Sinan Damgacıoğlu, the first Turkish chef appointed as a “Goodwill Ambassador of Japanese Cuisine” by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is bridging cultures by training young chefs in authentic Japanese techniques while introducing guests to traditional Japanese dishes.
At a cooking workshop in Karaköy, Istanbul, Damgacıoğlu prepared a classic Japanese breakfast called ichiju sansai, featuring salted grilled salmon (shiozake), Japanese omelet (tamagoyaki), sesame spinach (horenso no goma-ae), miso soup with seaweed (wakame), steamed rice and pickles. Using Japanese knives, cookware and traditional ceramic bowls for presentation, he demonstrated meticulous attention to detail in both preparation and service.
Damgacıoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the goodwill ambassador title is awarded to those promoting Japanese cuisine correctly. He joined a Japanese government program in 2016, designed to train non-Japanese chefs in authentic culinary techniques, receiving a scholarship to study in Tokyo and graduating as a “Silver Chef.”
Afterward, he co-founded a culinary academy in Türkiye with fellow graduate Didem Yalçınkaya and Japanese master chef Shunichi Horikoshi, bringing the Japanese culinary program to Türkiye. To date, they have trained 31 chefs. Damgacıoğlu is now one of three Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassadors in Türkiye.
“Before this program, I didn’t understand the differences within Asian cuisines – Chinese, Japanese, Korean. In the West, ingredients in Eastern cuisines seem similar, so we treat them as one. I wanted to learn how to integrate these ingredients into Turkish cuisine,” he said.
Emphasizing the Japanese master-apprentice tradition, Damgacıoğlu explained: “In Japan, becoming an expert takes years. Even cooking rice perfectly requires patience.” He noted that Japanese cuisine is structured around the ichiju sansai formula, one soup, three side dishes and a main course, usually with steamed rice and pickles, creating a balanced meal at every breakfast, lunch and dinner.
He also highlighted the slow, deliberate eating style in Japan, contrasting it with Turkish dining habits and noted that green tea and water are the preferred beverages.
Damgacıoğlu stressed the cultural importance of chopsticks, noting strict etiquette rules and symbolic meanings tied to traditions such as funerals.
He said Japanese cuisine has long been on the radar of elite chefs worldwide due to its low-fat techniques, layered flavors from dashi broth and health-conscious preparation. Japan’s culinary history reflects adaptation, first incorporating Chinese influences, then developing its own style during centuries of isolation, and later integrating elements of Western cuisine. Today, Japan’s culinary landscape includes washoku, recognized by UNESCO and yoshoku, Western-influenced Japanese dishes.
Damgacıoğlu focuses on nurturing chefs interested in Japanese cuisine while correcting common misconceptions. He highlighted that sushi, for example, originated as a preservation method for fish, not merely a raw delicacy and that regional variations abroad often diverge from traditional Japanese techniques.
“My strength is blending Japanese cuisine with our own flavors. In my restaurants, I serve dishes exactly as in Japan but adapted to Turkish tastes, or I create ‘Mediterranean-Asian fusion’ dishes. I never mislabel fusion dishes as traditional Japanese,” he said.
He also emphasized introducing Japanese cuisine gradually to newcomers, noting that many first-time sushi eaters react more to the texture than the taste. “Starting with properly prepared sushi or non-sushi Japanese dishes helps people appreciate Japanese cuisine authentically,” he explained.
