[Japan Material Koshien Shizuoka Tournament Report] Regional ingredients from across Japan gathered at Sunpu Castle Park. The inaugural champion is the white-grilled 'Deshico' eel from the Lake Hamana brand.

The Future Town Planning Organization (Secretariat: COMMON Inc.) held the 'Japan Material Koshien Shizuoka Tournament' on May 30 (Sat) and 31 (Sun), 2026, at the Momijiyama Garden Square in Sunpu Castle Park, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, to showcase the appeal of primary industries, regional ingredients, and food culture from all over Japan.

This event is a participatory gathering where visitors eat, see, touch, and vote on 'materials' from across the country, allowing them to encounter the appeal of regional ingredients and the sentiments of producers and business operators.

The event's slogan is, 'Your vote decides Japan's best material.'

Approximately 8,000 people visited the Shizuoka tournament over the two days. The event featured material areas, food truck zones, marche areas, music stages, kids' parks, disaster preparedness cars, and food education workshops, drawing many visitors from children to adults.

On the second day, May 31 (Sun), the weather was sunny with temperatures reaching 29°C in Shizuoka City. Many families and food enthusiasts visited the Momijiyama Garden Square, creating large crowds at food stalls and food trucks. The stage area was even more vibrant than the first day, with visitors enjoying music and performances while exploring the food and marche.

As a result of the visitor vote, the white-grilled 'Deshico' eel from the Lake Hamana brand was crowned the first-ever champion of the 'Japan Material Koshien Shizuoka Tournament.' The white-grilled eel, which highlights the natural flavor of the product, was highly praised by many visitors. Offered at an accessible price of 500 yen, it was enjoyed by a wide range of generations, with visitors commenting that it was delicious, fatty, and that they wanted to eat it again.

The tournament was covered by Shizuoka Shimbun and Shizuoka Broadcasting (SBS), and featured in television reports. Japan Material Koshien is a project that goes beyond being a food and sales event; it acts as a place for regional producers, businesses, companies, local governments, and visitors to gather, rediscover the value of regional ingredients, and create opportunities to support them.

Additionally, the 'Rethink Disaster Preparedness Stockpile Car' was exhibited to help people feel closer to disaster preparedness in daily events. Through the distribution of disaster stockpile rice balls, visitors were encouraged to think about preparedness during emergencies while enjoying food.

Japan Material Koshien plans to hold events across the country in the future. The next tournament is scheduled to be held on June 27 (Sat) and 28 (Sun), 2026, at Hanabata Square in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture.