KCBS Japan
American-style competition barbecue in Japan
About Jay
I’m Jeffrey “Jay” Cross, Ph.D., a Kansas City native, engineering professor, and BBQ enthusiast living in Tokyo. Growing up in Kansas City, Kansas, I learned about barbecue from my father and have continued to develop my interest in BBQ, grilling, and smoking since moving to Japan in 1993.
In 2022, I became a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) Certified BBQ Judge, and I created this website to share American-style BBQ culture in Japan, especially in the Tokyo area where cooking spaces, equipment, and local ingredients can differ from the United States.
As American-style BBQ continues to grow in Japan and BBQ competitions expand globally, my goal is to help foster a stronger BBQ community of cooks, judges, organizers, and fans. In 2025, I became a KCBS Contest Representative, allowing me to help support KCBS-sanctioned food competitions in Japan and other parts of Asia. In 2025, I created KCBS Japan with the permission of KCBS International.
Just finished bbqing a pork shoulder on my Weber electric grill to prepare pulled pork.
KCBS Japan Mission
KCBS Japan’s mission is to teach and promote American-style barbeque as a culinary technique, food sport, and cultural activity.
KCBS Japan supports this mission by:
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Providing information about American-style BBQ, grilling, and food smoking for cooks, BBQ teams, judges, organizers, and enthusiasts.
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Supporting the development of KCBS-sanctioned barbeque and food competitions in Japan.
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Helping Japanese cooks, BBQ teams, and judges participate in the international barbeque community.
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Sharing American BBQ culture in Japan and elsewhere in Asia through education, outreach, events, and community building.
About KCBS
Founded in 1985, the Kansas City Barbeque Society, known as KCBS, is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, celebrating, promoting, and educating the public about barbeque as a distinctively American cuisine. KCBS is widely recognized as the world’s leading organization for competition barbeque, with members, certified judges, contest representatives, cooks, organizers, and BBQ enthusiasts in the United States and internationally.
KCBS sanctions barbeque contests around the world and provides a standardized format for competition judging, scoring, and contest organization. KCBS Certified Barbeque Judges are trained to evaluate competition barbeque using KCBS judging standards, helping contests provide fair, consistent, and professional evaluation.
KCBS Japan supports the growth of KCBS-style competition barbeque in Japan by sharing information, helping connect cooks, judges, organizers, and BBQ fans, and supporting future KCBS-sanctioned food competitions in Japan and Asia.
For official KCBS information, membership, contest rules, judging classes, and sanctioned event listings, please visit the official KCBS website:
https://www.kcbs.us/
Trademark and Merchandise
KCBS and the KCBS logo are marks of the Kansas City Barbeque Society and are used by KCBS Japan with permission from the Kansas City Barbeque Society.
Net proceeds from merchandise sold through this website are used to support KCBS Japan activities, including outreach, website operation, event support, and the growth of American-style competition barbeque culture in Japan.
Disclaimer
The content on this website is provided by KCBS Japan for informational and educational purposes. It does not necessarily reflect the official views, policies, or positions of the Kansas City Barbeque Society. For official KCBS rules, policies, contests, and membership information, please refer to the official KCBS website.