Japan Eats!

Our guest is Makoto Okuwa, who is the chef/partner of multiple, highly popular Japanese restaurants in the U.S. and other major cities in the world, including Makoto at Bal Harbour in Miami, Love Makoto in Washington D.C., and Makoto Vail in Colorado.

Makoto’s success did not come easily. He started cooking at the age of 15 in Japan, training under master chefs for a decade and moved to Washington D.C. in 2001. Under Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, his new life in America was another hardworking process of learning a foreign language and culture, how to read American diners’ minds, not to mention honing his culinary skills.

In this episode, we will discuss how Makoto got into cooking at such a young age, why he decided to challenge himself in America, what he learned from his mentor/master chefs, the reasons behind his success on the global stage, and much, much more!!!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

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Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh, who joined us 14 times and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. 

Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture https://tasteofculture.com/ , which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. 

Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions”.

Today’s topic is mouthfeel or 食感 “shokkan” in Japanese. The Japanese language has far more adjectives to describe mouthfeel. For example, according to a 2003 study, the Japanese language had 445 words, French 227, Chinese 144 and English and German around 100 to describe the texture of food in your mouth. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Japanese people have so many different words to describe mouthfeel, examples of mouthfeel expressions that are unique and essential to understanding Japanese food culture and much, much more!!!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Hannah Kirshner who is a food stylist and author of Water, Wood, and Wild Things published in 2021. She joined us in Episode #223 to discuss her wonderful book and introduced us to her fascinating life in Yamanaka, a small town in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. 

Hannah’s connection with Yamanaka has been deepening over time since her first visit in 2015 for a three-month apprenticeship at a sake bar. Then she moved to the town in 2018, fully immersing herself in the local culture through unique experiences, such as working at a sake brewery and carving wood trays with near-extinct ancient techniques. 

You can read her book and/or listen to Episode #223 to get to know her deep insight into Japanese culture in detail. 

There is no strict definition but generally speaking, Kominka means a residential house over 50 years old with classic value. Like in many other countries, depopulation is becoming an issue in Japan and as a result, vacant houses are abundant nationwide. In other words, in those depopulated areas, you can find Kominka with lots of charms at very reasonable prices. Hannah happened to find a great one in Yamanaka and bought it in 2021. In this episode, we will discuss why Hannah decided to buy an old house in a rural area in Japan, how she found an ideal property, the joy and challenges of renovating the house in an eco-friendly manner, her advice to potential Kominka owners and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Karl Palma, who is the chef and owner of Karl’s Balls based in New York City. His mission is to introduce the soul of takoyaki, which is one of the most beloved traditional comfort foods in Japan, to the world.

Karl joined us in Episode #189 in 2020 and introduced us to the basics of takoyaki. Takoyaki is one of the biggest stars of Japanese summer festivals and it is seasonally timely to delve into the delicious, savory snack with a rich cultural background!

In this episode, we will discuss why the simple bite-size balls are a piece of art, distinctively different styles of takoyaki between Osaka and Tokyo, the upcoming exciting takoyaki festival in Japan that Karl is invited to, and much, much more!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest today is Thomas Frebel, the creative director at Noma. Noma is the famed restaurant in Copenhagen with numerous accolades, including three Michelin stars and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ No. 1 spot four times in a row from 2010 to 2014.

Since its opening in 2003, Noma’s chef/owner René Redzepi has been inspiring the world through his strong philosophy of cooking with Nordic traditions and his never-ending pursuit of creativity. Noma’s landscape has reached far beyond Nordic countries, and Redzepi and his team have been actively exploring various food cultures in the world, including Japan.

Since Thomas joined Noma in 2009, he has been working closely with Chef Redzepi, and has served as the executive chef at Noma’s restaurant project in Tokyo called INUA.

In this episode, we will discuss the unique concepts of Noma beyond the famous restaurant, what Thomas learned through his job at INUA, Noma’s pop-up dinners in Kyoto this fall, what happens after Noma restaurant’s closure at the end of 2024, and much, much more!!!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Timothy Sullivan who is the Director of Education and lead instructor at the Sake Studies Center at Brooklyn Kura. He has over 16 years of experience teaching about sake, and in 2007 he was awarded the prestigious title of Sake Samurai by the Japan Sake Brewers Association. Since 2013, Tim has served as the Global Brand Ambassador for Hakkaisan Sake Brewery. He has played a pivotal role in developing and advancing the American sake industry.

In this episode, we will discuss how the Japanese sake industry has been reviving solidly thanks to sake ambassadors and educators like Tim, how the American sake industry has been powerfully developing, what types of sake to drink now, how you can gain knowledge of sake to make the most of your precious glass, and much, much more!!!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Bob Broskey, who is the Executive Chef Partner of RPM Restaurants based in Chicago.

After working at Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago, he joined the team at RPM in 2019. Now he oversees multiple restaurants in Chicago, Las Vegas and Washington DC, reflecting his talent in managing popular restaurants in diverse genres. In addition to Bob's profound experience in cooking seafood, he is now one of the most knowledgeable chefs about Japanese wagyu beef in the U.S.

In this episode, we will discuss Bob's recent visits to Wagyu farms in Japan, how Wagyu is different from regular beef from a chef's point of view, why Wagyu is so appealing to highly skilled chefs like Bob who have diverse options of meat to choose from, the best way to taste Wagyu, and much, much more!!!

Photo courtesy of Lindsay Eberly.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Shinji Sakamoto, a seafood expert based in Tokyo. Shinji’s background is unique and impressive. He trained himself as a buyer in the world's biggest seafood market called Tsukiji, and worked in Japan, Singapore and the U.S. to support operations of the seafood departments at major corporations. He also received a formal culinary education at one of the top culinary programs in Japan.

You may have heard about the Tsukiji Market, which was relocated in 2018 and is now called the Toyosu Market. It is the Central Wholesale Market in Tokyo and every high-end sushi restaurant in the world relies on the market to secure the best-quality seafood available.

In this episode, we will discuss how Shinji became a seafood expert and buyer at the world's biggest fish market, why the Toyosu Market is so important regardless of whether you are in the seafood industry or a seafood lover, how the market works to offer prime seafood in the best condition, and much, much more!!!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Steven Pursley, the chef/owner of Menya Rui in St. Louis, Missouri. Menya Rui opened in 2022, and since, Steven has received numerous accolades for his job at the ramen shop, such as Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef in 2023.

Steven has the right reasons to be recognized as a great ramen chef. He grew up both in Japan and the U.S. as a child under his American and Japanese parents, so he has lots of fond memories of Japanese food and in particular, ramen.

His soul search led him to study ramen in Japan, and his 24-seat ramen shop Menya Rui represents who he is now. For example, he makes everything from scratch, including noodles, which is highly challenging for even an experienced ramen chef in Japan.

In this episode, we will discuss why Steven decided to pursue a career in ramen, what he learned in his three-year intensive training at ramen shops in Japan, his unique philosophy of ramen, his advice to future ramen chefs, and much, much more!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Dr. Arielle Johnson. Arielle is a flavor scientist who advises some of the top chefs, restaurants, and bars in the world. For example, she co-founded the fermentation lab at the restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, which has been named the best restaurant in the world multiple times by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Arielle is currently the Science Director of Noma Projects and co-founder of Retronasal Industries among other important roles. 

Arielle is also the author of “Flavorama: A Guide To Unlocking The Art And Science Of Flavor”, which came out in March 2024. The book is a wonderful tool for all of us to understand the science of flavors and to apply it to our daily lives in fun and practical ways. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Arielle got into the world of tastes and flavors, the joy of applying science to top restaurants' kitchens in the world, how you can use food science in your daily life with tips from Arielle’s new book Flavorama and much, much more!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Takuma Inagawa who is the founder and CEO of WAKAZE. WAKAZE is a unique and forward-minded producer of Japanese sake based in Paris, France. 

The Japanese sake industry has been facing challenges domestically due to various reasons, such as the decrease in the drinking population and the increase in competitive products in the market like wine and shochu. Compared to the peak of sake consumption in the 1970s, Japanese people drink only a quarter of sake now. 

Ironically, the government regulations are not helping to stop the decline as they restrict licensing new sake businesses that can revitalize the industry. 

However, WAKAZE is presenting a model to conquer the challenges by producing new styles of sake with traditional techniques and an innovative mindset. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Takuma left his successful career as a business consultant and decided to start a sake brewery in Paris, his out-of-the-box approach to sake production, how he managed to convince French consumers to drink Japanese sake made in Paris, his new sake production in America, his global plans to grow the popularity of sake, and much, much more!!!

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Morgan Adamson, the chef at Hoseki, a six-seat omakase sushi bar located at Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

In previous episodes, we had several non-Japanese sushi chefs who proved that America has a distinctive pool of talent, and that the American sushi culture is on healthy ground. Morgan is definitely one of these talents, and being female, she is particularly unique as the traditional sushi industry has been notorious for not welcoming females to lead the sushi counter.

In this episode, we will discuss how a young woman from Michigan got into sushi, how she studied sushi-making and built a successful career, a unique concept of Hoseki where she expresses her own sushi-making philosophy, her advice to future sushi chefs in America, and much, much more!!!

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh, who already joined us 13 times and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions.”

Today’s topic is Japanese curry. Curry is a universally popular dish, but like many other things, Japanese people remodeled the original and created a unique style of their own. Now, Japanese people eat Japanese-style curry as often as every 5 days, and the sales of all curry products totals 100 billion Japanese yen, or 660 million US dollars, annually.

In this episode, we will discuss when and how Japanese people created their distinctively unique style of curry, the difference between Japanese and other styles of curry in the world, how to make a perfect Japanese curry dish at home, and much, much more!!!

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Megumi Hwang, the co-founder of KANKITSU LABO based in New York. She started KANKITSU LABO with the goal to revive the declining citrus farming industry in Japan and spread unique flavors of Japanese citrus to the world.

You may have heard of yuzu, or tasted it at a Japanese restaurant and enjoyed its distinctively refreshing flavor. Citrus fruits are very popular in Japan, and there are numerous original varieties in the country other than yuzu.

On this episode, we will discover the world of Japanese citrus fruits and how you can use them, and Megumi’s mission and activities to support Japanese citrus farms that are seriously in decline due to market competition and the aging population.

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest today is Robby Cook, who is the chef at Coral. Coral opened in October 2023 and is located next to Grand Central Station in Manhattan.

Robby’s path to becoming a successful sushi chef is unique and impressive. He joined us on Episode 37 in 2016, when he was the executive chef at Morimoto, and talked about his intriguing journey to becomimg a successful sushi chef.

Inspired by the world of sushi and its tradition, Robby studied at the California Sushi Academy. After graduation, he proved his talent at notable restaurants in New York, including BondST and Morimoto.

There used to be a belief that great sushi could be made only by Japanese chefs trained in Japan, but now we see so many cases to disprove this idea. Robby is a perfect example: he not only understands the traditional value of sushi, but communicates it effectively to a global audience with his own sushi-making philosophy.

On this episode, we will discuss how a young American decided himself to becoming a sushi chef, how he managed to hone his skills to become one of the top talents in the U.S., his sushi-making philosophy behind his omakase menu at Coral, his advice for future sushi chefs and much, much more!!!

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Tashi Gyamtso, the chef at Enowa. Enowa is a beautiful new restaurant and hotel in Yufuin, a remote town in the southern part of Japan. Enowa represents Tashi’s unique culinary philosophy, which he has developed through his diverse experiences in the U.S. and abroad, including his career as a sous chef at the Michelin-starred Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York.

On this episode, we will discuss how Tashi, who is originally from Tibet, got into cooking, his idea of the desirable food supply system and how he practices it at Enowa, the joy and the challenges of running a restaurant & hotel and even a sustainable farm in a remote area of Japan,  and much, much more!!!

-----

THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Yuki Ueki, the assistant vice president of Zen-Noh America. Zen-Noh America is a subsidiary of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations of Japan.

As you may know, Wagyu beef is known for its extreme marbling and delicateness, as well as its unique, pleasant flavor. Behind its deliciousness, there is so much to discover such as its breeds, how it is raised, and the healthy unsaturated fat it contains.

In this episode, we will discuss what wagyu is by definition, the difference between wagyu, washu, and Kobe beef, the grading program to guarantee wagyu’s quality on your plate, why wagyu’s fatty marbling is not bad for you, and much, much more!!!

