Shima Kanko Hotel is a resort hotel in Ise-Shima Kashikojima where you can spend a wonderful time outside of the ordinary.

In 2014, I was appointed executive chef of the Shima Kanko Hotel, and in my second year, I was in charge of the working dinner at the Ise-Shima Summit 2016. When I shook hands with the leaders at the venue, I was more nervous than when I was cooking, and it was a truly valuable experience. Even though it was a difficult task, I felt the joy of accomplishing a big job by working together as a team to clear each task one by one.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested that the food for the Ise-Shima Summit "use ingredients from Mie Prefecture," and so we began visiting local producers. Seeing the production sites with our own eyes, such as mandarin orange fields, fishing ports, bonito smokehouses, and sake breweries, and listening to the producers' stories was more enjoyable than anything else, and we were able to learn a lot from them. Abalone and spiny lobster, which are typical ingredients of the hotel, are protected and cultivated by the region's own systems for size restrictions and fishing seasons to prevent resource depletion due to overfishing. We have great respect for the efforts of the fishermen who practice such sustainable fishing.

We want people to know more about the producers of these rich local ingredients. The "Ise-Shima Gastronomy Lunch Tasting Party" was started in the summer of 2017 and is held alternately every month at the French restaurant "La Mer" and the Japanese Restaurant “Hamayu”. A seasonal ingredient theme is set, and producers are invited to hold a mini lecture. This is an opportunity for customers to learn about the appeal of local ingredients and the culture and background of the ingredients, and producers can see how the ingredients are eaten and the moment when they are born into a new dish, making it a valuable opportunity to connect "producers", "customers" and "hotels".

In this way, Shima Kanko Hotel conveys the richness of food in the Ise-Shima region of Mie Prefecture through its cuisine, and actively promotes "Ise-Shima Gastronomy," an initiative to protect and support resources. "Gastronomy" is the study of ingredients and culture, and is also known as the study of fine food. Ise-Shima has long been known as "Mikkekuni," a land of food, and has provided food to the Imperial Court, and has continued to protect its resources with its own unique rules. Shima Kanko Hotel's "Seafood French Cuisine" was created more than 40 years ago, mainly using ingredients from Ise-Shima, and this is the very idea of ​​"gastronomy," and this spirit is still preserved as a tradition of the hotel.

We want to continue to meet the expectations of our close friends and guests who come to stay from afar, who say, "After all, Shima Kanko Hotel is the place to be." At the same time, together with our staff, we hope to provide cuisine that is unique to this place, which allows guests to experience the ingredients and culture of Ise-Shima, and the thoughts of the producers.