Grand Prize
Osamu Tagata
Osamu Tagata
Handmade Soba Tagata
Born and raised in Mochimune, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City, I have lived alongside the sea since childhood. After training at a whitebait shop for about 10 years, and working as a company employee, I entered the world of soba noodles. Now in my 23rd year as a soba restaurant owner, I have been practicing the revival of slash-and-burn agriculture and the cultivation of heirloom buckwheat in Ikawa for over 10 years, focusing on the "agricultural, forestry, and fisheries cycle" that nurtures forests and enriches the sea. Currently, I serve as the representative of both the heirloom crop and heirloom buckwheat councils, and I work to make Shizuoka a "culinary capital" that the world can be proud of.
Mountains and the sea are nearby.
Dish description
We offer Igawa's slash-and-burn cultivated, Shizuoka native buckwheat as "mizu soba," brewed with the groundwater of the Abe River, which springs forth from 60 meters underground. The umami is extracted at low temperatures from Shimizu's kabusecha tea, and the vibrant broth comes from fresh shirasu (whitebait) from Mochimune. Enjoy the bounty of the mountains, rivers, and sea of magnificent Shizuoka, boasting an elevation difference of approximately 6,000 meters from the Southern Alps to Suruga Bay.
Ingredient description
・Buckwheat flour (Igawa, Shizuoka native variety)
• Water (Haginishiki Sake Brewery's groundwater from the Abe River)
• Tea leaves (Toyokoen Kabusecha)
• Homemade salt (seawater from Suruga Bay)
・Shirasu (Okada Shoten)
Shizuoka Best Chef Award Ceremony, held on February 15, 2026 (Sunday): Acceptance speech by Mr. Tagata
Initiative: To protect and nurture the local nature, people, and culture in an integrated manner.
We have direct connections with producers from all over Shizuoka Prefecture, such as wasabi from Umegashima Sugiyama Farm, heirloom buckwheat from Shizuoka, raw whitebait from Mochimune, and aonori seaweed from Lake Hamana, and we express the "story of the land" that each ingredient holds in our dishes.
As the chairman of the Okushizu Traditional Crops Liaison Council and the representative of the Shizuoka Traditional Buckwheat Branding Promotion Council, he acts as a bridge between government officials, researchers, and producers, promoting the branding of local resources and the preservation of cultural heritage. He also dedicates himself to food culture education for the next generation through lectures at high schools and universities in the city. He revived slash-and-burn agriculture in Ikawa and is working to improve the environment of the mountains, rivers, and sea.
Thoughts on cooking: Originality, creativity, challenge, and communication
Originality: The philosophy of "reflecting the memories of Shizuoka in soba noodles." We translate the flavors of Shizuoka, nurtured by the region's climate, culture, and human activities, into soba noodles. We pursue the aromas and aftertastes that can only be born in that land.
Creativity: Offering "combinations of ingredients" and "a dish as an experience." The bounty of Suruga Bay and the aroma of the mountains: "Raw Shirasu Soba."
"Cold Tea Broth Soba," which uses Shizuoka tea as the base for the broth. Experience the nature of Shizuoka through your taste, smell, and sight.Challenge and communication: We always operate with the core principle of "connecting people and communities through food."
We aim to create opportunities for exchange through food culture, offer soba noodle making classes, and more visitors from within Shizuoka City and outside the prefecture, thereby creating a cycle of "from the mountains to the city, and from the city to the mountains."