Famous Japanese food fighter Masubuchi to join ‘Taste’

Professional competitive eater Sachiyo Masubuchi will join local and international competitors in the J’s Fried Chicken Eating Competition on May 19, 2018, at the 20th Annual Taste of the Marianas at American Memorial Park, Saipan. (MVA)

Japan’s female food fighter Sachiyo Masubuchi will join the 20th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival & Beer Garden on May 19, 2018, taking on all local and international challengers at 7pm in the J’s Fried Chicken Eating Competition.

Masubuchi is a famed competitive eater and holds numerous records in Japan. She is well- known in Japan as a TV personality, model, actress, and a beauty contestant, winning the 2012 Miss Kamakura pageant organized by the Kamakura City Tourist Association.

“We are raising the bar at our annual Taste of the Marianas eating competitions with this year’s participation of Masubuchi,” said MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion. “She often eats up to 7 or 8 lbs of food during competition, so this is going to be a sight to see! We are calling on all foodies to show us what you’ve got. This very petite model, actress, and beauty queen can eat like there’s no tomorrow. We know we have some locals in the Marianas who can give her a real challenge, so please step up to the plate. This is going to be fun and exciting. This is the first time we’ve ever brought in a celebrity food fighter, so we invite our whole community to come out, participate and enjoy the show.”

The J’s Fried Chicken Eating Competition will challenge 10 competitors to earn $1,000 cash by being the first to finish 30 pieces of chicken, 15 drumsticks and 15 thighs, in 30 minutes. Second place will win $200 in Taste of the Marianas tokens, and third place will win $100 in Taste tokens. Should no competitor complete the challenge, consolations prizes will be awarded: $300 in Taste tokens for first place, $200 in Taste tokens for second place, and $100 for third place.

“When you think about it, it’s relatively easy to eat a piece of chicken in well under a minute. And with $1,000 at stake, I am sure we can find someone able to finish a piece in 30 seconds,” said Concepcion. “We want to thank our partners at J’s Restaurant for their sponsorship of this competition. J’s Restaurant is famous for their food and their fried chicken, in particular. We wanted to showcase an iconic island brand that tourists and residents can easily walk in to on a 24-hour basis and order their tasty fried chicken. Fried chicken is a staple at all island parties, so this is one way to let our visitors get a ‘taste of the Marianas.’”

The registration deadline is 4pm on May 9, 2018. Applications are available at the MVA office on Beach Road in San Jose.

Masubuchi’s numerous eating feats can be seen on YouTube.

Taste of the Marianas is the MVA’s signature event for May Tourism Month and will be held from 5:30pm to 10pm each Saturday (closing at 11pm on the final night) at American Memorial Park.

Participating food vendors will be Hyatt Regency Saipan, Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan, Kanoa Resort Saipan, Pacific Islands Club Saipan, Coral Ocean Golf Resort, Kensington Hotel Saipan, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Tony Roma’s/Capricciosa, Furusato Restaurant, Kinpachi Restaurant, Matty’s BBQ, D’Elegance Restaurant, The Hut, Herman’s Modern Bakery, Thai House, Terry’s Snack Bar, Sierra Pearl Shake, and Tropical Chills. Participating drink vendors will be MarPac, Pacific Trading Co, and Saipan Brewing Co. (MVA)