NEWS

Outstanding in the Field and BOND Set a Communal Table Inside Japan’s Mount Aso Caldera,

Honoring a Thousand-Year Landscape of Fire and Grass

ASO-KUJU NATIONAL PARK, JAPAN — This autumn, the roving culinary pursuit Outstanding in the Field and BOND—a project producer uniting top-tier global ecosystems to drive solutions for social challenges—will embark on a new journey together: setting a table to share the untold stories of Japan’s most profound cultural landscapes.
As the first chapter of this collaboration, guests will gather on Saturday, October 17, 2026, amid the sweeping grasslands of Mount Aso-Kuju National Park for a dining experience shaped deeply by fire, tradition, and the stewardship of the land.

Outstanding in the Field’s iconic long table will be set within the immense volcanic caldera of Mount Aso. This is not simply a spectacular setting, but a lived landscape shaped by human care over centuries. For more than 1,000 years, these vast grasslands have been sustained through Noyaki—a tradition of controlled spring burns—and the continuous grazing of Japan’s indigenous Akaushi (Red Wagyu) cattle. This breathtaking ecosystem exists only because of the local farmers and communities who tend the fire and soil. To gather and dine here is to directly participate in the preservation of that ongoing cycle.

Leading the field kitchen will be acclaimed Spanish chef and meat master José Gordón of El Capricho, which recently reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the 2026 “World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants” list and is consistently ranked among the top destinations globally for beef. Hosted by BOND, José will collaborate with Japanese chefs and regional producers to create a multi-course menu centered around Akaushi beef—the very cattle that maintain the Aso grasslands—and wild, seasonal ingredients sourced directly from the surrounding volcanic terrain.

Guest Chef: José Gordón (El Capricho, Spain)

Guests will begin the evening with a welcome reception before taking their seats at Outstanding in the Field’s signature communal table, set directly on the earth that shapes the meal itself. As the sun sets across the caldera and smoke from the active volcano drifts across the horizon, diners will experience a meal rooted deeply in place, honoring the hands that have kept this landscape alive.

Founded by artist Jim Denevan in 1999, Outstanding in the Field is a restaurant without walls, traveling to remarkable landscapes around the world to reconnect diners with the land and the people who produce our food.
Outstanding in the Field and BOND hope that this gathering in Aso will serve as a beautiful starting point to connect Japan’s hidden landscapes and National Parks to the rest of the world.

▼ Statement from Jim Denevan, Founder of Outstanding in the Field:

We’re especially grateful to the farmers, ranchers, and producers of Kumamoto for welcoming us to set the Outstanding in the Field table beside iconic Mt. Aso.
It’s a place where deep care for the land holds nature and culture in rare balance. Together with chef José Gordón, we’re honored to help shine a light on this extraordinary region and the way of life it continues to sustain and protect.

▼ Statement from Deane Sadler, CEO of BOND:
We are deeply honored to launch this historic initiative with Outstanding in the Field (OITF), a team that continues to deliver ultimate culinary experiences worldwide.Our goal goes beyond hosting a one-off event. Alongside top-tier global partners, we aim to broadcast the true value of Aso’s “living landscape”—a marvel maintained by the immense efforts of locals through the 1,000-year-old Noyaki tradition and Aka-ushi grazing.
We view Japan’s national parks as both a treasure trove of hidden value and a symbol of complex regional challenges that we must tackle with global partners. Collaborating with OITF in Aso is an ambitious first step to shine a light on these treasures and address social issues. We are confident that the dialogues shared at this beautiful table in the Aso grasslands will become a powerful starting line for building a new ecosystem and solving challenges for Japan’s future.

▼ Event Details:
– Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
– Location: Mount Aso-Kuju National Park, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
– Host: BOND, Inc.
– Guest Chef: José Gordón, El Capricho, Spain
– Tickets： https://shop.outstandinginthefield.com/products/october-17-2026-mount-aso-secret-location
*Seats for the Mount Aso dinner are limited and advance reservations are required.
– Instagram (OITF): Click here

▼ For Media Inquiries:
・For Outstanding in the Field: Maddie Sobol at maddie@outstandinginthefield.com
・For BOND / Aso Regional Project：info@grand-bond.com
・High-resolution images can be downloaded here： https://x.gd/vdCt6
・For more information about the Outstanding in the Field tour： https://outstandinginthefield.com/

▼ Company outline： 

Company name: BOND, Inc.
Headquarter: 1-7-2, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Executive list: President and CEO: Deane Sadler
The capital: 481 million yen (including capital reserve)
URL : https://grand-bond.com/

▼ Trademark：
All proper nouns such as registered product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies