"Cho-iine! Project" Launched to Make Tsuruoka City, Yamagata a "Gut-Friendly" Town Through Food Culture and Gut Microbiome Science

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Starting May 2026, the "Cho-iine! Project" (A pun on "gut-friendly" and "great!") will launch in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata. Led by a team of university students and supported by Metagen Therapeutics Inc., the project aims to brand the city around gut health. It will merge Tsuruoka's rich heritage as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy with its cutting-edge gut microbiome research. The initiative will certify and promote local restaurant menus to create new tourism resources and enhance the regional brand.