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Mike Satinover, the chef/owner of Akahoshi Ramen in Chicago, which opened in November 2023.

Mike joined us on Episode 280 in November 2022 and shared his fascinating story of how a young man who grew up in Chicago got into Japanese culture, ended up living in Japan, and discovered the profound world of ramen.

Among ramen connoisseurs and aficionados, Mike has been known as Ramen Lord on Reddit and Instagram. He has been generously sharing valuable knowledge and educating whoever wants to learn about ramen so that they don’t have to find out how to make a good bowl on their own.

Ramen has become very popular in the U.S. in the last two decades or so, arguably becoming a part of American food culture. Akahoshi Ramen has been gaining huge attention since its opening and represents the potential of ramen as a global cuisine beyond a Japanese traditional noodle dish.

On this episode, we will discuss how Mike got into ramen, why he decided to quit his successful job as a market research analyst to open a ramen shop, the challenges he has faced in opening and running a ramen shop in Chicago, the soulful ramen he offers at Akahoshi Ramen and much, much more!!!

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Kazuhiro Sakurai, the 4th generation and CEO of Asahi Shuzo, the maker of Dassai sake. Dassai is the biggest export brand of Japanese sake. Kazuhiro joined us on Episode 233 in July 2021 and shared the unique sake-making philosophy of the company, as well as why Dassai became so popular globally.

In September 2023, Asahi Shuzo opened its first overseas brewery Dassai Blue in upstate New York. But it is not another brewery producing the same sake as in Japan to save costs. Dassai Blue aims to exceed its parent brewery in Japan.

On this episode, we will discuss why the company decided to open a brewery in New York, the goal of Dassai Blue, the special ingredients Dassai Blue uses to express the local terroir, its collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America, and much, much more!!!

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest today is David Yoshitomo Utterback, the chef/owner of Yoshitomo in Omaha, Nebraska.

Japanese sushi has become a big part of American food culture. The presence of many great non-Japanese sushi chefs in the U.S. proves that sushi does not belong only to Japan. These chefs serve to inspire the tradition and help push it further.

David is a classic example of one of these chefs. He was nominated for Best Chef: Midwest by the James Beard Foundation in 2023, and this year, his restaurant Yoshitomo has been nominated for the 2024 Outstanding Restaurant Award by the Foundation as a semifinalist (the results of this competition will be announced on June 10th in Chicago). Also, the Washington Post named Yoshitomo one of America’s best sushi restaurants in December 2023.

On this episode, we will discuss how David got into the world of sushi, how he studied sushi-making in Omaha, Nebraska (where beef is king), his original sushi that merges the tradition and American-style umami, his collaborations with Japanese sushi chefs, and much, much more!!!

Photo courtesy of Joshua Foo.

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guests are Jeff Miller, the chef/owner of Rosella and Bar Miller in the East Village in NYC, and James Dumapit, the executive chef at Bar Miller. They both worked at Uchiko in Austin, Texas, which is one of the most influential sushi restaurants in America. In 2017, Jeff opened Mayanoki, the first sustainable sushi restaurant in New York, with his business partner TJ Provenzano. They joined us on Episode 129 to discuss their unique philosophy. Since then, their business evolved into Rosella, which earned many accolades and was named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by Esquire Magazine in 2021. James joined Rosella shortly after its opening.

In September 2023, the team opened Bar Miller, the 8-seat Omakase-only sushi bar where James leads the entire sushi bar with a pleasant energy and offers exciting culinary discoveries. Along with the expansion of the team’s business, Jeff has been deepening his knowledge and experience of serving sustainable sushi.

On this episode, we will discuss the meaning and importance of sustainable sushi, the overlooked delicious and sustainable seafood you should try, the challenges and advantages of running sustainable sushi restaurants, and much, much more!!!

From left to right in photo: James Dumapit, TJ Provenzano, Jeff Miller

Photo courtesy of Melissa Hom.

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THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!

Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest today is Isao Yoshimura, a private chef based in New York. Isao grew up in the countryside of Japan and came to New York in 1996 where he jumped into the restaurant industry, when authentic Japanese restaurants were still few and far between.

His approach to Japanese cuisine is traditional, but his work reflects his free, creative adaptive mindset. For example, he fishes and grows produce by himself to achieve the best taste and flavors he wants to offer to his clients.

In this episode, we will discuss how a young man from Japan became a private sushi chef in New York, his unique philosophy of cooking authentic Japanese food, the joy and challenges in his life as a private chef in America, and much, much more!!! 

*** 

THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

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Our guest is Victor Rivera who is the Head Chef at The Bazaar by Jose Andres in New York City. Before Victor became the Head Chef at The Bazaar, he cooked Japanese food in notable restaurants, including Masa in New York City, which has 3 Michelin stars. Also, he has a very strong culinary background in French with his experiences at top restaurants such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Edition and Le Bernardin. 

At the Bazaar in New York City, Victor uniquely incorporates traditional Spanish cuisine and Japanese cuisine in the style of Spanish tapas. He marries the seemingly opposite food cultures seamlessly and creates synergies. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Victor got into cooking and in particular Japanese cuisine, what is special about Japanese food for him, the unique concept of marrying Spanish and Japanese cuisine, how Victor executes it so well, and much, much more!!! 

*** 

THE NOTO PENINSULA EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RELIEF 

As you may know, a major earthquake struck Japan's Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on January 1st. The death toll keeps climbing and the damage to the beautiful region is tremendous. Importantly, 10 of the 11 sake breweries in the Noto Peninsula were completely or partially destroyed. 

So if you can, please donate through reliable organizations including: 

The Japanese Red Cross https://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/2024NotoPeninsulaEarthquake.html 

Peace Winds America: A fundraiser by US-Japan Foundation/US-Japan Leadership Program https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/49472/ 　 

The Ishikawa Sake Brewers Association 

https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/index.php　

(the donation account details) https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/images/97-1.pdf)

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Our guest is Yohan Ourliac, the chef/owner of the Neapolitan pizza food truck “Pizza Bella'' located in Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture in the southern part of Japan.

Yohan is originally from France and worked in Australia, Canada, Korea, eventually arriving in Japan eight years ago, where he found his calling of making great pizza for his customers, many of whom became his friends.

In this episode, we will discuss why a young Frenchman decided to move to Japan and become a pizzaiolo, how he started and runs the successful food truck business in a foreign land, how he built a network of close friends in Japan, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Yoshiki Yukimachi, the 6th generation brewmaster of Takeno Brewery in Kyoto. Founded in 1947, Takeno Brewery is known for its high-quality sake as well as its innovative mindset. 

Yoshiki’s father, Yoshihei Yukimachi, initiated the transformation of the brewery’s strategy and introduced unique products under the Kurabu brand, which features ancient sake rice. Also, Yoshiki has produced creative products and put Takeno Brewery’s name on the map in the global market. 

Recently, the domestic Japanese sake market has been shrinking due to a number of reasons, including the aging population in Japan and the increase in competing products. Despite this, sake exports have been record-high in recent years, thanks to the efforts and inventive mindsets of sake producers like Takeno Brewery. 

In this episode, we will discuss Takeno Brewery’s unique sake-making philosophy, the award-winning sake that the brewery makes with rare sake rice varieties, the pioneering ways of tasting sake that Takeno Brewery offers at its sake bar, how Yoshiki merges deep traditions and innovative ideas in his products, and much, much more!!!

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Our guests are Brandon Doughan and Brian Polen, co-owners of Brooklyn Kura, the very first sake brewery in New York, which opened in 2017 at Industry City in Brooklyn, New York.

Brandon and Brian joined us on episode #105 in December 2017 and episode #178 in November 2018, where they discussed the unique concept of Brooklyn Kura and how they naturally incorporated the spirit of traditional sake-making into their craft-style sake.

Since then, Brooklyn Kura has been growing exponentially, and you may have seen its sake labels at Japanese and non-Japanese restaurants and local retailers. Brian and Brandon join us today to discuss their newly expanded sake brewery, along with what has and hasn't changed about their sake production since they opened the brewery 6 years ago. They also discuss their collaborations with Japanese sake breweries, including the premier brand Hakkaisan, the future of the American craft sake industry, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Kentaro Tsurushima, the President of Canvas Creative Group based in New York. He consults for Japanese food businesses with 20 years of experience in the field under his belt.

Today’s topic is B Kyu Gourmet, or B-Class Gourmet. B Kyu Gourmet means B-rank dining experience, but it does not mean second-class food at all. Japanese people fondly use the term to celebrate less fancy but delicious food that you can casually enjoy on a daily basis.

In this episode, we will discuss what B Kyu Gourmet is, B Kyu Gourmet dishes you must try, the annual competition to celebrate regional cuisines inspired by B Kyu Gourmet, how universally we can appreciate B Kyu Gourmet, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest today is Yuu Shimano who is the chef/owner of Restaurant Yuu in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which opened in May 2023.

Yuu joined us in Episode #197 way back in 2020 when he was the executive chef at Mifune, a creative Japanese restaurant in Midtown, Manhattan, to discuss his unique culinary career. For instance, Yuu worked as the saucier at Guy Savoy in Paris, which had 3 Michelin stars. During the pandemic, Yuu actively supported essential workers by raising funds and making delicious meals for them. His hard work came to fruition and opened his own restaurant Restaurant Yuu. Within 6 months of the opening, Yuu just earned his first Michelin star! 

In this episode, we will discuss the fascinating concept of Restaurant Yuu, the challenges he came across in opening and running his own restaurant, how he built a cohesive, highly talented team, the unique service style at Restaurant Yuu, and much, much, much more!

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Our guest is Shuichi Kotani, a New York-based master soba chef with over 25 years of experience. After working at prestigious restaurants in Tokyo, including Gonpachi and the Michelin-starred Edo Soba Hosokawa, he came to New York in 2008 and successfully served as the executive chef at Soba Totto in Manhattan. In 2012, he founded Worldwide Soba to introduce the profound culture of soba to the world. Since then, he has been crafting soba at events and consulting for restaurants in New York and beyond. 

He is also a Goodwill Ambassador designated by the Japanese government to promote Japanese food culture overseas and has held various educational events about soba’s health benefits, including seminars at Harvard University. 

In this episode, we will discuss what soba is, why soba-making is spiritually important for Chef Kotani, various health benefits of soba, the sustainable nature of soba and its possibilities for future food supply, Chef Kotani’s cool new restaurant Uzuki, which opened in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in September 2023 and much, much more!

Image courtesy of Kenji Yamagata.

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Our guest is Michael Magers, a documentary photographer and journalist who splits his time between New York City and Austin, Texas. He joined us in episode #307 and discussed his affection for Japanese culture and how he captures it through his lens, including works of Japanese “shokunin” artisans. 

Mike is a frequent collaborator with the highly acclaimed publisher Roads & Kingdoms, and served as the lead photographer on their award-winning books "Rice Noodle Fish” and "Grape Olive Pig." (The legendary author and television host Anthony Bourdain was a partner and investor in Roads & Kingdoms).

Mike’s images are exhibited globally and have appeared in a wide range of digital and print publications, including TIME, Smithsonian, Vogue Italia, CNN’s Explore Parts Unknown, and The New York Times, to name a few.

He is joining us today to discuss his recent trip to the Hokkaido Island of Japan, which is the home of kombu and other treasured seafood. We will talk about how different Hokkaido’s food culture is from the mainland of Japan, a story of a 96-year-old artisan who hand-processes kombu, unique dishes you should absolutely try in Hokkaido, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Masami Asao who is a temple chef and registered dietitian based in Japan. She is also the Director of Akasaka Teran, a vegetarian cooking school located within Jokokuji, a 350-year-old temple in Tokyo. 

The Japanese diet is known for being healthy with lots of vegetables incorporated in daily meals. Also, there is a fully plant-based traditional cuisine called shojin ryori. 

Shojin ryori was originally developed as a part of Buddhist practices, but its healthfulness is gaining attention these days, especially among vegetarians and vegans. 

Masami is a perfect guest to tell us what shojin ryori is, along with the spiritual mindset behind it. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Masami got into shojin ryori, why you should try shojin ryori even if you are not a vegan or vegetarian, useful tips to make a healthy meal based on shojin ryori’s principles, and much, much more!!! 

