan in New York, will lecture about and demonstrate the use of basic seasonings, how to make dashi broth from kombu and katsuo-bushi, and how to properly fillet fish. Seminars will also be given by Mr. Nobuyoshi Kuraoka, owner of Restaurant Nippon. Restaurant Nippon has the longest history of any Japanese restaurant in New York, dating back to 1963, and Mr. Kuraoka will draw upon this history to demonstrate the preparation of soba (buckwheat) noodles. Lectures on other subjects related to Japanese food culture are also scheduled.

The Conference of Japanese Food Distributors in New York was formed in April 2007 by Metropolitan New York-based Japanese distributors that sell Japanese food to restaurants and retailers. It has contributed to the spreading and promoting of Japanese culinary culture through special events such as the March 2008 "Japanese Jizake - Artisan Sake Tasting at the Ambassador's Residence."

The Japan Pavilion was previously presented in 2007 and 2008 by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and operated by JETRO. This year, with the private sector sponsoring the pavilion, it is the first time that several of New York's Japanese companies have joined forces to participate in a food tradeshow on such a large scale. MAFF, the Consulate General of Japan in New York and JETRO New York are supporters of the events. Administrative services are being provided by Azix, inc.

Mr. Kosei Yamamoto, Deputy President of New York Mutual Trading, said, "I have watched as Japanese food has recently grown in popularity in the U.S. Local Japanese restaurants and groceries have introduced a wide variety of Japanese foods to Americans, leading to their greater public recognition. For us, it looks as though the next big objective is to make Japanese food a part of everyday American eating habits, so that even the average American family can enjoy it. This is the purpose of the Japan Pavilion: to promote the spread of Japanese food by presenting the first ever private Japanese food event at the largest food show in the U.S. I think that bringing together distributors and manufacturers in this manner will prove to be exciting for the trade show, and ultimately our best opportunity to showcase and promote Japanese food in the U.S."