Hanami Festival (花見)
Hanami (花見, "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; flowers ("hana") are in this case almost always referring to those of the cherry ("sakura") or, less frequently, plum ("ume") trees. From the end of March to early May, cherry trees bloom all over Japan, and around the first of February on the island of Okinawa. The blossom forecast (桜前線 sakura-zensen) "cherry blossom front" is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party beneath the sakura during daytime or at night.
Hanami Festival was a theme ingredient in 1 battle:
April 11, 1997
Iron Chef Japanese Kōmei Nakamura (中村孝明) vs Guangjian Yang (揚光鑑)
Hinamatsuri (雛祭り)
Hinamatsuri is a special day in Japan. Hinamatsuri is celebrated each year on March 3. Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display a set of ornamental dolls (雛人形 hina-ningyō) representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.
Hinamatsuri was a theme ingredient in 1 battle:
March 6, 1998
Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai (坂井宏行) vs Motohito Kondō (近藤元人)
Sushi (寿司)
Sushi was a theme ingredient in 1 battle:
June 18, 1999
Iron Chef Japanese Masaharu Morimoto (森本正治) vs Keiji Nakazawa (中澤圭二)