*** Here is the link to Masami Asao's classes in New York: https://zenstudies.org/events/ And here is the link to the shojin Ryori restaurant Yakuo-in in Mt. Takao that Masami recommends: https://www.takaosan.or.jp/english/

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Our guest is Shinobu Kato who is the owner and brewer of New York’s own craft sake brewery Kato Sake Works in Brooklyn, which opened in 2020, right before the pandemic. He joined us in Episode 189 to discuss his new brewery and the fascinating story of how his well-established corporate career transformed into entrepreneurial sake brewing in New York.

COVID-19 hit his burgeoning business extremely hard, but Shinobu turned the challenges into opportunities to carefully solidify his customer base. Shinobu is here today to celebrate the expansion of his business. His new and larger brewery officially opened earlier this month on October 1, 2023.

In this episode, we will discuss how Shinobu successfully navigated COVID-19, his philosophy of sake-making, why his sake is appealing to a wide American audience including cool young generations in Brooklyn neighborhoods, and much, much more!

Photo courtesy of Kato Sake Works.

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Our guest today is Erina Yoshida, the owner of Angel’s Share in New York. She joined us in Episode 165 and shared her unique life story as a daughter of Tony Yoshida, the powerful figure behind New York’s thriving Japanese food culture. 

Now, four years later, she herself is a successful business owner and the leader of the amazing team at Angel’s Share in Manhattan. 

If you are a cocktail fan in New York, you must have heard of Angel’s Share. Founded in the East Village, Manhattan, in 1993, the bar was famous for epitomizing the classic style of Japanese cocktail culture. 

Unfortunately, in March 2022, the bar was closed due to financial hardships caused by the pandemic and many of us thought Angel’s Share had become a part of history. 

But now, the bar is celebrating its comeback in the West Village, Manhattan, thanks to Erina. 

In this episode, we will discuss the history of the legendary Angel’s Share, why it was so influential to American cocktail culture, why Erina courageously decided to rebuild it without her father’s support, what she learned from the boot camp experience as a business owner in the process of the reopening of the bar, what you should drink at the new Angel’s Share, and much, much more!

Photo Courtesy of Keiichiro Nakajima.

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Our guest today is Frédéric Panaïotis who is the Chef de Cave or Cellar Master of Ruinart. Ruinart is the oldest Champagne producer that was founded in 1729. 

You may wonder why Japan Eats! has a Champagne master as a guest, but Champagne goes well with many different types of cuisines, including Japanese food. 

But it is not the only reason why Frédéric is here. He has a deep understanding of Japanese culture and is fluent in Japanese, including the Osaka dialect. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Frédéric got into Japanese culture, how he became the cellar master of the world-famous Champagne house, how to pair Japanese food with Champagne, how climate change is affecting Champagne production, and much, much more!

Photo Courtesy of Romain Guittet.

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Our guest is Daisuke Nakazawa who is the owner and executive chef of the Michelin-starred Sushi Nakazawa. He opened Sushi Nakazawa in New York in 2013 and its success led to the opening of the second location in Washington, D.C., in 2017. He is also planning to open the third location in Los Angeles later this year. He is also the owner of Saito, an izakaya and sake bar in Manhattan’s Nolita, which he opened in 2022. 

You may have seen Chef Nakazawa in the legendary documentary film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” on Netflix. After completing the classic, extremely strict training under chef Ono, he moved to the U.S. and started a new chapter of his life. 

In this episode, we will discuss what Chef Nakazawa learned from his 11-year training at the renowned Sukiyabashi Jiro, why he moved to the U.S., how he conveys the traditional sushi culture to a very diverse global audience, why he has never changed his menu price since Sushi Nakazawa’s opening 10 years ago, and much, much more!

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Our guest is Michael Magers, who is a documentary photographer and journalist who splits his time between New York City and Austin, Texas. He is a frequent collaborator with the highly acclaimed publisher Roads & Kingdoms (legendary author and television host Anthony Bourdain was a partner and investor in Roads & Kingdoms), and served as the lead photographer on their award-winning books "Rice Noodle Fish” and "Grape Olive Pig."

Michael’s images are exhibited both internationally and in the U.S., and have appeared in a wide range of digital and print publications, including TIME, Smithsonian, Vogue Italia, CNN’s Explore Parts Unknown, and The New York Times to name a few. Michael is also known for his unique and deeply insightful work that captures Japanese artisans called shokunin. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Michael got into documentary photography, what part of Japan attracts him as a photographer, the essence of the shokunin mindset, his intriguing work that features modern life of Japan in the dark, and much, much more!!!

Photo courtesy of David Burnett, Contact Press Images.

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Our guest today is Mitsunori Isoda, the executive chef at Omakase Room by Mitsu in New York. The Omakase Room serves authentic Japanese Edomae-style sushi at his beautiful 8-seat hinoki wood bar counter in Manhattan’s West Village.

These days you can find great sushi restaurants in New York and other global cities around the world, but we don’t often get to understand the philosophy of each sushi chef. In this show, we get an exclusive look at how a sushi chef strives to create the guests’ best experience based on their own mindset that has been cultivated over the years. 

Chef Mitsu was classically trained in Japan and came to the U.S. in 2006 to pursue his dream of making sushi in this country. Since then, he has gone through diverse experiences in America but his philosophy has only solidified. In this episode, we will discuss what the essence of Edomae sushi is, the key elements of great Edomae sushi you should look for at sushi restaurants, Chef Mitsu’s sushi-making policy and philosophy behind it, how to become a sophisticated sushi diner (yes, it is a bit intimidating to eat at a sushi counter!), and much, much more!!!

Photo courtesy of Francesco Sapienza.

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Our guest this week is Todd Bellomy, the owner and brewer of Farthest Star Sake in Massachusetts. Todd joined us in Episode #36 to discuss his previous brewery Dovetail Sake in 2016. His success at Dovetail Sake led him to the opening of his new brewery Farthest Star Sake in 2022.

Todd has not only been producing high-quality, authentic style of sake, but has also witnessed the development of the American sake culture as an insider. Now we have dozens of notable sake breweries in the U.S. and this is an exciting time to drink locally-made, delicious Japanese sake. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Todd successfully convinced American beverage lovers to drink Japanese sake in Massachusetts, his new products at Farthest Star Sake that would inspire both sake lovers and novices alike, the fascinating recent changes in American sake production, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest today is Hajime Sato who is the chef/owner of Sozai near Detroit, Michigan. Hajime has been known for keenly pursuing sustainability, which is very challenging for a sushi chef, for the last 14 years.

His efforts have been widely recognized, and this year, Hajime became one of the five nominees for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef Award. The James Beard Foundation Awards are often called the Academy Awards for culinary professionals, so you can tell how powerful Hajime’s voice is.

In this episode, we will discuss how Hajime came to the U.S. and became a sustainability-minded chef, how he manages to offer sustainable seafood at his Japanese restaurant Sozai, what unknown, delicious and sustainable seafood we should try, what we should do now for the future to keep enjoying seafood, and much, much more!!!

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Simonov.

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Our guest is Matt Alt who is a Tokyo-based writer and "localizer" of Japanese entertainment products including video games, toys, and manga. His work has appeared widely in publications including The New York Times, BBC Culture, The Economist 1843, Aeon Magazine, and The New Yorker. (We will find out what “localizer” means in our conversation.)

Also, Matt is the author of “Pure Invention: How Japan Made The Modern World”, which insightfully analyzes how the unique Japanese mindset ended up producing unexpectedly globally influential products, such as anime and games, along with the roots of these inventions. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Matt established his interesting career in Japan, his deep insights into how Japanese culture has unexpectedly influenced the world (with plenty of fun examples such as Konbini, Depachika, Hello Kitty and Anime), what is underneath the Japanese food culture, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest today is Phoebe Ogawa, who is a wagashi chef based in New York. Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets, and they are quite different from Western-style sweets in many ways, such as the ingredients, how they're made, and the occasions they are served. For whatever reason, we don’t see wagashi outside of Japan very often, even in big cities like New York, despite the popularity of Japanese food.

Pheobe is one of the precious wagashi ambassadors abroad. She was classically trained in Japan and now communicates the essence of wagashi to New Yorkers through her stunningly beautiful sweets. In this episode, we will discuss what wagashi is, the differences between wagashi and Western-stye sweets, different types of wagashi, how Phoebe studied wagashi, the challenges of making wagashi in New York, and much, much more!

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Our guest today is Jean-Baptiste Meusnier, the chef and owner of Kodawari Ramen in Paris. Jean-Baptiste was an air force pilot in his home country of France when he had a revelation to become a ramen chef. 

In April 2016, he opened Kodawari Ramen in central Paris and his focus on creating the best ramen has been as sharp as flying a military airplane. He makes everything from scratch at a level even Japanese ramen cooks would never do. 

In this episode, we discuss how Jean-Baptiste was drawn into the world of ramen, his authentic yet inspiring philosophy of making ramen, the utterly unique ambiance of Kodawari’s dining room, challenges in cooking ramen in Paris, and much, much more!

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Our guest today is Elizabeth Andoh, who has joined us 12 times previously to share her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. 

Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, where she has lived for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. 

Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions.”

Today’s topic is ice. It’s summertime and we all love refreshing cooling sweets. In Japan, ice has been an important part of its food culture. The most famous food would be Kakigori, a type of shaved ice dish with unique flavor and texture. Its aesthetic is another reason Kakigori is so popular. You can go to a specialty shop or Japanese-style café to enjoy Kakigori or you can make one at home as various handy tools are available. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Japanese people started eating ice 12 centuries ago, how they developed the elaborate shaved ice called Kakigori, the unique flavors and texture of Kakigori, how you can make Kakigori at home, other types of ice used in Japanese food culture, such as hand-carved perfect ice used for cocktails and much, much more!!!

Photo courtesy of Robin Scanlon.

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Our guest is David Yoshimura, who is the chef/owner of Nisei in San Francisco, California.

Nisei means the first-generation, a son or daughter of Japanese immigrants who were born in the United States. Niseis inevitably live in dual cultures and many of them choose to celebrate Japanese culture in different ways. 

David is one of them. After working at top restaurants in the world, he opened his own place named Nisei in 2022 and earned a Michelin star within six months after opening. 

In this episode, we will discuss what is it like to be Nisei in America, how David expresses the Japanese tradition through his unique identity, how David explores possibilities of Japanese food in the global context by working with culturally diverse top chefs in the world, and much, much more!

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Our guest is Sawako Okochi who is the co-chef and co-owner of Shalom Japan, which she opened in 2013 with her husband and co-chef, Aaron Israel. 

Shalom Japan is unique because Sawa and Aaron combine Japanese and Jewish food cultures on one menu. The unique concept has proven successful as they celebrate the 10th year of Shalom Japan. 

They also have just published a beautiful book titled “Love Japan – Recipes From Our Japanese American Kitchen”. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Sawa and Aaron met and decided to open a restaurant together, the overlapping and contrasting elements in Japanese and Jewish foods, creative menu items at Shalom Japan, what they want to share with us through the new book, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest Takashi Sato is the ８th generation family member of Sanjirushi Jozo in Mie Prefecture and the president of San-J International in the U.S. 

Sanjirushi Jozo has been making soy sauce and miso since 1804, and in 1978 the company decided to expand its business to the U.S. Now, 45 years later, San-J is one of the most familiar soy sauce brands in the U.S. and you may have seen its labels at Whole Foods Market, for instance. 

Soy sauce is a quintessential ingredient of Japanese food, but many of us don’t know the different types and their unique flavors. San-J specializes in Tamari, which is a rare type. 

Also unknown is the fact that the precious tradition of fermented food production has been declining in Japan and Takashi is very much concerned about the situation. That is why he created the Hakko Hub, which aims to revitalize the artisanal fermented food industry. 

In this episode, we will discuss the diverse types and flavors of soy sauce, what exactly Tamari soy sauce is, how Takashi’s unique product line can help people with allergies, his efforts to revive the traditional fermentation industry in Japan, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Marco Moreira who is the chef/owner of 15 EAST @ Tocqueville in New York. 

He joined us in Episode #28 and discussed his fascinating background, including how the young Brazilian man came to New York and became a sushi chef, and shared his deep knowledge of Japanese food culture. 

Marco has run multiple highly successful restaurants in New York with a wide variety of influences from Japanese, French and Brazilian flavors. 

No restaurant was unaffected by COVID but Marco navigated tremendous challenges well and opened a new restaurant called 15 EAST @ Tocqueville after the pandemic. 

15 EAST @ Tocqueville is an innovative concept because Japanese food and French are served both authentically and seamlessly under one roof without being gimmicky. 

In this episode, we will discuss the unique concept of 15 EAST @ Tocqueville, why Marco decided the contrasting culinary genres belong in one space, his point of view about how Japanese sushi has become part of mainstream American food culture, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Nori Nakamura who is the owner and winemaker at Noria, a unique winery in California. 

When we eat Japanese food, we almost automatically think to pair it with Japanese sake or Japanese beer. 

On the other hand, Japanese sake has become so popular globally that you can find it at Michelin-starred, non-Japanese restaurants outside of Japan these days. 

Nori decided to break the preconception and now is making beautiful wine that pairs perfectly with Japanese food. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Nori, who used to be in the high-end hotel industry in Japan, became a winemaker, his wine-making philosophy, what types of wine go well with Japanese food, the future of Japanese food and wine pairing, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest today is Naoko Takei Moore, who is the chef and owner of Toiro. She is an expert in Donabe, or Japanese traditional earthen cookware, and through Toiro, Naoko introduces global food lovers to the world of Donabe. 

She is also the co-author of “Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking”, published by Ten Speed Press. 

Donabe has a long history and has been an important part of Japanese food culture. Naoko is a precious figure to learn from all about Donabe. 

In this episode, we will discuss what exactly Donabe is, how superior Donabe is compared to other cookware, how to choose the right Donabe, handy Donabe recipes to try, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh, who already joined us 11 times and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. 

Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. 

She is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen”, “Kibo: Recipes and Stories from Japan's Tohoku”, and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions”.

Today’s topic is Yakumi. You may have never heard of this word, but yakumi plays a very important role in Japanese food. Yakumi means herbs and spices but the idea goes far beyond your palate. They not only offer delicious flavors and tastes but also plenty of health benefits. 

There are various types of yakumi from uniquely Japanese plants like wasabi, sansho, Japanese myoga ginger and mitsuba leaves to more commonly available ginger, garlic and radishes. And yakumi is very easy to use in your own kitchen. 

In this episode, we will discuss what yakumi is, the diverse flavors of yakumi, the health benefits of yakumi, easy recipes for yakumi-rich dishes, good substitutes for Japanese yakumi if you live outside of Japan, and much, much more!!! 

Photo Courtesy of Robin Scanlon.

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Our guest is Kotaro Hamada who is the 6th generation of Hamada Shuzo in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Hamada Shuzo has been making shochu, the Japanese traditional spirit, since 1868. 

Hamada Shuzo’s quality is highly recognized not only in Japan but also abroad and its shochu brands called Daiyame 25 and Daiyame 40 have received multiple prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal for Daiyame 40 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2022. 

Japanese sake has once lost its popularity domestically due to various reasons such as declining alcohol consumption among the younger generations, competitive products such as wine and craft beer and the labor shortage. But thanks to the popularity of Japanese food abroad, Japanese sake has been repositioning itself in the market both in Japan and overseas. 

Shochu, however, is still an unknown beverage outside the country and the shochu industry has been striving to make it recognized as a precious spirit in the international market. 

So today, we will discuss what shochu is, the regionally diverse characteristics of shochu, how the younger generations of shochu makers like Kotaro are trying to introduce the beautiful Japanese tradition to the world, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Zach Mangan who is the co-founder of Kettl, the Japanese tea importer and distributor based in New York and Fukuoka, Japan. He is also the author of the fantastic book about Japanese tea, “Stories of Japanese tea: The Regions, the Growers, and the Craft”. And in September 2021, he opened a beautiful tea shop and gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which is now one of the coolest sections of New York. 

Zach joined us in Episodes 44 and 264 and talked about his fascinating, somewhat accidental path to becoming a tea expert and his love and passion for tea. 

Japanese tea is gaining the attention of consumers and beverage professionals nowadays for its pure deliciousness and diverse flavors as well as its healthfulness. 

In this episode, we will discuss various flavors of Japanese tea that you can choose from, how to select the right type of tea to your liking, sustainable sourcing of Japanese tea that you should keep in mind, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Craig Mod who is a writer, author, and photographer based in Japan. Also, according to his website, he is a "walker". And we will talk about what it means. 

Craig has spent over 20 years in Japan and has produced a lot of valuable work, capturing Japanese daily life objectively as well as being an insider. His insight into Japanese culture is impressive and I have learned a lot from his curious observations. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Craig got into Japanese culture, his unique perspective of Japanese daily life, how walking helps him to discover the depth of the local culture, Crag’s love for the unique Japanese cafes called Kissaten, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Yumi Komatsudaira, who is a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, and the president of K-Seaweed. Yumi grew up outside Tokyo, playing and snacking in her family’s seaweed factory. 

When we hear seaweed, many of us may think of the weeds by the beach that do not look particularly delicious, or even edible. But it is like looking at weeds coming out of the pavements on busy city streets. What we are talking about here about seaweed is the equivalent of plants from well-managed farmlands. 

In Japan, seaweeds are quintessential ingredients for their rich umami. Umami is the fifth taste after salty, sweet, sour and bitter and it enhances and mitigates these other four tastes to make food delicious. That is why Japanese dashi broth, which is made with seaweed, is indispensable in Japanese cuisine. 

Seaweed is also becoming a hot topic for its huge potential to make the world more sustainable. Not to mention, seaweed is vegan too. 

In this episode, we will discuss how seaweed is used to make food delicious and healthy in Japan, different types of seaweeds that you can choose for specific flavors and textures, quick seaweed recipes so that you can enjoy its umami, the health benefits of seaweed, Yumi’s new book “Japanese Superfoods”, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Richard Geoffroy who is the founder and maker of Shiraiwa, a sake brewery in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. 

Before Richard founded the sake brewery in 2018, he was the Chef de Cave, or cellar master, at the world-famous Champagne producer Dom Pérignon for 28 years. 

Richard makes traditional-style Japanese sake that is uniquely merged with Champagne-making techniques and his sake is gaining the attention of professionals and connoisseurs of sake and wine worldwide. 

In this episode, we will discuss why the master Champagne maker decided to produce Japanese sake, Richard’s original style of sake that incorporates the idea of assemblages, how his experience with Champagne is inspiring traditional sake production, and much, much more!!!

Photo Courtesy of Marion Berrin.

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Our guest is Noriko Okubo who is the co-owner and chief operations officer of Ginza Nishikawa U.S.A. 

Ginza Nishikawa opened in 2018 in Ginza, one of the poshest areas in Tokyo, to sell high-quality Shokupan bread. Shokupan is also called milk bread and is gaining popularity worldwide for its distinctively soft and fluffy texture with a pleasantly sweet taste. 

Ginza Nishikawa’s Shokupan bread earned accolades very quickly and now it operates over 130 shops throughout Japan. The huge success spread to the U.S. and the bakery opened its first overseas location in L.A. in July 2022, which Noriko co-owns and manages. 

In this episode, we will discuss what shokupan is, why shokupan has become so popular in Japan and increasingly overseas, the secrets of Ginza Nishikawa’s shokupan that sells out within a few hours of being baked in L.A., and much, much more!!!

Photo Courtesy of Courtesy of Ginza Nishikawa.

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Our guest is David Schlosser who is the chef/owner of Shibumi in Downtown L.A. 

Shibumi opened in 2016 and shortly afterwards, it earned accolades from various prominent media, including The Los Angeles Times’s Jonathan Gold who ranked Shibumi number two restaurant of the whole city. Currently, Shibumi holds one Michelin star. 

David was classically trained in Japan and soulfully serves authentic Japanese dishes at Shibumi. But originally, he used to cook French cuisine at Michelin starred restaurants in France. 

In this episode, we will discuss how David got into Japanese food, his training at top kaiseki restaurants in Japan, his philosophy of cooking Japanese cuisine, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Cinzia Mesolella who is in charge of PR and communication at Kobe Shushinkan Breweries in Hyogo Prefecture. Hyogo is the home of “Nada no sake”, which means “Sake from Nada”, and is synonymous with great sake. 

Kobe Shushinkan Breweries was founded in 1751 and its award-winning label Fukuju has been served at Nobel prize dinners several times since 2008. Kobe Shushinkan is also known for its sustainable-minded sake production, and last year it released the world’s first carbon-free sake called Fukuju Junmai EcoZero. 

Cinzia is from Italy and since 2019, she has been playing a precious role in Kobe Shushinkan’s global communication. She is also a certified sake specialist. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Cinzia became the PR representative at the traditional sake brewery, what makes sake from Nada so special, Kobe Shushinkan’s sustainable production philosophy, its award-winning labels, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Guy Allen, a sushi blogger based in New York City. Guy fell in love with sushi at a very young age and has been exploring the world of sushi globally since then. You can find his discoveries on Instagram under @thesushiguide. His reviews are so unique and fascinating and his photos are so stunning that he has been invited to dine at great sushi restaurants in Tokyo. 

In this episode, we will discuss Guy’s diverse experiences at sushi restaurants, his criteria for great sushi, why sushi is universally appealing to diners of all ages, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Massud Ghaussy who has a Japanese food and restaurant blog on Instagram under TokyoManhattan. 

His posts not only describe restaurants he has visited, but also include many other elements behind the dishes, such as history, culture, and cooking methods. He joined us in Episodes 125, 136, 152 and 186 and shared his favorite Japanese chefs and restaurants in the world.

Today’s topic is the best Japanese restaurants in the world in 2022. The popularity of Japanese food remains high globally, and so is the reputation of Japanese chefs working abroad. 

Massud has visited many cities in the world and discovered great restaurants during the year. We will discuss all of them. Also, since this is the end-of-the-year episode, we will demystify the Japanese New Year rituals, which is a huge deal in Japan!!! 

Here are the links to the restaurants discussed in this episode.

Kanazawa – (Please use translation technology accordingly!)
• Sushi Kawaramachi Hajime　http://mikizo1.com/　
• Kappo Hamacho https://r.gnavi.co.jp/m20u46880000/ 
• Higashiyama Wakon

Paris – 
• Restaurant AT http://www.atsushitanaka.com/ 
• La Scene Theleme https://www.lascenetheleme.fr/ 

Spain – 
• Toshi Restaurant https://www.toshi.es/ 

NYC – 
• Noz17 https://www.noz17.com/ 
• 69 Leonard Street https://www.69leonardstreet.com/ 
• Kissaki https://explorekissaki.com/ 
• Kappo Sono https://www.bbfkapposono.com/

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Our guest is Greg Lam who has a popular YouTube Channel called “Life Where I'm From”. He has created over 200 videos since 2015 and his Channel has more than 1.6 million subscribers. 

Greg is based in Japan and in his insightful videos, he covers a wide variety of topics from Japanese breakfast, how a ramen shop operates, why Japanese bathrooms are the best, to Japanese social issues like minorities in Japan. In each video, he accurately and analytically captures a very ordinary aspect of life in Japan, but these daily matters are the most representative of the uniqueness of Japanese culture. 

Even though I grew up in Japan, I always learn something new from Greg’s videos, and his messages make me think more deeply about what Japan is. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Greg moved to Japan, why he decided to start the YouTube Channel called 'Life Where I'm From', what is unique about Japanese culture, the underlying mindset and philosophies of Japanese people that make the country unique, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Jamie Ryder, who is a certified sake sommelier as well as a Japanese culture enthusiast. Also, Jamie publishes a Japanese culture-themed magazine called Yamato Magazine, which explores Japanese culture from a variety of angles. 

We have had many guests in the past, talking about Japanese food scenes in the biggest cities in the world such as Tokyo, L.A., London and Paris, but we don’t know too much about how Japanese food is gaining interest in other places. 

Jamie is based in Manchester, U.K. Manchester is still a big city, the 6th largest in the country, but by no means the same as a metropolis like London. In other words, it is a great example to see what is happening with Japanese food culture in smaller cities. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Jamie got into Japanese culture, what is happening with Japanese culture outside the metropolis, how Jamie gained knowledge of sake and got certified as a sake sommelier in Manchester, what should happen for Japanese sake to be enjoyed more outside global cities, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Mike Satinover who is a ramen expert based in Chicago. 

