Tōtsuki Culinary Academy

Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy (遠月茶寮料理學園 Tōtsuki Saryō Ryōri Gakuen) or Tōtsuki Culinary Academy in short, is a famous international culinary school in Tokyo, Japan that trains students to become top chefs. The academy is the main setting of Shokugeki no Soma, where the main protagonist and deuteragonist, Sōma Yukihira and Taka Ishizuka, embarks on his journey to become the best chef in the world.

Description

Sōma standing just outside of the academy gates

Tōtsuki Culinary Academy is an illustrious cooking academy that is well known in the culinary industry. Due to the caliber and notoriety of the school, nearly all aspiring chefs must attend the school in order to become high class chefs. Parents have been known to beg officials to accept their children, even offering their life savings to have their child attend, though all offers are turned down. Students are only accepted after passing an entrance exam, requiring them to prepare a dish under a specific theme and pass the exam proctor's judgment. The academy accepts students starting from the middle school section. If they show acceptable merit in their school work, they will move on to the high school section. As a privately owned academy, the school board may expel students if their work does not meet their expectations, though it is uncommon for a student to be expelled in middle school. The last opportunity for a student to enter the academy is right before the High School spring first semester, after which no new applicants for a class will be accepted.

The high school section of Tōtsuki is a much more rigorous and cutthroat as the expulsion rate raises exponentially. According to the director of the academy, Senzaemon Nakiri, of the one thousand students present at the start of their high school first year, about one hundred will remain to advance in the second year, and less than ten will graduate by the end of their third. Nearly every failing grade is almost guaranteed to result in immediate expulsion and numerous mandatory class events are designed to whittle down the class and eliminate any students without great potential. Curriculum still contains basic high school level classes like math and writing, but the main focus is on culinary studies ranging from international cuisine styles and culinary theories. Students are expected to learn the technical side of cooking through bookwork and the practical side through hands-on cooking assignments and events. However, in terms of actual ending goals, students are encouraged to develop their own style or cooking forte and push it to the maximum limits. Thus most students who graduate are masters of their specialty.

Extracurricular activities exist for students such as the Newspaper Club and numerous Research Societies (RS) to further their knowledge of cooking and other side activities. The most notable club being the Elite Ten Council, who is the internal affairs council run by the ten best students in the academy. Entry into the Elite Ten is highly coveted but is extremely hard to join.

The last notable feature to the academy is their formal cooking duels, the Shokugeki. These are intense cooking battles between two or more students to settle an issue with the winner having all conditions they declared for their victory immediately met. The conditions and results of a Shokugeki are absolute.

New Curriculum

As of Chapter 139, Tōtsuki's original cutthroat style of education was abandoned by Azami Nakiri when he took the helm of Director of Tōtsuki. Believing that the old style of Tōtsuki was unfit to truly bring out the best in the students to become chef, Azami styled the school to become focused on giving everyone an equal education rather than a more specialized one. Azami and The Elite Ten selected members of the school to become a part of Central, who decides what dishes the students of the academy should learn to cook. This allows all students to potentially learn how to cook Elite Ten level dishes. After a short demo, Azami showed that his new curriculum was able to have multiple Tōtsuki Middle School students prepare an Elite Ten Council worthy dish. However, Roland Chapelle reveals that the dish shows no sense of creativity or originality, only the visage and presence of Azami's influence on it. As a result, creativity is suppressed and students are not allowed to cook anything or prepare an assigned dish in a way that is not dictated by Central.

To further reinforce this, all Research Societies and Seminar classes were dissolved. However, the clubs who managed to defeat a member of Central in a Shokugeki are allowed to continue to operate. Though students are not expelled from school for poor performances, they will be expelled should they choose not to participate, attempt to ad lib or modify the dishes they are assigned to make, or if they lost a Shokugeki with expulsion as a stipulation.

Uniform

Template:Switch3 The standard school uniform consists of a navy blue blazer that has white borders on its pockets and lapels, and a white collared shirt that is generally worn underneath. The plaid short skirt worn by females are dark and light brown with white outlines, while the pants worn by males are navy blue. They wear a diagonally striated red violet and blue bow and tie, respectively. Finally, most of the students also wear black loafers with socks or tights. During the summer, students tend to wear the white colored shirts without the blazer. The school is not too strict with the uniforms as some students wear their own undershirts such as Sōma Yukihira and Rindō Kobayashi.

