Madrid Fusion Atelier Kyoto Unites Spain and Japan in Love for the Sea and Concern for Its Future

"We need to listen more and understand better to care for the sea that gives us life and feeds us." These words by Benjamin Lana, director of Madrid Fusion, at the inauguration of Madrid Fusion Alimentos de España Atelier Kyoto, held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Kyoto, encapsulate the spirit of the format that the international gastronomy congress debuted in 2024 in the Japanese city. This year, it has doubled its duration and content with the sea as the thematic axis. "The sea with a broad vision that includes dialogue between chefs, scientists, and artisans, because we need to listen more and understand better to care for this source of life and food," Lana noted during an inauguration presided over by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas.

"That this congress takes place in Kyoto is very significant because Japan is one of the priority countries and markets for the Spanish agri-food market, and because our relations are based not only on economic exchange but also on cultural affinity and mutual admiration," the minister stated. The presentations that followed proved him right, as all the expositions focused on the immediate and particular memory, with a constant theme: the appreciation of the small, the defense of the artisanal, and the concern for preservation. Javier Olleros, from Culler de Pau** (O Grove), opened the session, managing to overcome the language barrier and move, amuse, and surprise with dishes like his monkfish skin French toast dessert, a technically advanced and formally simple creation, but above all, a declaration of principles calling to value things that seemingly have none.

Next, chefs Katsuhito Inoue (Chef's Table by Katsuhito Inoue, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Kyoto) and Luca Fantin, the Italian chef based in Japan, presented their joint session. They prepared an antipasto misto di pesce (a selection of small traditional bites served as an appetizer in Italy), where both chefs combined their own memories with small nods to each other's culture.

Albert Raurich, chef and owner of Dos Palillos* and author of the Bullipedia volumes dedicated to Japanese gastronomy, also delivered a masterful presentation. Representing Catalonia, the congress's guest region, he drew parallels between Japanese and Catalan gastronomy in a historical and culinary journey.

The day was also accompanied by products from Catalonia, World Region of Gastronomy 2025, the guest region of this edition, present in various creations that reinforced the connection between the two gastronomic cultures. Additionally, Aquanaria added a marine touch to different bites, providing quality and sustainability with its farmed sea bass.

Master of Wine Fernando Mora also built bridges, discussing the commitment of Spanish winemakers to native grapes that express the territory, the recovery of old vines, and organic and biodynamic cultivation.

Chele Gonzalez from Cantabria, chef of Gallery by Chele (Manila), and introducer of the gastronomic restaurant concept in the Philippines, offered an immersion into the pristine, temperate, and wonderful waters of the Pacific that bathe the archipelago from the perspective of an Atlantic native. "In the Philippines, there is a cuisine of immediacy, because what the environment provides is cooked and consumed on the spot," Gonzalez said, also speaking of even more surprising parallels, such as Kinilaw, a dish similar to ceviche and also ancestral, using natural fruit vinegar as an acid. As a tribute to his own culture, he prepared a coconut pilpil for a scaled fish; a different and personal facet of culinary mestizaje.

The great Japanese master Yoshihiro Narisawa (Narisawa**, Tokyo) also attended, illustrating an emotional reflection on how even rainwater over a river ultimately influences the fish we eat, with a series of landscape dishes of astonishing plastic beauty; a talent and sensitivity that have earned him recognition from colleagues worldwide.

In the scientific section, Japanese geneticist Takashi Gojobori explained how his team at Marine Open Innovation is applying genomics to help preserve marine biodiversity in Japan's coastal areas, traditionally rich in fishing but now seeing their fertility diminished. Gojobori, like chef Yoshihiro Narisawa, advocated for the role of artisanal fishermen, with whom they are working to conserve these ecosystems. The day concluded with a gastronomic dinner by chefs Javier Olleros, Yoshihiro Narisawa, Katsuhito Inoue, Chele Gonzalez, and Luca Fantin.