Ramen became a very popular dish outside Japan in the last two decades or so and these days you can find great ramen shops in many cities in the U.S. 

Mike fell in love with ramen when he spent a year in Japan 12 years ago and since then, his passion for the iconic Japanese national noodle dish has only deepened. That is why his Reddit page has become the go-to place for serious ramen lovers. Go there and you will be surprised by the quantity and the quality of well-organized, practical information about how to make a great bowl of ramen in your own kitchen even outside Japan. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Mike got into ramen, how he learned to make great ramen back home in America, the importance of regional variations of ramen within Japan, tips to make ramen at home, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Tomo Matsushita who is the spirit sommelier at Copper & Oak in the Lower East Side, New York. Spirits are very popular in the U.S. If you look at the alcohol beverage market in 2021, beer was the most popular, which accounted for 43% of the market. Spirits were almost as popular as beer and their market share was 41%, and the remaining was mostly wine. 

Spirits are delicious but if you don’t know much about them, it is hard to choose what to drink. Tomo is the expert who can help you not only to choose what spirit and what brand, but also to understand the story behind each label. At Copper & Oak, he serves 1,400 labels of spirits. 

Tomo’s passion and knowledge of spirits are well-recognized in the global spirits industry and he received the title of the Icon of Whisky 2021. 

As you may know, Japanese whisky has been one of the hottest categories of spirits in recent years, and Copper & Oak carries 130 Japanese whisky labels. 

In this episode, we will discuss Tomo’s unique background outside being a spirits sommelier, why Japanese whisky is distinct from other types of whisky like Scotch and Bourbon, different categories of Japanese whisky, how to taste Japanese whisky, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Shohei Miyajima who is the manager of Dashi Okume in Brooklyn, New York. The New York location of Dashi Okume opened in September 2022 but the history of the company Okume goes back to 1871. 

Dashi is a Japanese-style stock, but unlike western style stock it is used very extensively in Japanese cuisine. Dashi provides a rich umami taste, which is foundational in many Japanese dishes. 

Dashi is very easy to make in your kitchen because its ingredients have been carefully made over a long time with special techniques. Dashi Okume sells a whole variety of premium ingredients of dashi and you can customize your dashi flavor as well. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Shohei decided to become a dashi expert, main ingredients of dashi and their characteristic flavors, how to effectively maximize umami by combining different dashi ingredients, easy recipes that you can try with dashi, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Vincent Kazuhito Lau who is the knife sharpener at Korin based in New York. Korin has been offering premium quality Japanese knives, tableware and cookware to Japanese and non-Japanese chefs and consumers for the last 40 years. Vincent began studying knife sharpening in 2009 and thanks to his passion and patience, he has acquired the highly difficult skills and the mindset of a professional knife sharpener. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Vincent fell in love with Japanese knives, the challenges he conquered to become a knife sharpening expert, why we should sharpen our knives and how to do so effectively, Japanese knife buying tips, and much, much more!!!

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Our guests are Joelle Sambuc Bloise and Aldo Bloise, who are the co-founders of Ikkyu. Ikkyu is a unique tea company that sells high-quality Japanese tea based in the southern island of Kyushu. 

If you live outside of Japan, it is not easy to find reasonably priced high-quality Japanese tea. Then I heard about Ikkyu. I ordered some tea from the website and I had some wonderful new discoveries! Of course, there are other great Japanese tea companies but I got particularly interested in Ikkyu’s focus on the terroir of Kyushu island. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Joelle and Aldo decided to move to Japan even though they had a solid professional career in Switzerland, how they discovered the charm of Japanese tea, why you should try Japanese tea beyond matcha, the unique terroir of Kyushu Island, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Prairie Stuart Wolff who is a writer and photographer and what I would call cultural communicator based in a rural countryside village called Mirukashi on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu. 

Since Prairie moved to Mirukashi in 2007, she has been deepening her interest in Japanese food through the beautiful surrounding nature. You can find her precious life in the village on her website, Mirukashi Salon. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Prairie ended up moving to Japan, how the village of Mirukashi inspired her to study Japanese cuisine, the essence of Japanese cuisine Prairie wants to share with others, her unique culture tours that you can participate in, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Daiki Tanaka who is the founder of d:matcha. d:matcha is a highly unique tea company located in the rural town of Wazuka, Kyoto. 

Wazuka has been known as a premium tea production area for the last 800 years. The landscape of Wazuka is stunningly beautiful but the town has been suffering from serious depopulation. 

However, Wazuka started to see a bright future since Daiki moved there and began his various ambitious projects to revive the community. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Daiki decided to move to a rural town with his family after a successful corporate career, his creative strategies to revitalize Wazuka’s tea industry, challenges he had to conquer as a newcomer to Wazuka’s close-knit community, how he built a powerful young and global team to execute d:matcha’s various activities, Daiki’s ultimate goal beyond reviving Wazuka, and much, much more!!!

Daiki's challenges and success are beautifully summarized in this video.
 

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Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh who joined us 10 times in Episodes 18, 61, 83, 99, 108, 131, 156, 180, 200, 208, and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. 

Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. 

Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen”, “Kibo: Recipes and Stories from Japan's Tohoku”, and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions”.

Today’s topic is Kambutsu. Kambutsu means “dried things”. These are essential items in the traditional Japanese pantry but rarely receive the attention they deserve. 

In this episode, we will discuss what kambutsu is, why they are so precious, ways you can use them (that are totally foolproof!), Elizabeth’s favorite kambutsu recipes, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Arimi Asai who is the co-founder of Fish & Dish Sakanaya Asai based in Tokyo. Fish & Dish Sakanaya Asai is a unique and highly inspiring fishmonger. 

When we buy seafood, most of us will go to a supermarket and purchase a piece of fish without knowing its whole shape. It is easy and convenient but the process reminds us that we have become very distant from how we used to eat fish. 

Arimi and her husband Kazuhiro have a mission to shrink the distance. Their innovative mom & pop business has no address and they are ready to deliver the freshest fish straight from the market to wherever their clients are. Not only that, they offer various catering and educational services to teach how a whole fish is broken down and comes to your plate. 

Their business started in 2015 and the idea of a fishmonger without a storefront has become popular through word-of-mouth recommendations among foodies and environmentalists alike. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Kazuhiro and Arimi came up with the concept of the nomadic fishmonger, the unique entertaining and educational programs they offer, how their business can support the brighter, sustainable future of seafood consumption, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Randy Channell Soei who is a master tea practitioner from Canada. Randy went to Japan 37 years ago to study martial arts. His goal was achieved and he gained proficiency in various styles of martial arts, including Kendo, Iaido, and Kyudo. But somehow, his focus shifted to Japanese tea ceremony and eventually he became the first master tea ceremony instructor as a non-Japanese person.

In this episode, we will discuss how Randy got into the tea ceremony, what exactly tea ceremony is, the spiritual aspects of tea ceremony that we all can benefit from, how you can try the tea ceremony, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Yuichiro Murai, the 29th generation of Kojiya Sanzaemon based in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. 

Koji, which is also called the national mold of Japan, has been used to make a majority of anything delicious in Japanese cuisine, such as miso, soy sauce, sake, and shochu. In the last decade or so, koji has become a culinary keyword, especially among forward-minded top chefs like Rene Redzepi of Noma in Denmark, and Feran Adria in Spain. 

Yuichiro’s family has been selling koji products since 1390. His company’s lab has 3,000 types of koji, and he and his team select the right one for each of their clients based on their knowledge and experience accumulated over the six centuries. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Japanese and other Asian countries use koji differently, different forms of koji and how they are used, how we can use koji in our own kitchen, novel applications of koji beyond tradition, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Maurice Dudley, who is an awamori specialist based in Okinawa. Awamori is a very important traditional alcoholic beverage from Okinawa Prefecture, but its preciousness is yet to be known outside Japan.

Maurice went to Japan for the first time in 1994 as an Airman. He was stationed at a U.S. Military base in Okinawa and fell in love with awamori. Since then, he has continued to deepen his knowledge of and passion for awamori, and now owns an awamori bar and trading company, Blue Habu, in Okinawa City. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Maurice discovered the charm of awamori, what awamori is and how it's different from shochu, how to drink awamori, the latest of the awamori industry, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is J. Trent Harris who is the executive chef at the beautiful new sushi restaurant called Mujo in Atlanta, Georgia, which opened in February 2022. At Mujo there are only 15 seats at the counter made with cypress and he serves an omakase-style tasting menu that changes daily based on the catch of the day. 

Earlier in his career, chef Harris worked in classic western kitchens, including the Michelin-starred modern Portuguese restaurant Aldea in New York where he was the chef de cuisine. But somehow, he decided to choose sushi as his focus. He trained at reputable Ginza Sushi Onodera in New York as well as in Tokyo and worked as the executive sous chef at Shuko in New York, which showcases a great balance between authentic and creative. 

In this episode, we will discuss how chef Harris decided to get into sushi, how and where he learned sushi-making, the concept of omakase, his unique philosophy of merging the authentic sushi culture and the southern mentality, and much, much more!!!

HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

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Our guests are Franckie Alarcon and Marilyne Letertre. Franckie is an illustrator and comic artist based in Paris. He recently published a fabulous comic book, The Art of Sushi. The title sounds very ambitious, but he does not disappoint you. I first learned about the book by reading a recommendation by an experienced Japanese sushi chef. 

The book is about Franckie and Marilyne’s adventures in Japan to discover real sushi. Their French perspective casts refreshing views on Japanese culture and Franckie objectively analyzes its essence in the book. There are many top-of-the-industry professionals featured in the book from a Michelin-starred chef to a fisherman, a rice farmer to a soy sauce maker, and they generously share their insights with you. 

And because it is a comic book illustrated by Franckie himself, reading it is so much fun and you feel like you are visiting Japan and spending time with the characters. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Franckie became so fascinated by sushi, so much so that he decided to write a book about it, the amazing characters in the book, what he learned from them, and much, much more!!!

(Marilyne is beautifully translating Franckie's French to English in this episode.)

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Our guest is Tetsuji Ishigaki who is a scientist and the president & CEO of SOI inc. based in Shizuoka, Japan. The company produces sustainable foods and ingredients using Japanese koji mold. 

Tetsuji has a strong mission to help to create a fully sustainable society by providing healthy products. It sounds like a cliché but what he does is real. His family started a koji manufacturing business in 1739 and with the deepest understanding of the Japanese national mold, Tetsuji has been inventing unique items, such as delicious snack bars made with coffee grounds. 

In this episode, we will discuss Tetsuji’s fascinating family history, what koji is and why it is so unique and powerful to produce sustainable products, fascinating examples of his delicious and sustainable foods like zero-waste coffee syrup, what koji can do beyond making fermented foods, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Michael Tremblay who is a Sake Samurai, international sake judge, sake sommelier, and certified sake educator based in Toronto, Canada. 

Michael is also the co-author of the excellent new book “Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake: Rice, Water, Earth” from Tuttle Publishing. This book is not an ordinary book on sake. It not only covers the basics of sake with unique insights but also discusses more advanced topics such as new rice varieties and water mineral contents and how these elements articulate the terroir in each region. 

But make no mistake, this book is a fun read rather than a textbook, although you would learn so much from it without trying. You will also get to meet people from 35 breweries and other key players in the sake industry, such as koji providers and female toji. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Michael became a renowned sake expert and educator, intriguing topics featured in his new book, including the latest trends of popular sake rice, how newly developed flower yeasts are changing the flavors of sake, Japan’s diverse regional terroir, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Zach Mangan who is the co-founder of Kettl, the Japanese tea importer and distributor based in Fukuoka, Japan and New York. 

Zach joined us in Episode 44 and talked about his love and passion for Japanese tea. Now, six years later, Zach has lots of updates to share with us. 

In this episode, we will discuss this fascinating new book, Stories of Japanese Tea: The Regions, the Growers, and the Craft, what Zach offers at his new café and gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the latest Japanese tea trends in New York City, and much, much more!!! 

Photo Courtesy of Liz Clayman.

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Our guest today is Akira Shimizu who is the associate professor of History at Wilkes University and his focus has been our favorite topic: food. 