The majority of the students wear the same cooking uniforms, made up of a white chef shirt and pants, presumably for the sake of hygiene. As for gym uniforms, the students wear a loose white t-shirt with dark borders around their collar and the rim of their sleeves, as well as a tag bearing their surname across the chest. They also wear dark-colored gym shorts, for ease of movement, and sneakers. For both uniforms, there are no apparent difference between genders.

Additionally, given the situation or class, there are some students who either wear distinct variants of their uniform or sport a completely different outfit, implying that Tōtsuki Academy is lenient with their uniform regulations.

Facilities

Most of the school facilities have various workplaces as one for the practices for the students to cook the meals as a part of their homework, some of them are also served as the decoration of the academy. As a school, they naturally have classrooms and lecture halls, but they also possess several kitchens on the complex. Any student can use these kitchens, as long as they fill in an application and bring their own ingredients.

• Shokugeki Arena - This building is solely for cooking duels including most Shokugekis and the Autumn Elections. It is a large square performance facility that can house well over a thousand people in the stands with the cooking floor and judging area in the center of the stands.
• Elite Ten Council Building - The Elite Ten Council uses this building to conduct their internal affairs evaluation. Each Elite Ten member has their own office to do their own private affairs as well.
• Shiomi Seminar - As a lecturer of her own seminar on spices, Jun was given a small annex building for her to research spices as well as teach her class. She cultures almost all known spices with her assistant, Akira Hayama. However, this seminar was abolished, as a result of Azami's new curriculum.
• Tōtsuki Library - Tōtsuki has a library filled with numerous academic and scientific books as well as cooking novels. It is the base for Miyazato Seminar.

Residences

• Polar Star Dormitory - The only on campus dormitory. It is home to the main protagonist of the story, Sōma Yukihira, and some of his friends.
• Nakiri Mansion - The mansion owned by the Nakiri family. It is home to all Nakiri relatives on campus and any of their assistants.

Events

• Shokugeki - The Shokugeki is the formal cooking duels of the campus. These are done to settle debates, where victory means that all conditions set are immediately carried out.
• Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp - The first class whittling event that all Tōtsuki students participate in during the spring of their first year at Tōtsuki Resort. The Tōtsuki Academy Alumni are brought in to teach and supervise the event and also to help whittle down the students.
• Tōtsuki Autumn Election - The Tōtsuki Board selects 40 first-year students while the Elite Ten Council fills in 20 more to participate in this event. The students selected participate in a tournament-styled election where the winner of the event has the opportunity to enter the Elite Ten Council.
• Stagiaire - The first-years spend several days at several culinary locations including restaurants, food suppliers, and cafeterias, working as interns at these locations. Students are required to make visible accomplishments at the locations they are assigned to or face expulsion.
• Autumn Leaf Viewing - A Tōtsuki Culinary Academy social event. The first-year students mingle with the second and third-year students. The most prominent first-years are also formally introduced to the current Elite Ten Council members.
• Moon Banquet Festival - An annual Tōtsuki Culinary Academy event. Students are invited to set up a booth to demonstrate their cooking to customers for a period of five days.
• Promotion Exams - A series of tests given to the first year students and their final hurdle before advancing to the second year. These exams were designed to reduce the number of students before Azami Nakiri revised the formula.

Anthem

The following is the official anthem of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy:

In the land of Rising Sun's bosom, in high spirits, tusks gather.
Looking up at the summit of food, alas, it's time to rouse yourself.
Hone yourself, hone yourself. The holy land of gourmet food Tōtsuki Academy is here.
Under the moon far away in the sky, it's time for the true ordeal.
Oh youngsters, serve meals on the table. Alas, it's time to fire up.
Make them yield, make them yield. The military rule of gourmet food, Tōtsuki Academy is here.

