International Academic and Practical Event on “Umami Science and Nutrition” Held at TSUOS
On October 15, 2026, an international academic and practical event entitled “Umami Science and Nutrition” (うま味科学と食文化) was held at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies (TSUOS), at the initiative of the Japanese company Ajinomoto and in cooperation with the TSUOS Higher School of Japanese Studies.
The event was opened by Nodir Karimov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at the university, and Kenji Hirata, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Uzbekistan. The programme featured presentations on food science, traditional food culture, and healthy nutrition. In particular, Professor Jiro Nakayama of the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyushu University delivered a lecture entitled “Gut Bacteria and Traditional Asian Foods,” while Shin’ichi Okoshi, Executive Vice President of the University of Tokyo and Professor of Chemistry, presented a lecture entitled “Kikunae Ikeda and the History of Umami.”
In addition, Ana San Gabriel, a quality assurance specialist at Ajinomoto and Executive Director of the Umami Information Center (UIC), delivered a presentation entitled “MSG Safety and Reducing Salt Intake.” Nurmat Atabekov, Acting First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health, and Yoshiteru Masai, Chairman of the Japan Umami Seasoning Manufacturers Association, also addressed the event.
The event contributed to strengthening TSUOS’s academic and scientific cooperation with Japanese universities and organizations, expanding opportunities for international exchange of experience among faculty members and students, and promoting the scientific study of Japanese cuisine and food culture.
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