Now that "washoku," traditional Japanese cuisine has been added to UNESCO's Cultural Heritage list, the Japan External Trade Organization said Friday it will establish a branch in Kyoto aimed at popularizing Japan from the seat of the country's traditional culture.

JETRO President Satoshi Miyamoto met Kyoto Gov. Keiji Yamada and Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa on Friday to inform them of the organization's decision to establish a Trade Information Center in Kyoto.

The idea to establish the center in Kyoto was planted after Kyoto's municipal and prefectural authorities issued a formal request to JETRO in February.

According to JETRO, the center will open on Jan. 15 at the Kyoto Research Park, a facility that hosts international conferences, meetings and exhibitions, in Kyoto's Shimogyo Ward. The center will initially be run by a four-member group, but municipal and prefectural officials said they would add additional staff at a later date.

The Kyoto information center will bring the total number of such institutions in operation across the country to 41.

JETRO officials believe the center will not only help popularize washoku, but will also help promote exports of Kyoto's traditional crafts, such as Nishijin silk fabrics and Kyo Yuzen dyeing, as well as attracting foreign companies to the region.

"Kyoto is one of the regions with the highest potential for doing business abroad, as it boasts highly acknowledged agricultural and marine products and rich tourism resources," Miyamoto stressed during Friday's press conference.

"I'm really looking forward to the opening of the center and I also hope this will help enhance international relations," Yamada said.