Mascots

File:Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp.png

Dog-kun and Chef-kun

Tōtsuki Academy has two official mascots, both named Dog-kun and Chef-kun who are dressed in chef's uniform. They were first featured on the guidebook for the Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp, and has subsequently appeared on the Academy's printed matters for several events. On the Promotion Exam guidebook, Dog-kun and Chef-kun respectively appeared as a reindeer and snowman

Clubs

• Chan RS - It was formed to study and perfect the creation of Chankonabe, a traditional Sumo meal. In the past, this club earned numerous awards, but overtime, they lost their former acclaim. This defunct club was an unfortunate target of Erina's Kitchen Expansion project. After losing a Shokugeki to her, the club was disbanded and the clubroom was demolished. However, the club was shortly reinstated but was abolished again, as a result of Azami's new curriculum. Its leader is Kiyoshi Gōdabayashi.
• Chinese Cuisine RS - Originally, this club studied every aspect of Chinese cuisine as the name suggested. However, ever since Terunori Kuga's ascension to presidency, he reshaped the club to only specialize in Sichuan cuisine.
• Chocolate RS - As the name suggested, this club specializes in the study of chocolate. Everything from the history, usage, and creation of chocolate are highlighted by this Research Society. However, the club was disband due to its members being defeated by Momo Akanegakubo and Etsuya Eizan in a Shokugeki during the Survivor's Purge.
• Cutting-Edge Cooking RS - This club specializes on cooking methods that utilize high-tech equipment. As Alice Nakiri defeated Kyōichi Makime in a Shokugeki, she became the president of the Cutting-Edge Cooking RS, a fact she was unaware of. It was forced to shut down after Central was founded, but this decision was revoked through a Shokugeki.
• Don RS - A small club that devoted itself to the creation of Donburi. It was another target of Erina's project and was nearly defunct until Sōma Yukihira won a Shokugeki to preserve it. Unfortunately, many of the former members abandoned the club when Erina targeted it, but is slowly reviving thanks to its newest member, Ikumi Mito. The Don RS was abolished, as a result of Azami's new curriculum. However, the ruling was overturned due to Ikumi's victory against Mea Yanai in a Shokugeki. Its leader is Kanichi Konishi.
• Local Cuisine RS - This club frequently takes trips to study the ingredients and styles found within the given area that they travel to, which are typically within Japan. Megumi Tadokoro is one of its members. The club was abolished, as a result of Azami's new curriculum. However, the ruling was overturned due to Megumi's victory against Shigemichi Kumai in a Shokugeki.
• Miyazato Seminar - A club devoted to uncovering recipes from the past through historical documents and culinary literature. This club values the academic aspect of cooking. However, as a result of Azami's new curriculum, the seminar was abolished, despite the members' best efforts to keep their beloved seminar intact. Its leader is Takao Miyazato.
• Shiomi Seminar - Originally known as Hayama seminar until Jun Shiomi succeeded the previous professor, this club specializes in the research of spices and also serves as a residency for Jun and Akira Hayama. However, the seminar was abolished, as result of Azami's new curriculum.
• Skewer RS - As the name suggested, this club specializes in skewering techniques. However, as a result of Azami's new curriculum, its leader Tetsuji Kabutoyama challenged Etsuya Eizan to a Shokugeki to keep his club intact but ultimately failed.

Non-Cooking Clubs

• Central - As a part of Azami Nakiri's reform of Tōtsuki as its new headmaster, Central was created to assist him in his quest to educate all students. Central is comprised of numerous Tōtsuki students whom Azami has chosen, and decides what dishes the students are required to make.
• Elite Ten Council - The illustrious student council at Tōtsuki comprised of the ten best students in the Academy. The council handles school internal affairs and have great power in the Academy, more so than the teachers. The seat in the Elite Ten is coveted throughout the Academy and most successful chefs were former Elite Ten members.
• Newspaper Club - The Newspaper Club runs the Tōtsuki Sports, an up-to-date newspaper detailing major events happening in the Academy. They tend to get word very quickly and can spread the news of notable upcoming Shokugekis in less than 24 hours of being made. During the Moon Banquet Festival, they are responsible for printing the flyers. Mitsuru Sōtsuda is one of its members. As most clubs were shut down at Tōtsuki, it is unknown if the Newspaper Club was also forced to shut down as a part of Azami's regime.