"UMAMI GATE NAGOYA" — A New Initiative to Attract Inbound Tourism Through Fermentation Culture

Centrair as the Gateway, a Popular Anime Collaboration, and an Experiential Stamp

UMAMI GATE NAGOYA実行委員会

2026年4月28日 16時00分

"UMAMI GATE NAGOYA" is now officially launching.

This project positions Chubu Centrair International Airport as the "Gateway" to Japan's umami, and the entire city of Nagoya as a "Food Theme Park of Umami." From a long-term perspective, it showcases the food and tourism appeal of Nagoya and Central Japan.

As its first initiative, in partnership with MADE IN WORLD&CO, limited-edition collaboration items featuring a popular anime will go on sale from Wednesday, April 29, 2026 (national holiday). In addition, an experiential stamp rally offering attractive rewards will be held from Monday, May 11, 2026. Together with limited-edition collaboration goods from MADE IN WORLD&CO, the project creates a new experiential tourism model for Nagoya.

What is "UMAMI GATE NAGOYA"?

A new inbound tourism project woven from Nagoya's fermentation culture

"UMAMI GATE NAGOYA" is a long-term initiative designed to share with the world Japan's uniquely layered food culture of "UMAMI" especially the fermentation culture deeply rooted in Nagoya and Central Japan and to powerfully drive inbound tourism. Chubu Centrair International Airport is positioned as the first "Gateway" through which international visitors encounter Japanese umami, while the city of Nagoya itself becomes a "Food Theme Park of Umami" where the depth of the region's cuisine can be experienced firsthand.

The project focuses on Nagoya's distinctive food culture, shaped by fermented seasonings such as miso, soy sauce, and mirin, and aims to deliver a truly moving "UMAMI experience" to every visitor. Nagoya is home to a remarkable concentration of Japan's most celebrated fermented seasoning producers, including the roughly 400-year tradition of Hatcho miso, tamari soy sauce, white soy sauce, and Mikawa mirin. These are far more than simple seasonings — they are "cultural assets" shaped over generations by the region's climate, artisanal craftsmanship, and daily life.

It is worth noting that this project is not aimed solely at international visitors. Japanese customers and domestic travelers are equally welcome to participate in the same experiential programs. Whether you are a local, a traveler from elsewhere in Japan, or a guest from abroad, everyone is invited to enjoy Nagoya's food culture together in an open and inclusive project.

Embracing Diverse Food Cultures: Muslim-Friendly and Vegetarian Menus Widely Available

To ensure that guests from around the world can enjoy Nagoya's "UMAMI" with confidence, some certified stores offer a wide variety of Muslim-friendly and vegetarian-compatible menus (please check the website for details on individual stores). Dishes designed with consideration for religious dietary laws and different eating styles open the door for more people to experience Japan's fermentation culture and umami flavors.

In recent years, the profile of international visitors to Japan has grown increasingly diverse. Accommodating Muslim travelers from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as well as the globally expanding vegetarian and vegan segments driven by rising health and environmental consciousness, has become an important theme in preparing inbound tourism infrastructure. At UMAMI GATE NAGOYA, participating stores leverage the fact that key fermented ingredients such as miso, soy sauce, and dashi are plant-based, exercising creative ingenuity to offer shojin-style approaches featuring vegetables, tofu, yuba, and fu, as well as Muslim-friendly menus with careful attention to ingredients and preparation processes.

Discover the Appeal of UMAMI in Nagoya

UMAMI is internationally recognized as the "fifth taste," following sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. It is the deep, distinctly Japanese flavor born from fermentation cultures surrounding miso, soy sauce, dashi, and more. "UMAMI GATE NAGOYA" treats Centrair as the "Gateway" and the entire city of Nagoya as a "Food Theme Park of Umami," offering an experiential tour in which visitors enjoy this "UMAMI" through the iconic dishes of Nagoya's food culture.

Everyday life in Nagoya is deeply rooted in fermentation: a miso culture symbolized by Hatcho miso, along with soy sauce, mirin, and other fermented ingredients. Miso-nikomi udon made with red miso, miso-katsu, dote-ni, hitsumabushi (eel glazed with a sweet-savory tare), and hand-pulled kishimen served with white soy sauce — none of these dishes would exist without the umami of fermented seasonings. Explore "UMAMI GATE NAGOYA" Through the Experiential Stamp Rally!

As the first initiative of the project, an experiential stamp rally in limited-time collaboration with MADE IN WORLD&CO will be held from Monday, May 11, 2026. The rally invites participants to visit UMAMI GATE NAGOYA certified stores scattered across Nagoya while experiencing firsthand the city's food culture and the depth of "UMAMI." The program will launch with 35 participating stores, with further expansion planned.

Simple to enjoy — collect stamps and earn limited collaboration rewards

Participation is straightforward, allowing both international visitors and Japanese customers to explore Nagoya with ease. With your stamp card in hand, visit certified stores marked with the UMAMI GATE NAGOYA logo and enjoy their signature UMAMI menus. Earn one stamp for every 1,000 yen (tax included) spent on food, and collect 10 stamps to receive a limited-edition anime sticker.

Where to receive the stamp card: Available at each certified store.
Where to redeem the sticker: At LUXURY FLIGHT on the 1st floor of Flight of Dreams, Chubu Centrair International Airport.

Discover Nagoya's "Umami"! Official UMAMI GATE NAGOYA Certified Stores

Experience the Umami of Nagoya and Central Japan at Certified Stores

At UMAMI GATE NAGOYA certified stores (starting with 35 participating stores), visitors can enjoy iconic dishes of Nagoya's food culture along with special menus that showcase the power of fermented seasonings. From traditional Nagoya classics such as hand-pulled kishimen, miso-nikomi udon, and hitsumabushi, to contemporary fermentation-inspired creations, and Muslim-friendly and vegetarian-compatible menus, the range of "UMAMI experiences" is remarkably broad.

Please check the official website below for the list of certified stores.

▼ UMAMI GATE NAGOYA Official Website — Certified Store List URL: ???????

A Lavish Collaboration with MADE IN WORLD&CO! Limited Rewards and a POPUP Store

Collect stamps for a limited-edition sticker — plus, pick up collaboration T-shirts

Collect 10 stamps by visiting UMAMI GATE NAGOYA certified stores to receive a limited-edition anime sticker produced by the project's partner, MADE IN WORLD&CO.

At Chubu Centrair International Airport, a MADE IN WORLD&CO POPUP shop will open from Wednesday, April 29, 2026 (national holiday) for a limited time. The shop offers a wide range of limited-edition collaboration items (including T-shirts) created with popular Japanese anime titles. Sticker redemptions for the stamp rally will also take place at this POPUP shop, so please stop by.

While this anime collaboration is limited to the first phase of the project, the UMAMI GATE NAGOYA initiative itself will continue to develop a variety of programs from a long-term perspective.

▼ POPUP Store Information (collaboration item sales and sticker redemption)

Venue: LUXURY FLIGHT, 1st floor of Flight of Dreams, Chubu Centrair International Airport
Collaboration item sales period: From Wednesday, April 29, 2026 (national holiday)
Stamp rally period: From Monday, May 11, 2026 The above dates apply to the first phase of the anime collaboration.
Business hours: 10:00–18:00
Address: Centrair 1-1, Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture