Photo/Illutration Owners of traditional Japanese-style restaurants announce new certification standards for anti-virus measures in Kyoto on July 27 with Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki, second from right in front row. (Rikako Takai)

KYOTO--In the age of the novel coronavirus, how can eating establishments make diners feel safe again?

The owners of traditional Japanese-style restaurants here think they have found a way. They teamed up to create a certification system to promote restaurants taking thorough measures against the risk of infections to woo back customers.

The new system is called “Chef’s Criteria of New Normal,” a name chosen to emphasize that they are setting the highest safety standards for the entire Japanese restaurant industry to adjust to the challenging times. It will be put into operation in September.

“Kyoto is the center of Japanese cuisine,” Yoshihiro Murata, 69, president of three-star Michelin restaurant Kikunoi, told a news conference on July 27. “When Kyoto goes into action, it becomes widespread, creating a big movement.”

To become certified, restaurants need to meet 100 standards, covering anti-infection measures for private rooms, hygiene-control procedures in kitchens and other actions.

Many of the standards are based on numerical guidelines, such as the number of customers based on appropriate calculations and the amount of air required for proper ventilation for each space.

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The logo of the Chef’s Criteria of New Normal certification system (Provided by the preparatory committee for the Anshin no Shoku Project　certification system)

The certification was developed by a committee made up of the owners of 16 established restaurants, including Hyotei, another three-star Michelin restaurant, the 480-year-old Nakamuraro, Kinobu and Minokichi.

Armed with subsidies of about 5 million yen ($45,300) from the prefectural government, the restaurateurs spent a year and more than 10 million yen coming up with the new system, a process that included consultations with experts.

The certification is issued by a third-party organization after it conducts an on-site survey to ensure the standards are being met.

The prefectural government on July 19 announced its own certification system, which hands out stickers to restaurants that meet its 38-point guidelines.

But the Chef’s Criteria of New Normal regime is stricter, covering more than twice as many standards.

“This system is much stricter than ours because it also involves standards for food hygiene and compliance,” Kyoto Governor Takatoshi Nishiwaki said.

“It is an effort aimed not only at preventing infections but also at shaping the future of food culture that will support Kyoto for generations to come.”

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