In Usuki City, Oita Prefecture, the concept of sustainable gastronomy is being advanced not merely as a slogan but as an integrated, lived practice rooted in everyday community life. This approach goes beyond the use of local ingredients: it represents a cross-sectoral initiative that connects agriculture, education, culture, and the local economy, positioning food as a central axis for community-led development.
At the heart of this initiative is a commitment to organic farming and the circular use of local resources. Since 2010, the city has operated the Usuki Soil-Making Centre, which utilises local organic materials such as plant matter and pig manure to produce a mature compost known as Usuki Yume Compost. Agricultural produce grown with this compost is certified under the city’s own scheme as Honmamon (genuine) agricultural products. As of March 2024, 49 local farms had received this certification. This framework not only embeds environmentally responsible agriculture locally but also underpins food safety and consumer confidence.
The initiative has also expanded into the education sector. Usuki City actively incorporates Honmamon produce into school meals, with such ingredients accounting for 24% of all school meal provision in the 2023 academic year. This not only supports the health and wellbeing of children but also serves as a foundation for food and environmental education, creating daily opportunities for young people to connect with local farming and the natural environment. The city’s work has been recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries through its selection for the Organic Village Development Programme, positioning Usuki as a national model for the promotion of organic agriculture.
In addition to this productive and educational cycle, Usuki is home to long-standing producers of fermented foods such as miso and soy sauce—industries that date back to the Edo period. One example is Kani Shoyu, a soy sauce brewery founded in 1764. Far from being preserved simply as a legacy enterprise, it is regarded as a cultural food asset, having grown in tandem with the region’s environment and way of life.
Usuki’s multi-layered efforts culminated in its designation as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Gastronomy in November 2021. It is only the second city in Japan, after Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture, to achieve this status. Among the 56 cities worldwide that are part of this network, Usuki stands out for its deeply place-based model of food culture, developed not as a performative element of tourism, but as an organic extension of the lives and traditions of its residents.
Through sustained collaboration between local government, farmers, educators, and traditional industries, Usuki’s example provides an internationally relevant model of sustainable regional development rooted in gastronomy and community resilience.
Above video: ‘The Way of Gourmet Cooking in USUKI – To The Creative City of Gastronomy USUKI’ – (English ver.) Copyright © Usuki City. All Rights Reserved.
