Toyo Suisan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Noritaka Sumimoto) will hold a soup recipe contest “Smile” Food in Tohoku 2024 with the theme of “freeze-dried soup” for high school students in the Tohoku area who are interested or interested in “food.”
This project began in 2015 and will be held for the 10th time this year for the purpose of “healthy development of youth who will lead the future of food and contribution to local communities.” Last year, a total of 48 schools and 174 teams applied, and after going through document screening and finals from the viewpoints of “deliciousness,” “regionality,” “originality,” and “feasibility,” Yamagata Prefectural Yamabe High School's “Yes! “Yamagata specialty imoni style minestrone” won the championship. Last year's winning work will be commercialized in the fall of 2024 and is scheduled to be sold only in the Tohoku region.
We will continue to carry out projects on the theme of “freeze-dried soup,” aiming to contribute to society in the Tohoku region and further raise awareness. Furthermore, the contest has been sponsored by the Boards of Education of Aomori Prefecture, Iwate Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Akita Prefecture, Yamagata Prefecture, and Fukushima Prefecture since 2020.
■Project Overview
| titles | SMILE “FOOD” PROJECT IN TOHOKU 2024 | |
| Recruitment theme | Original menu recipes that assume freeze-dried soups | |
| Eligibility | Students enrolled in high schools in the Tohoku area (3 people per team) | |
| Implementation dates | July 1 (Mon) to September 6 (Fri) | Application period ※Must arrive on 9/6 |
| 9/12 (Thu) to 10/11 (Fri) | Document screening ※Teams to participate in the final tournament will be selected | |
| 10/17 (Thu) | Notification of selection results | |
| 11/30 (Sat) | Final competition (presentation judging and tasting screening) | |
| Fall 2025 | Commercialize the winning team's work with freeze-dried soup in cups | |
| How to apply | Please check the details by downloading the proposal from our website below. You can apply using the dedicated form on the website that will be set up during the application period. | |
| Examination method | We will select from the viewpoints of “deliciousness,” “regionality,” “originality,” and “feasibility.” After qualifying based on document screening, a final tournament will be held for the 6 teams representing each prefecture and the 10th commemorative tournament team, and presentation screening and tasting screening will be conducted. | |
| Awards/Recognitions | The winner, runner-up, special award, and encouragement award will be selected and commended. The winning team's work will be commercialized under the Maru-chan brand the following year. | |
| perks | Various additional prizes will be given to the winner, runner-up, special prize, and encouragement prize teams, and Maru-chan products will be presented to the teams that apply. | |
| patronage | Aomori Prefecture Board of Education, Iwate Prefecture Board of Education, Miyagi Prefecture Board of Education, Akita Prefecture Board of Education, Yamagata Prefecture Board of Education, Fukushima Prefecture Board of Education | |
| Contact information | Toyo Suisan Co., Ltd. CSR Public Relations Department Doo and Oda | |