Some of the country's most highly esteemed chefs are working together to ensure that the people of the Tohoku region are not forgotten three months after being hit by the March 11 disasters.
At a charity dinner held May 31, a group of nearly 40 chefs cooked to raise money and awareness to support the region's struggling farmers, fishermen and meat producers. They plan to send chefs and kitchen workers to serve meals in the affected areas this summer.
The group, called Soul of Japan, first collaborated in October to represent the nation at the influential Worlds of Flavor culinary conference in California, an event that marked the first time so many noted Japanese chefs had ever worked together. Shortly after the catastrophic events of March 11, Soul of Japan members joined forces once again to create a disaster relief program called Soul of Tohoku that would allow them to put their culinary skills to use for charity.