Professor Shimizu recently published an intriguing book titled, “Specialty Food, Market Culture, and Daily Life in Early Modern Japan: Regulating and Deregulating the Market in Edo, 1780–1870”. 

The book features the very unique period of Japanese history. The Edo era was a more peaceful time than ever thanks to the strong leadership of the shoguns. But because of the strong shoguns, the food supply system was highly regulated and manipulated back then. Professor Shimizu unfolds how the system unfairly worked for small players and how they tried to change it with fascinating examples. 

In this episode, we will discuss how the shoguns managed to eat the best of the best foods in the market, how privileged merchants enjoyed and suffered their status at the same time, how ordinary citizens bravely challenged the system, lessons we can learn from the Edo period, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Andy Matsuda, the founder and master sushi chef of Sushi Chef Institute in Los Angeles, California. 

Traditionally, sushi-making was something not to be taught, but what you patiently learn by watching your master for years and years. But Andy’s work experience in the U.S. and deep understanding of the global sushi market led him to open the sushi school in 2002. Since then, many successful graduates have been offering sushi to the world and increasing its popularity even further. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Andy became a master sushi chef himself, why he decided to open a sushi school in the U.S., a life-changing event that triggered his decision to do so, what Sushi Chef Institute provides to students, episodes of successful graduates, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Blake Richardson who is the president and owner of Moto-i in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Moto-i opened as a sake brewery and brewpub in 2008. There are around 20 craft sake breweries in the U.S. now, but when Blake started Moto-i, there was not much information available about Japanese sake in English, not to mention other craft breweries to learn from. 

Blake also runs a sake rice milling company called Minnesota Rice and Milling, which is important for American sake brewers, considering difficulties in getting premium sake rice in the U.S. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Blake decided to open a sake brewery in Minneapolis, how he studied sake production, his sake-making philosophy, why he started the sake rice milling business, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Mehdi Alexandre Medhaffar, who is a kurabito, or a brewmaster’s support, at Terada Honke in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo. Mehdi is Franco-Tunisian and he has made sake at five breweries in Japan for the last 8 years. 

Terada Honke is distinctively unique and known for its strong focus on natural sake-making. Here, we are not talking about a natural-oriented brewing style but a never-ending pursuit of minimum intervention to maximize the power of nature. The brewery was founded 349 years ago but its philosophy shifted towards natural fairly recently. 
　
In this episode, we will discuss why Mehdi decided to pursue his career in sake-making, why Terada Honke chose to become a natural sake brewer, its mind-blowingly unique sake, and much, much more!!!

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japan, japanese, japanese food, japanese cuisine, washoku, Japanese culture, japan eats!, Rintaro, Izakaya, sylvan Mishima Brackett, akiko katayama, heritage radio network, food radio

Our guest is Sylvan Mishima Brackett, who is the chef and owner of Izakaya Rintaro in San Francisco’s Mission district. Shortly after its opening in 2014, Rintaro was included in Bon Appetit magazine’s Top 10 New Restaurant list and has been beloved by many diners for the last 8 years. 

Born in Japan and raised in California, Sylvan has a unique and beautifully balanced approach to Japanese food culture. He also worked for the iconic American chef Alice Waters for years who has deeply influenced his view of food. 

In this episode, we will discuss why the son of a Japanese temple carpenter decided to become a chef, Sylvan’s apprenticeship at traditional restaurants in Japan, how he integrates Japanese and American food cultures at his restaurant Rintaro, his favorite Japanese kitchen equipment, and much, much more!!!

Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member today

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Our guest is Marcin Miller who is the founding partner of the Kyoto Distillery in Japan. The distillery is the maker of the award-winning beautiful Japanese-style craft gin called KI NO BI. 

Before he co-founded the Kyoto Distillery in 2014, Marcin has been in the spirits industry for a long time as a writer, importer, distributor and consultant. 

Until very recently, no one would have expected that Japanese-made gin would become popular nationally as well as globally, but the Kyoto Distillery initiated the current Japanese gin boom. Marcin and his business partners David and Noriko Croll launched KI NO BI in October 2016 and popular brands like Roku, Sui, Nikka Coffey and other craft labels quickly followed. As a result, in 2020, the sales of Japanese gin exceeded those of imported brands in the country.

In this episode, we will discuss why the British spirit writer ended up starting a distillery in Kyoto, what is special about Japanese-style gin, why the terroir of Kyoto can produce a unique gin, the latest and the future of Japanese-style gin and much, much more!!!

Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member today.

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Our guest is Bob Florence, who is the founder of Moromi based in Connecticut. At Moromi, Bob produces hand-crafted, small-batch Japanese-style fermented products such as shoyu, miso, hot sauces, and other condiments.

Bob studied how to make authentic Japanese fermented products in Japan and uniquely integrate the Japanese tradition and local flavors of coastal Connecticut. 

In this episode, we will discuss how an industrial chemist became an artisanal food producer, why Japanese-style fermentation is distinctively unique, how Bob learned Japanese-style fermentation, different types of Japanese soy sauces Bob makes, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Ken Suzuki, the founder of the Suzuki Farm in Delaware, which opened in 1983. 

In the last 39 years, Ken has devoted himself to introducing native Japanese vegetables and fruits to America. He and his team grow a variety of Japanese produce on their 28-acre land and harvest more than 30 kinds of crops throughout the year. 

I have been hearing about Suzuki Farm through Japanese and non-Japanese chefs who look for the uniquely delicate flavors of Japanese vegetables. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Japanese-born Ken Suzuki decided to farm in the US, what kinds of Japanese crops he grows, how unique and special they are, how you can use them in your kitchen, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Takashi Miyazaki, who is the chef/owner of ichigo ichie in Cork, Ireland. 

Takashi moved to Ireland in 2008 where Japanese food was yet to be more deeply discovered. Also, he was met by the global financial crisis shortly after his arrival in Ireland. After going through numerous challenges, he fell in love with Cork, a small city in the south-western part of the country, and opened a kaiseki restaurant called ichigo ichie in 2018. The restaurant became a huge success and earned a Michelin star only 6 months after its opening. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Takashi ended up moving to Ireland, why he fell in love with Cork, his philosophy of cooking Japanese food outside Japan, how he effectively utilizes Irish ingredients to cook authentic Japanese cuisine, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Genki Ito, who is the founder of Tippsy Sake, an online store that specializes in Japanese sake, based in California. 

Japanese sake has been increasingly popular globally in recent years and the US is one of the most promising markets for the sake industry. For example, between 2011 to 2021, the value of Japanese sake export to the US tripled, and its quantity doubled, according to the Japanese government’s statistics. In other words, Americans are drinking not only more sake but also higher-quality sake than 10 years ago. 

But if you live in America, you normally have to go to Japanese restaurants to discover great sake, partly because your local liquor shop doesn’t carry good enough sake for you (or sells no sake at all), or the store does not have anyone who can give you solid advice on which one to buy.

Tipssy Sake is a nice solution for the problem by making Japanese sake more readily available to everyone from sake novices to connoisseurs. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Genki’s unique background led him to come up with the successful business concept, what types of Japanese sake people are drinking right now in America, how COVID-19 dramatically boosted Tippsy Sake’s business, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Makiko Harada, who is a salt specialist and the owner of Glamsalt, a salt shop based in the Hudson Valley, New York. 

She opened Glamsalt in 2012 and now has numerous famous chef clients who adore her products, including those at Sushi Nakazawa, Sushi Yasuda, and Hatsuhana. 

Makiko is known for her extremely high-quality, unique products, and the awe and respect for salt in Japanese culture underlie her business approach. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Makiko got into salt, the importance of salt in Japanese culture, why salt can taste so diversely different, depending on the origin, how her top chef clients choose a specific type of salt, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Whit Johnson who is the co-founder of Horyzon Spirits based in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Whit founded Hryzon Spirits in April 2021 to produce very unique products that blend Japanese tradition and American terroir. More specifically, he chose to use Japanese koji mold, which is the foundational ingredient of Japanese cuisine, to produce his spirits instead of malts. Also, he uses Carolina Gold rice, which reflects the rich history of American South agriculture. It is very exciting to see how the two cultures are beautifully merged in his products. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Whit got into the spirit industry after his successful career in an entirely different industry, the difference between koji and malt-based fermentation, how a traditional Southern American rice naturally merges Japanese traditional koji, and much, much more!!! 
 

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Our guest is Kazuko Nagao, the founder of Oconomi, the okonomiyaki shop based in Queens, New York. 

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese-style savory pancake, which is very popular in Japan. Despite its rich, delicious taste and approachable style, okonomiyaki is yet to be known to the world outside Japan. 

Kazuko has been making okonomiyaki for New Yorkers at street fairs and food events for a decade. But last month, in December 2021, she decided to turn her seasonal okonomiyaki business into regular operations throughout the year. 

In this episode, we will discuss what exactly okonomiyaki is, regional varieties of okonomiyaki (which represent the pride of each region!), how to make okonomiyaki at home, and much, much more!!!

Photo Courtesy of Fuko Chubachi.

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Our guest is Matthieu Guerpillon, the Marketing Manager & Brand Ambassador of NAMI, the first sake brewery in Mexico. 

Japanese sake has been produced outside of Japan in recent years, and it is very exciting to see that there is a sake brewery in Mexico, which is the home of excellent beer and spirits such as tequila and mezcal!

NAMI is not just the first sake brewery in Mexico. Their products have proved to be outstanding. For example, The International Sake Challenge, which is an annual event held in Tokyo to recognize the best sakes in the world, has awarded the Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes to NAMI’s sake. 

In this episode, we will discuss how NAMI was born, how the all-Mexican team found a Japanese mentor to make premium sake, the unique terroir of Mexico, how to pair sake with Mexican flavors, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest today is Ryo Iwamoto, who is the founder and CEO of TeaRoom based in Tokyo. 

Ryo began studying tea 15 years ago at the age of 9 and now he is a certified instructor of the Japanese tea ceremony. He even has a special name that is only given to outstanding tea practitioners. 

Ryo founded TeaRoom in 2018 while he was still a student at the prestigious Waseda University to inspire the world with the power of Japanese tea culture. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Ryo got into the world of tea at such a young age, the essence of Japanese tea culture he has been passionate about, how tea can help us to make the world a more caring and peaceful place, his various projects to make his vision come true including his eye-opening products to attract new tea drinkers, and much, much more!!!

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Our guests today are John Daschbach, the director of the fantastic new documentary film Come Back Anytime, and Wataru Yamamoto, the producer of the film. 

Our mutual friend Yukari Sakamoto, who is an influential food specialist based in Tokyo, introduced me to the new film Come Back Anytime, or mata irasshai (またいらっしゃい) in Japanese. It premiered at DOC NYC, which is the largest documentary festival in America, and at the IFC Center in November 2021. 

This documentary is about a ramen chef in Tokyo and the close-knit community of his regulars. It sounds simple but there was a lot to digest in your heart and mind. I suggest everyone watch it, especially in the current isolating social situation due to the pandemic. 

In this episode, we will discuss why John and Wataru decided to make a documentary about a tiny ramen shop in Tokyo, the profound messages they hope to convey to the audience through the film, how ramen can be instrumental in community building, and much, much more!!! 

 

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Our guest today is Kou Sundburg, who is the founder of Kiraku. Kiraku operates multiple projects that aim to preserve Japan’s rich cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Kou has a strong business background with a unique bi-cultural vantage point of the Japanese tradition. 

Kou’s diverse projects include transforming abandoned machiya, or a traditional Japanese townhouse, in Kyoto into a Michelin-awarded luxury ryokan and reviving a sake brewery that was founded in 1793 but unfortunately shut down in 2012. Now the brewery became a micro-sake brewery to express the rich local terroir. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Kou came up with the business to preserve Japanese culture and tradition, his intriguing projects of hotels and restaurants that you would want to experience on your next trip to Japan, how seriously Japan is losing cultural heritage, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Takatsugu 'Taka' Amano who is the co-Founder and CEO of American Shochu Company based in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

Shochu is a traditional Japanese spirit and it is more popular than Japanese sake in Japan. If you compare sake and shochu, 4.2% of liquor tax comes from premium sake, whereas 14.8% comes from shochu, according to the Japanese government’s data in 2019. But the number flips when it comes to overseas. In 2020, Japan exported about $212 million worth of premium sake but only $10.6 million of shochu was brought outside the country, which was just 5% of sake’s export. 

It is a shame because shochu is as delicious and artisanal as premium sake. That is why Taka decided to introduce the charm of shochu to America by producing his own brand in 2015. He makes 100% barley shochu with his wife Lynn Amano in Maryland and they have already won the 2020 American Craft Spirits Awards. 

In this episode, we will discuss why the successful biotech industry executive decided to produce the traditional Japanese spirit in America, how he studied shochu production techniques, how he produces his award-winning shochu with American ingredients in the climate of Maryland, why we should drink more shochu and much, much more!!! 

 

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Our guest is Nobu Yamanashi, the director of Yama Seafood. Founded in 1980 by his father Kengo Yamanashi, Yama Seafood has been one of the most reliable sources of high-quality seafood in the U.S. for over 40 years. 

Thanks to superior suppliers like Yama Seafood, our diet has shifted dramatically towards fresh seafood like sushi in the last decades. 

For example, people used to be frightened by the idea of eating raw fish in the 1950s, but now $300 per person omakase sushi dinner is not unusual these days. And it is hard to find a supermarket that does not carry sushi. Without a doubt, sushi has become part of New Yorkers’ diet because of the stable supply of premium fish. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Yama Seafood started when no one was buying specialty fish like tuna in the U.S., why Nobu decided to succeed in the highly demanding job in the seafood business, the changing needs for seafood in New York City dining scenes, why Yama Seafood has many employees who have worked for the company over 30 years, and much, much more!!! 

***

Here is a fascinating video about Nobu Yamanashi's job.

 

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Our guests are Mark Isbell and Chris Isbell of Isbell Farms in Arkansas. Isbell Farms has always been forward-minded and played an important role as a strong supporter of the American sake industry. 

It is a multi-generational family farm with a focus on the sustainable production of quality rice. And also, Isbell is the first American farm that produced Sakamai, which means Japanese rice varieties developed specifically for sake production. 

There are approximately 25 sake breweries in the U.S. and it is very exciting to see that the number has been increasing. These breweries often use Calrose rice, which is table rice, because sake rice is not readily available in this country. While Calrose has proven to be a right variety to produce high-quality sake, there is a solid demand for sake rice among American brewers. 

In this episode, we will discuss how a family farm in Arkansas started to grow Japanese rice, the types of sake rice they grow, a pioneering sake rice variety they have developed, and much, much more!!! 
 

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Our guest is Christopher Horton who is the executive chef at Sanrokunana (367) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from the New England Culinary Institute, Chris worked at notable establishments, including Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C., Andaz Hotel Tokyo, and INUA in Tokyo, which was one of Asia’s 50 Best restaurants. 

Nagano is known for its beautiful mountains and hot springs, and very importantly, great local produce. Chris naturally combines his western culinary skills and experience with the celebrated local food culture at his unique restaurant. 

In this episode, we will discuss how he got an opportunity to cook in Japan, his idea of Japanese cuisine and how he expresses it, what he has discovered in Nagano’s unique food culture, his close relationship with local farmers, and much, much more!!! 

Here is the link to the fantastic video "Story of Terroir： Shinshu Gastronomy ＜Spring＞" where Chris introduces us to the essence of Nagano's culinary tradition. 

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Our guest is Masamitsu Ishibashi who is the president and CEO of Misaki Megumi Suisan based in Japan. Founded in 1986, the company has been focused on processing and sales of fresh seafood, in particular tuna.

Tuna, or Maguro in Japanese, is one of the most popular fish among sushi lovers. Not only does the fish have a very special place in Japanese food culture, but on the other hand, sustainability is a major issue nowadays and seafood including maguro is one of the frequently discussed areas. 

Masamitsu is devoted to educating people around the world about the precious taste and flavors of maguro and at the same time he aims to become the most sustainable maguro purveyor in the world. 

In this episode, we will discuss how important maguro is in Japanese food culture, the characteristics of different parts of maguro, how Masamitsu exercises sustainability, and much, much more!!!

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My guests are Tim Sullivan & John Puma, who are the hosts of the Sake Revolution podcast.

The Sake Revolution podcast started in January 2020 and each episode is so informative and so much fun that I have never missed an episode of the show. 

Tim is a sake expert and the founder of Urban Sake. He is also an honorable Sake Samurai as well. It is a title given by the Japan Sake Brewers Association to those who promote sake and Japanese culture. He joined us already twice in Episodes 32 and 100. 

John is also a sake expert and the founder of Sake Notes, which is a fascinating website all about sake. 

You may have tried sake and started to like it, but aren't sure how to move on to the next step of discovering the fantastic and profound Japanese national beverage. In this episode, we will discuss how you can proactively explore Japanese sake. Also, Tim and John brought a special sake, so they will teach us how to taste sake as well!

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Our guest is Jake Myrick who is the co-owner and toji, or brewmaster, of Sequoia Sake in San Francisco, which was founded in 2015. It is the first local artisanal sake brewery in the city. 

In 2019, only 4 years after their first production of sake, the brewery received both the gold and silver awards for best sake produced outside of Japan at the  Tokyo Sake Competition. 

Jake has been relentlessly pursuing the best quality sake, and as a result, he has successfully revived the original sake rice brought to California from Japan back in 1906 in collaboration with UC Davies and local rice farmers. Now it is called Sequoia Sake Rice. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Jake got into sake and ended up opening a sake brewery in America, how sake rice is different from regular table rice, the outstanding quality of the sake rice Jake has revived, Sequioa Sake’s classic and innovative styles of sake, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest today is Marie Akizawa, the 6th generation rice merchant Yamadaya Honten in Tokyo, which was founded in 1905. 

Rice is a quintessential food in Japanese culture since it started to be produced 3,000 years ago in the country. Japanese people enjoy plain rice like the best part of the meal. Also, Japanese chefs are crazy about their choice of rice. For instance, at a fancy kaiseki restaurant, the last savory course of the menu is often a bowl of shiny plain rice. You would be surprised how much deliciousness is packed in it! 

However, rice consumption in Japan has been steadily declining since the 1960s due to the diversifying diet of the people. But Marie is convinced that the future of rice is bright and its potential is huge. 

She is certified as a “rice meister” (rice expert) as well as a “kome shokumi kanteishi” (rice sommelier). She actively visits farms she works with and often participates in rice production. 

In this episode, we will discuss how essential rice is in Japanese food culture and the people’s mindset, Marie’s innovative and successful strategies to make rice popular again, different flavors of rice depending on the varieties and milling rates, how to enjoy rice at home and much, much more!!! 

- Here is how to cook rice at home by Marie Akizawa!

Serves 2:

① Prepare 180g of rice and 200g of water, and a pot with smaller size.

② Put 180g of rice in a bowl and rinse it with water, then drain the water quickly as the rice will absorb first- round water quickly.

③ Add second-round water and stir it gently for about 30 seconds and drain water.

④ Repeat this procedure three times.

⑤ Drain the water completely and put the rice in the pot.

⑥ Add the clear water of 200g and soak the rice in the water for 30 minutes or 1 hour.

⑦ Cover the pot with a lid and heat it until it boils. Then leave it for 2 seconds.

⑧ Turn down the heat to medium low for next 3 minutes, then simmer it with low heat for 5 minutes.

⑨Then turn off the heat and let the cooked rice rest for 10 minutes.

⑩ Gently overturn the rice and briefly stir with a flat wooden spoon to let the steam escape.

⑪ Done!
 

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Our guest is Tetsuya Yamashita, the only non-French garçon, or waiter, at Café de Flore in Paris. Café de Flore is one of the most iconic cafes in France. Garçon in France is different from a waiter in the US and Tetsuya exemplifies the difference in his outstanding style of service. To prove how distinctive he is, Tetsuya has been patronized by many regulars including the legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Also, he was invited by President François Hollande to the state dinner at the Élysée Palace when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Paris and got seated right next to the famed chef Alain Ducasse.   

There is a unique concept of service in Japan called Omotenashi and Tetsuya is practicing the idea of Omotenashi at the quintessential café in Paris. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Tetsuya got the job at Café de Flore in Paris and became the top garçon, his philosophy of hospitality, how he keeps refining himself to offer the greatest service possible to his guests, and much, much more!!!

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This episode is different from our regular show. Recently, I got very lucky to be on the fantastic podcast Sake Revolution and had a fun conversation with the wonderful hosts Tim Sullivan and John Puma. So I am replaying it today on Japan Eats! 

The Sake Revolution podcast started in January 2020 and each episode is so informative and so much fun that I have never missed any episode of the show. 

Hope you enjoy it and also I suggest that you listen to more episodes on Sake Revolution, which is available on all major platforms of podcasts as well as on their website sakerevolution.com!

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Our guests today are JT Vuong and George Padilla, the executive chef and the co-founding partner of Rule of Thirds in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in New York.  George and JT met at Okonomi, a charming Japanese restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and after working for several years together, they opened Rule of Thirds in February 2020 – what a timing!  It was a month before the outbreak of COVID-19.  

But the duo managed to get through the challenges in the pandemic and luckily we can now discover their great new restaurant in person.  

In this episode, we will discuss how George and GT got into Japanese food, their ideas of Japanese food culture, how they communicate the ideas at Rule of Thirds through outstanding hospitality and unique dishes, creative programs they offer to enjoy Japanese flavors and much, much more!!!

Image courtesy of Eric Medsker.

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Our guest is Austin Power who has been in the sake industry for the last 17 years as a sake sommelier and kikizakeshi, or a certified sake professional.  Austin joined us in Episode 164 and discussed his fascinating experience at Sake Bar Satsuko in the East Village for the first 10 years of his career.  Also, he shared his ideas of serving Japanese sake in non-Japanese environments like Tokyo Record Bar in Greenwich Village and Niche Niche in SOHO.  He is also a talented artist and graduate of Parsons School of Design.    

Austin is joining us today because he recently opened his own fantastic sake bar called Accidental Bar in the East Village, Manhattan (Resy).  

In this episode, we will discuss why Austin opened a sake bar in the middle of the pandemic, how Accidental Bar is proposing a new way of drinking sake, the unique sake that he offers at his bar, his food menu that relates to the health benefits of sake (what are they?) and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Tetsuro Miyazaki, who is the General Manager at IICHIKO USA.  iichiko is one of the most well-known shochu brands in Japan and abroad.  The company was founded in 1958 and specializes in barley-based shochu products, which reflects the natural environment of Oita Prefecture in the south of Japan.  

iichiko shochu’s nickname is ""Downtown Napoleon"", meaning that it has the quality of the first-class famous brandy Napoleon at an approachable price.  And iichiciko has received numerous awards at global stages such as the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the International Spirits Competition.

In this episode, we will discuss how the taste of shochu is affected by various elements like ingredients, the environment of the distillery and the production philosophy, how to drink shochu, great food pairings with shochu and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Kazuhiro Sakurai, the 4th generation and CEO of Asahi Shuzo, which is the maker of Dassai sake.    

You may have heard of Dassai, because you can find it in many bars and restaurants worldwide.  Also, Dassai has appeared at important events.  For example, when Barak Obama visited Japan in 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gifted Dassai sake to the US president.  

Dassai’s success did not happen overnight.  Kazuhiro and his father/the third generation Hiroshi Sakurai shifted the corporate philosophy drastically and since then, their innovative approach to sake production has inspired the entire industry.  

In this episode, we will discuss why Kazuhiro decided to join his family business despite his earlier decision not to, the unique philosophy behind Dassai sake, Dassai’s upcoming sake brewery in New York, why Kazuhiro opened a Dassai tasting space with the late famous French chef Joel Robuchon in Paris and much, much more!!! 

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Our guest is Yoshi Tezuka, the 4th generation sushi chef at Matsunozushi in Tokyo, which was founded in 1910.  Yoshi is not just a great sushi chef, but also a global thinker.  

Before he became a sushi chef, Yoshi spent years abroad as a professional ski guide as well as a backpacker and traveled to over 50 countries.  Now he cooks for a global audience worldwide on a whole variety of occasions, including the World Expo and the first lady luncheon at the G20 Summit.  He was invited by the British Royal family to cook for them as well.  

