[Remarkable Achievement] Our staff member, Runa Higashikata, wins the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award at the "National Japanese Cuisine Competition" for the second consecutive year.

Our chef, Runa Tobo, received the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Award at the 43rd All Japan Culinary Competition, held on August 26, 2026, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho Hall.
Toho also won the same award in the "Skills Competition Division" of the 42nd competition last year.
This marks my second consecutive year receiving this award. Moreover, this year's award is different from last year's.
This award was in the "Open Entry Category," making it a remarkable achievement for a single chef to win the same award in different categories for two consecutive years.

The All Japan Culinary Competition is organized by the Japan Association of Professional Chefs, a public interest incorporated association, and is a competition where chefs from all over Japan compete in their skills and expressive abilities.
The "Skills Competition Division," in which I participated last year, is considered a stepping stone for young chefs, where they compete on the cooking techniques and plating precision they have cultivated through daily training.
On the other hand, the "Open Entry Category" that I participated in this time is a category where renowned chefs from all over the country gather to showcase their skills. Based on tradition, they are required to utilize their experience and knowledge to express themselves freely, from the combination of ingredients to creation and presentation.
We prepared a seven-course kaiseki meal, four more dishes than the one in the skills competition.
This award, which highly praised his free-thinking and expression, means that he has reached the top of the nation in both technical and creative aspects for the second year in a row, and it is a great joy for both him and our museum.

At our restaurant, we offer "Kaiseki Komachi," a creative Japanese kaiseki meal that incorporates local ingredients such as traditional Shinshu vegetables and wild plants, Shinshu beef, golden chicken, and Shinshu salmon, while cherishing the best aspects of traditional Japanese cuisine and adding a new sensibility.
This award is a testament not only to Higashikata's own efforts, but also to the hard work of the head chef and other culinary staff, as well as the daily dedication of the entire inn. We will not consider this award as the end goal, but will use this experience to improve our daily cooking, striving to create dishes that will make our guests want to eat them again.