About us

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About us

〜Check our school out in this video.〜

01Coaching through small classes / homeroom teacher system

Through in-depth instruction in small groups, we grow responsiveness, rich minds and creativity necessary for chefs. Also, the homeroom teacher system creates a warm school atmosphere where students can relate to each other. Develop communication skills required in the cooking field through our classes.

02Professional equipment to develop practical skills.

In order to be industry-ready, it’s important to accumulate training in a pro-like environment to polish your skills. At our school, we have a variety of training facilities including cooking training rooms for groups. We own cutting edge equipment used in hotels and restaurants.

03A variety of practical training and special lectures

We offer “Special Lectures and Training” where you can choose either overseas training or a medical/welfare food course, as well as French language classes, which is essential for French cuisine kitchens. We also offer a wide variety of hands-on training and special lectures, including food coordination, where students learn how to assemble rich and varied menus.

04Top-class renowned instructors

Our instructors are exceptional instructors who have mastered the art of cuisine. Top chefs who are renowned in Japanese cuisine, breadmaking, western cuisine will teach you advanced techniques. Also unique to our school is hands-on instruction and special lectures by world famous chefs and pâtissiers.

05Pressure-free learning with a 5-day week system

Our school has adopted a five-day week system and has created a curriculum that allows students to slowly and steadily develop their skills over the course of two years. School events are designed to be enjoyed at ease, helping you to have a fulfilling student life.

06Facilities/equipment

We cultivate advanced practical skills with professional facilities and equipment.

Hokuto Bunka Academy collaborate since 2016 with Institute Lyfe with the aim to develop new training programs intended for international and Japanese students and is a member of the international Alliance network since 2023.
Alliance network is a unique leading global network of excellence in higher education gathering 26 partner schools and universities across 4 continents. Its goal is to promote and develop the professions in hospitality, food service and culinary arts management while keeping the cross-educational experience as a fundamental pillar.
Founded in 2004 by Institut Paul Bocuse (now Institut Lyfe), the Alliance has become a truly international hub of expertise in hospitality management, food service and culinary arts education, today in 23 countries: Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Ecuador, Finland, France, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United States.
For further details, please visit the Alliance network website.

Course overview

Washoku, a set of culinary traditions and knowledge unique to Japanese culture, was included by UNESCO on the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in December 2013. The essence of traditional Japanese cuisine is characterized above all by respect for the seasons and products, the subtlety of flavors, the combination of textures and colors and the diversity of its terroir. The role of the cook is to tweak and balance each ingredient to bring out the subtle savoriness of its natural umami taste.
The Japanese Culinary Arts and Culture program has been developed in collaboration with the notorious Institute Lyfe (formerly Institut Paul Bocuse) and is designed to provide a clear and coherent overview of the quintessence of Japanese gastronomy and its culinary techniques while putting it into perspective with regards to the cultural, social and philosophical context in which it has developed over the centuries.
The aim of this program is to enable students to acquire precise knowledge of the core culinary concepts and techniques that make Japanese cuisine so unique while also learning Japanese language and practicing cultural activities so they can develop a global vision of Japanese society and culture.

We truly hope that this experience could serves as an opportunity to foster the human and professional qualities that will allow our students to stand out in their future professional career.

Alumni Voice

To learn more about the experience in Japan of former students, please visit
A semester immersed in the cuisine and culture of Japan
on Institut Lyfe website.

01Specialized Program Chef Culinary Course (1-year program)

About the Course

Even those with no experience in cooking can take a step-by-step approach from the basics to advanced techniques, learn deeply about the responsiveness, creativity, and etiquettes necessary to become a professional chef, and aim to obtain a chef’s license.

Curriculum

Public Health Science, Dietetics, Nutrition, Food Hygienics 1 & 2, Hygienic Regulation, Cooking theory, Culinary Science Experiment, General Food Culture, Cooking Training, Comprehensive Cooking Training

Obtainable Qualifications

◎Cooking License (Japanese National Qualification)
◎Professional chef/Cooking technician qualifications exam exemption qualification (skills exam) [designated by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare]

02Advanced Professional Course (1-year program)

About the Course

Students who have obtained a cooking license can aim to further advance their career in this course, learn further advanced knowledge and techniques and improve their expertise as food professionals. Students will also have the opportunity to polish their language skills and international sensibility, expanding their chances of playing an active role in the international society.

Curriculum

[General Education Subjects] nternational Human Relations Theory, Service Hospitality, Restaurant Management
[Major Education Subjects]Applied Cookery Theory, Applied Cookery Science Experiment, General Food Culture, Applied Cookery Training, Comprehensive Cooking Training, Advanced Cooking Training 1&2, Special Cooking Training, Challenge Shop, Food Service Practical Skills, English, French 1&2, Cutting-Edge Cooking Skills

~Public Job Training~ (Muroran College of Technology(Mono-Tech-Muroran) Contract Training)

A Restaurant/Take-Out shop run by students

We hold a monthly student-run restaurant called the “Challenge Shop” as a part of comprehensive cooking training and advanced cooking skill training. In an environment very close to a real cooking site, students use their knowledge and skills learned in class to practice everything from cooking to serving and customer service. Students will acquire knowledge, skills, and behavior that will be useful immediately following graduation, and their professionalism will increase by serving actual customers. The menu features a variety of dishes designed by students under the supervision of the instructor in charge of cooking training, and is served to customers at the school’s restaurant or as a take-out menu. This is a class where students can experience the challenge of being a chef and experience personal growth while pursuing customer satisfaction through practice.

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Developing personnel with “high values” for immediate industry-readiness in the global society.

Hokuto Bunka Academy
International School of Culinary & Arts
Principle Manami Sawada

Cooking ingredients from all over the world are now easily available and we have entered an era where everyone can constantly enjoy worldwide cuisine, even in Japan. Nowadays, we live in an era where there is the possibility of working in a wide variety of cooking fields and we believe that the most needed personnel are those who can be conscious of customer satisfaction in any type of cooking field. The important thing in becoming a chef who can consider customer satisfaction is to be a person with high values.
We have been working hard for many years to train chefs that meet the changing times and needs. During this time, we believe that it is important that we continue to provide education that focuses on developing people who can think deeply, are able to independently grasp things and are able to act from the perspective and feelings of others. We believe that the acquisition of knowledge and skills, as well as human education is the source of developing personnel who can play an active role as responsible leaders and contribute to society in the future.
In 2004, our school entered into an academic partnership with the National Paul Ogier College of Tourism and Culinary Arts in Nice, France, and we actively engage in exchange programs with culinary training schools in France, Vietnam, Russia, and Taiwan. We provide many opportunities for students to acquire an international mindset in a variety of ways. Then, in 2016, we formed an academic partnership with INSTITUT PAUL BOCUSE, a prestigious culinary school located in Lyon, France. With mutual cooperation between the two schools, we are aiming at fusing the cooking techniques of Japan and France and nurturing the next generation of food creators who will lead global food trends.
Taking advantage of our small class system, we focus on educating each young person who aspires to become a chef about food safety management, based on the basics of cooking skills for cooking Japanese cuisine, Western cuisine, Chinese cuisine, confectionery, and bread making.
We will continue to strive as a school that helps students acquire cooking skills in a wide range of genres and cultivate the basics of professionals who will be immediately effective in society.

April 2021