The Michelin guide: a worldwide reference for local gastronomy

The first Michelin Guide was published by the French tyre maker in 1900. Motorists appreciated this small book in which they could find all the information they needed to facilitate their journey, including the location of garages, train stations, inns, grocer's shops and, of course, places where tyre were sold. Having become a best-seller in Belgium, England and Italy, the Guide established itself as the reference for the booming European tourist industry in the Post-war years. Since the beginning of the 21st century, this French institution, which is much prized by those responsible for regional gastronomy has ventured into the United States and Asia, starting with Japan. Despite the obvious difference with Japanese culture and its cultural traditions which may have been a cause for concern regarding the enterprise, the Guide has been remarkably successful there. One hundred thousand copies of the 2008 Tokyo Guide were sold on the first day that the book was published. There was an official ceremony with the mayor of Kyoto in front of a temple for the launch of the Kyoto Guide. The chefs of these two cities are among the chefs who have received some of the most Michelin Stars in the world.