Ajinomoto Co., Inc.'s "SOUNDFUL RECIPE" Wins Bronze in Audio & Radio at Cannes Lions 2026

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (President: Shigeo Nakamura / Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) has won a Bronze award in the Audio & Radio category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026, the world's largest festival of creativity held in June 2026, for its "SOUNDFUL RECIPE" project aimed at improving culinary inclusivity. The project was also shortlisted in the Direct category.

This project has already received high international acclaim, including a Silver award in the Radio & Audio category at "The One Show 2026," a global advertising award held in New York, USA, and a Graphite Pencil in the Digital Experience Design category at "D&AD 2026," the world's premier design and advertising award.

About "SOUNDFUL RECIPE"

"SOUNDFUL RECIPE" is recipe content released with the aim of allowing people with visual impairments to enjoy cooking more, addressing the issue that common recipe sites often use expressions that rely on visual judgment, such as "until golden brown" or "stir-fry until the color of the meat changes."

The recipes are optimized for voice reading, with text and images that would hinder voice reading eliminated, and characters prone to misreading converted. This makes them easy to use with smartphone voice reading functions. Furthermore, visual expressions like "golden brown" are rephrased into expressions that allow judgment of cooking progress through sound, aroma, and the state of ingredients, making the content easy to understand through audio alone.

Through the creation of this content, we discovered that the "sound" holds the key to cooking delicious meals without relying on sight. Therefore, the audio guide, which provides instructions for the cooking process, also introduces points for judging the state of ingredients and the optimal timing for finishing based on cooking sounds, such as the sound of tempura frying or ingredients being stir-fried.

These features are beneficial not only for people with visual impairments but also for a wide range of people, including cooking beginners and those who want to check recipes while cooking without looking at a screen. We aim to create a recipe site where everyone can feel cooking is more accessible and enjoyable.

"SOUNDFUL RECIPE" Website URL: https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/event/otodemirurecipe/

Past Initiatives

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. publishes over 12,000 recipes online, many of which are structured to rely on visual information. Among the visually impaired people living in Japan, many use gas stoves for daily cooking just like sighted individuals. Therefore, we identified accessibility challenges in recipe sites through dialogue with visually impaired individuals. To create a site where both visually impaired and sighted people can enjoy cooking more, we converted 100 recipes from "AJINOMOTO PARK" into "SOUNDFUL RECIPE" and released them as a prototype in February 2025.

Furthermore, in October 2025, the "SOUNDFUL COOKING CLUB" was launched as a practical learning space. Based on "SOUNDFUL RECIPE," this activity primarily involves visually impaired individuals learning to cook by using various sensory cues such as the sound of ingredients cooking, simmering, vibrations, and aromas, without relying on visual information. The first session started as a cooking club with high school students from the University of Tsukuba School for the Visually Impaired, marking the beginning of a new culinary experience guided by sound.

Overseas Award History

Starting with "SOUNDFUL RECIPE," Ajinomoto Co., Inc. continues its efforts to improve culinary inclusivity through recipe content enhancement and educational activities. These ongoing initiatives have been highly recognized, and this project has received the following awards at major overseas advertising awards, including "Cannes Lions 2026":

Cannes Lions 2026: Audio & Radio category Bronze, Direct category Shortlist The One Show 2026: Radio & Audio category Silver, Interactive, Online & Mobile category Merit D&AD 2026: Digital Experience Design category Graphite Pencil, Health & Wellbeing category Shortlist Spikes Asia 2026: Audio & Radio category Silver / Bronze ADFEST 2026: Radio & Audio category Silver (2 awards), Media category Bronze Cairns Crocodiles Awards 2026: Radio & Audio Campaign category Gold

Award Comments

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. "SOUNDFUL RECIPE" Project Team

We are deeply honored that this project has been recognized at "Cannes Lions," the world's premier creative stage. "SOUNDFUL RECIPE" originated from dialogue with visually impaired individuals. To create an environment where people can enjoy cooking more, we have expanded our efforts beyond recipe improvements to include real-life activities such as launching a cooking club. We are very pleased that these continuous efforts themselves have been evaluated.

This award is the result of co-creation with Miki-san, the University of Tsukuba School for the Visually Impaired, and everyone involved in this project. We express our sincere gratitude. We will continue to improve and expand recipes and promote them to society, aiming to create an environment where more people can enjoy cooking.

Miki-san, a visually impaired person who loves cooking

I am truly happy that "SOUNDFUL RECIPE" has been selected for Cannes Lions. When I cook while listening carefully, I encounter the rich tones woven by various ingredients. I have also been involved in the planning of this "SOUNDFUL RECIPE" and have further realized the joy of cooking. I hope it reaches many people's dining tables.

Overview of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the world's largest advertising and communications festival, held annually in June in Cannes, France. It brings together a diverse range of people, including globally active creators and global companies, for award ceremonies, seminars, and networking events.

For details on Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and the Ajinomoto Group, please visit Ajinomoto Co., Inc. ~Eat Well, Live Well.~