Blog posts & News

A KCBS Certified Barbeque Judge, often called a CBJ, is a person trained through KCBS to judge competition BBQ using KCBS procedures and scoring standards. In KCBS-sanctioned BBQ contests, Certified Barbeque Judges help provide a fair and consistent judging process. Judges evaluate BBQ entries through a blind judging process, which means they do not know which team prepared each entry. KCBS judging focuses on key aspects of competition BBQ, including appearance, taste, and te

KCBS Japan to offer certified bbq judge training course with organizer KCBS Japan is preparing to offer KCBS Certified Barbeque Judge (CBJ) classes in Japan from September 2026. The CBJ class provides training in the Kansas City Barbeque Society judging system and scoring standards. Participants learn how KCBS competition BBQ is evaluated and gain practical experience tasting and judging competition-style BBQ. Becoming a trained KCBS judge is an opportunity to learn more abou

Jay was pleased to participate in the 2026 Japan BBQ Championship as a judge and to meet many of the cooks, judges, organizers, volunteers, and BBQ fans helping to grow American-style BBQ culture in Japan. The event brought together teams with different BBQ styles and approaches, creating a valuable opportunity to experience the continued development of competition BBQ in Japan. Events like JBC are important because they give cooks a place to challenge themselves, judges a pl

May is widely recognized in the United States as National Barbecue Month, a time when many people fire up grills and smokers as the outdoor cooking season begins. For KCBS Japan, it is also a good opportunity to introduce the difference between casual grilling and American-style low-and-slow BBQ. 5月はアメリカでNational Barbecue Monthとして知られ、屋外でグリルやスモーカーを楽しむ季節の始まりでもあります。KCBS Japanでは、カジュアルなグリル料理と、低温でじっくり調理するアメリカンBBQの違いを紹介する良い機会と考えています。

KCBS Japan is pleased to share that “Wagyu Meets KCBS: Building Competition Barbecue in Japan” by Jay Cross, KCBS Representative – Tokyo, Japan, was published in the May 2026 issue of The Bullsheet, the member publication of the Kansas City Barbeque Society. The article introduces Japan’s growing American-style BBQ scene and discusses the potential for future KCBS competition barbecue in Japan. It highlights Japan’s strengths in craftsmanship, attention to detail, ingredient

Kansas City barbecue is more than just a meal; it is a beloved culinary tradition that ignites joy in the hearts of many. At the heart of this tradition is Henry Perry , a pioneer who sparked this flavorful journey, influencing not just a city, but a culture. A Humble Beginning Henry Perry's journey began in the early 1900s when he set up a modest stand in an alley in Kansas City. He sold smoked meats wrapped in newspaper. His unique approach to barbecue featured a peppery s

I created a facebook group named Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) Japan or KCBS Japan for short to promote holding KCBS santioned BBQ...

In March and June 2025, I participated in four BBQ competitions in Kansas, Texas, and Arkansas, training as a Kansas City BBQ Society...

In 2024, I BBQed, grilled and smoked a variety of meats, cheeses and vegetables as shown in the photo collage below. One of the...

In Japan, from New Year's day many activities are repeated. So they are denoted by the first activity of the year e.g. New Year's Party...

BBQ sauces and rubs from Kansas City

Recently, I decided to make bbq ribs and slow-cooked pulled pork with seasonal fruit sauces. Actually this was my third attemp to make...

It has been a while since I used my customized Coleman gas grill. I changed the gas cannister to allow the use of portable gas cannister...

From left to right, Jerk chicken spices, marinating diced and deboned chicken thigh in the spices for 4 hrs then grilling on a Weber...

I prepared 2 kg (5 lbs) of pork bacon from baraniku (バラ肉), which is the meat between the pork hide and the ribs. It is also called pork...

Today I created an original website favicon using Microsoft Co-pilot. What do you think?

In Tokyo, I have not been able to find Italian sausages that tastes like the fresh Italian deli style sausages I ate in Kansas City (KC)...

On St. Patrick's day, March 17th, I co-hosted a dinner party for friends at my apartment in Jiyugaoka. I prepared both boiled and smoked...

In Tokyo, Turkey availability is somewhat limited but frozen turkey can be purchased easily online or at international supermarkets. It...

Welcome to Tokyo BBQ Website Greetings from "Jay," a BBQ enthusiast living in Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. I created this blog to share...