Minamiboso City, located in Chiba Prefecture of Japan, is a fishermen town where tradition is kept. It is home to Japan's one and only shrine dedicated to the God of Cooking, Takabe Shrine, and here, a special ritual called the "Hocho-shiki (Knife Ceremony)" is held.
About the Hocho-shiki (Knife Ceremony)
The 58th Emperor Koko, who had deep knowledge of cooking and would gather ingredients on his own, ordered his two close aides, later known as the Father of the Restoration of Japanese cuisine, to develop new cooking etiquettes to establish them as a ritual to commemorate creatures sacrificed for cooking. Thus the ritual "Hocho-shiki", or Knife Ceremony, was born, and has been passed down for more than 1,000 years. Using a knife and cutting board, fish like carp, red sea bream, red sea bream, and bonito fish are prepared without ever touching them with hands to express its sacredness. Following traditional movements, the techniques used during the ceremony are truly the work of a master. The Knife Ceremony is a solemn ceremony that passes down the tradition of Japanese cuisine to this day.
Cinematography: Takashi Fukui, Yohei Nakano
Motion graphics: Ami Kato
Producer: Ichiro Kosugi
Director: Chihiro Yasuda
Translations: WaWo Japan Travel
Produced by: Minamiboso City Tourism Association