Also, Yoshi actively educates students and tourists about sushi and Japanese culture through various programs.    

In this episode, we will discuss why Yoshi decided to make sushi for an international audience, the challenges he faces in making sushi outside Japan, his philosophy of sustainability, how to pair fish with wine (Yoshi is a certified wine sommelier too) and much, much more!!! 

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Our guests are Stephen Lyman & Christopher Pellegrini who are the co-hosts of Japan Distilled, the fantastic new podcast about Japanese spirits.

Japan Distilled started in December 2020.  The duo's conversations are fun and truly informative.  Stephen and Chris always tell the audience not just the basics but also in-depth history and background of Japanese spirits, which even most Japanese people wouldn’t know about.

In this episode, we will discuss why Chris and Stephen started the Japanese spirit-themed podcast, what you should know about Japanese spirits beyond Japanese whisky, tips for buying and drinking Japanese spirits and much, much more!!! 

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Our guest is Michael Gerard who is the founder and president of Wildwood Ovens & BBQ (Instagram) based in California.  Michael manufactures various wood-fired cooking equipment including yakitori grills.  

Yakitori is grilled chicken on skewers and its simplicity demands tremendous skills and experience of the cook, not to mention great equipment.  Michael is one of the very few yakitori grill manufacturers in the U.S. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Michael got into producing wood-fired cooking equipment, where his passion for high quality food comes from, what exactly yakitori is, a unique and powerful fuel used to make yakitori called binchotan and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Jon Broida who is the owner of Japanese Knife Imports based in California.  Before Jon founded Japanese Knife Imports in 2010, he had a successful career as a fine-dining chef and great knives were essential for his job.  He got so into Japanese knives that eventually he started the company and now offers outstanding products along with essential services such as knife sharpening and repairs.  

In this episode, we will discuss how the American chef became interested in Japanese knives, how Japanese knives are different from western-style knives, Jon’s unique relationships with Japanese knife craftsmen, what Japanese knives you should have and much, much more!!! 

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Our guest is Philip Harper, the brewmaster and managing director of Kinoshita Shuzo in Kyoto, which was founded in 1842.

Philip has been working in the sake industry for the last 30 years.  In 2007, he became the very first non-Japanese brewmaster at Kinoshita Shuzo.  Nowadays there are more non-Japanese workers in the sake industry but back then, it was a shockingly novel event!

Philip has proven his remarkable talent and his outstanding products have won many awards.  Also, he has been inspiring the sake industry with refreshing new ideas like sake that is made to be drunk on the rocks.

In this episode, we will discuss how Philip ended up living in Japan and eventually becoming a brewmaster, his unique style of sake making, the future of the sake industry and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Don Mei who is the Director of Mei Leaf, an awesome tea company based in London.  

Don also has a wonderful YouTube Channel called “Mei Leaf”, which has 80,000 subscribers.  His videos are extremely educational and uniquely fun based on his extensive knowledge of both Chinese and Japanese tea.  His global and analytical perspective helps viewers to appreciate tea even more.  

In this episode, we will discuss various aspects of Japanese tea such as production, flavor and terroir in comparison with Chinese tea, Don’s intriguing path to become a tea specialist and much, much more!!! 

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Our guest is Kazumasa Nishikawa who is the 4th generation head master of the Nishikawa school of Japanese dancing, which has a history of 170 years. He is a dancer, producer, and director, creating numerous performances, teaching at 4 colleges. He is also a manager of the Nihon Odori Sports Science, a health program from the perspective of Japanese dance.

Kaz is based in Aichi Prefecture, which is known for its distinctive food culture. Located between Tokyo and Osaka, its capital Nagoya may sound familiar to some of our listeners, but Aichi has not been discovered enough by most of us. 

In this episode, we will discuss Kaz’s interesting international background, why Japanese dance is good for your health, Aichi’s fascinating food products such as umami-rich miso and soy sauce, popular free breakfast programs in Nagoya and much, much more!!! 

Here is the link to Kaz's fascinating dance performance: https://youtu.be/nM50bfdICgk 

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Our guest is Winifred Bird who is a writer, translator, lifelong cook, and lover of plants, based in northern Illinois.  

Winnie recently published a fabulous book called “Eating Wild Japan - Tracking the Culture of Foraged Foods, with a Guide to Plants and Recipes” from Stone Bridge Press.    

When we talk about Japanese cuisine, we tend to think of dishes like sushi, ramen and kaiseki without considering enough about native ingredients that play a significant role in Japanese food culture.  One of the most important ingredients is sansai or edible wild plants.  Since two-thirds of Japan’s total land area is forested, you can find amazing seasonal edible plants throughout Japan.  

Winnie is one of the very few people who discovered the charm of sansai and wrote a book about it in English, based on her experience of living in Japan for 9 years.  

In this episode, we will discuss Winnie’s eventful life in Japan, what sansai is, why sansai is so important in Japanese food culture, delicious sansai dishes that you should not miss at Japanese restaurants or in Japan and  much, much more!!! 

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Our guest is Yarrow Lazer-Smith, a.k.a. Yarrow Slaps who is a visual artist and hip-hop musician as well as the co-director of SWIM Gallery in San Francisco.    

Yarrow recently published “Ramen Forever – An Artist’s Guide to Ramen”.  There are many ramen-themed books, but this is definitely one the most intriguing and cool ones you can find.  It is packed with inspiring interviews with ramen-lover artists, tons of fun illustrations, amusing photos and novel recipes.  

The book is a proof of how ramen has become universally popular.  20 years ago, who would have expected that such a casual, accessible form of Japanese cuisine will appeal to a global audience!

In this episode, we will discuss Yarrow’s unique life perspective as an artist, how the cool painter and hip-hop musician got into ramen, what is common between art and ramen and much, much more!!

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Our guest is Hannah Kirshner who is the author of “WATER, WOOD, AND WILD THINGS”, which just came out on March 23, 2021 from Viking.

Hannah has a lot of intriguing experiences in Japan. For example, she has worked as a bartender and as well as a kurabito, or sake brewer’s assistant, in the beautiful rural area of Ishikawa Prefecture called Yamanaka.  Now she calls it her second home.

In her new book, Hannah insightfully describes Japanese traditional culture as well as how it is being revised by artisans in Yamanaka.

In this episode, we will discuss how Hannah got into Japanese culture and ended up living in Japan, the charm of rural Japan like Yamanaka, the area's inspirational artisans she has worked with and much, much more!!! 

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Our guest is Brian Ashcraft who is a senior writer for the video gaming site Kotaku and a columnist for The Japan Times.  He is also the author of the 6 fascinating books including: The Japanese Sake Bible, Japanese Whisky, Japanese Tattoos and Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool.  

Brian has lived in Osaka since 2001.  Throughout the two decades, he has insightfully observed and reported the uniqueness of Japanese culture to the world in English.  

In this episode, we will discuss how Brian ended up becoming a prolific writer and journalist specialized in Japanese culture, his insight into various aspects of Japanese culture including sake, whisky, tattoos, schoolgirls and much much more!!! 

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Our guest is Merry White who is the author of Coffee Life in Japan, an absolutely insightful and fascinating book about Japanese coffee as well as unique Japanese culture and society.  Merry also teaches courses on various topics including Japan, food anthropology, and urban anthropology at Boston University.

Japanese people started drinking coffee fairly recently compared to their centuries-old custom of tea drinking, but Japan is the number five importer of coffee beans as of 2021.  Also, over the last century Japan has developed a remarkably unique coffee shop culture.  For example, you may have heard the word Kissaten, which is a distinctive style of coffee shop.  

In this episode, we will discuss why Merry got into Japanese coffee culture, how Japanese coffee culture differs from the rest of the world, what functions coffee shops perform uniquely in Japanese society, the concept of Kissaten and much, much more! 

Image courtesy of Standart Magazine.

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Our guest is Danny Taing who is the founder of Bokksu.  

Bokksu means box in Japanese.  His company Bokksu delivers to your door the experience of tasting authentic Japanese snacks, candies, and teas sourced directly from generations-old small family businesses.  

If you visit Japan, you will instantly know that Japanese people are quite obsessed with both savory and sweet snacks.  Elaborately packaged products are ubiquitous and you can easily get addicted to them.  

In this episode, we will discuss how Danny got into Japanese snacks, why he decided to start a business to deliver them to your door outside Japan, unique Japanese snacks, artisanal producers he works with and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Andrew Centofante who is the co-owner and head brewer of North American Sake Brewery in Charlottesville, Virgina, which opened in 2018.  It is Virginia’s first and only sake brewery.  

Despite its short history, the brewery has won the silver and bronze medals at the 2020 World Sake Challenge for its classic-style sake.  But Andrew also makes highly imaginative sake as well.  

In this episode, we will discuss how Andrew got into Japanese sake, challenges in opening a sake brewery in Virginia, his innovative philosophy of sake production and much, much more!!!

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Our guest today is Ian Chun who is the owner of Japanese online tea shop and community Yunomi.life.  

The website is not just selling tea but highly inspirational and educational about Japanese tea and the underlying unique Japanese culture.  

For example, you can meet tea producers on the designated webpage, which tells you each vendor’s detailed history, tea fields and manufacturing philosophy with beautiful images and videos.  

In this episode, we will discuss how Ian got into Japanese tea, his philosophy of connecting people through tea, benefits of drinking Japanese tea, how to enjoy Japanese tea at home and much, much more!!!

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Our my guests are Marc Matsumoto & Maki Ogawa.  Marc and Maki host a popular English cooking show called BENTO EXPO produced by NHK, the national public broadcaster of Japan.  

They teach a global audience how to make great bento boxes.  The show is so popular that it is now in the fifth season.  

Also, Marc and Maki recently published a fascinating cookbook about Japanese-style bento called “Ultimate Bento – Healthy, Delicious and Affordable 85 mix-and-match Bento Box Recipes.”  In addition to 85 recipes, there are useful tips about how to pack a bento box with step-by-step images, food safety, useful gadgets et cetera.  

In this episode, we will discuss why Japanese bento is unique, why Bento so is important in Japanese culture, how to make delicious and nutritious bento boxes and much, much more! 

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Our guest is Atsushi Numata who is the chef and owner of Ni Japanese Deli at the Essex Market in the Lower East Side, Manhattan.  

Ni Japanese Deli is unique because all the food he sells is very healthy and allergen-free.  He opened the deli in 2012 inspired by his newborn baby who suffered from a lot of allergies.  

In this episode, we will discuss Atsushi’s intriguing childhood of growing up in a restaurant family, how his music career shifted to cooking, how he makes delicious allergen-free dishes and much, much more! 

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Our guest is Sachiko Nakamichi who is the co-owner of Beniya Mukayu in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture.  Beniya Mukayu is a beautiful boutique hotel located in the famous hot spring area Yamashiro.  There are many hotels in the area but Mukayu is truly distinctive.  It has earned multiple accolades including the member status of Relais & Châteaux, which is regarded as the best of the best in the world of hospitality.  Not only that Mukayu was awarded the welcome trophy by Relais & Châteaux for its outstanding level of service.  

But the success did not happen overnight.  When Sachiko joined the hotel in 1988, it was a mediocre, mass market-oriented place to stay.  

In this episode, we will discuss why Sachiko got involved in the hotel business, how she miraculously transformed the unremarkable hotel to the world class house of hospitality, the concept of the Japanese style hospitality ""Omotenashi""  and much, much more!!!  

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Our guest is Marcus Consolini who is the CEO of Daimon Shuzo, a sake brewery in Osaka that was founded in 1826.  It is extremely rare to find non-Japanese management at a traditional sake brewery like Daimon.  

In this episode, we will discuss Marcus' unique background, why and how he decided to manage the authentic sake brewery, what changes he has made at the brewery, what is special about sake and Japanese culture to him and much, much more!!!

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"Our guest is Lucy Seligman who is the author of the fabulous cookbook “The Wonderful World of Osechi: Japanese New Year’s Recipes”.

New Year is a huge deal for Japanese people.   It is foremost the biggest holiday of the year, which is an equivalent of Thanksgiving and Christmas combined in terms of the cultural importance.  

There are many kinds of special food involved in the Japanese New Year celebration and each has interesting cultural implications.  

In this episode, we will discuss all about Japanese New Year’s feast along with Lucy’s very intriguing life in Japan as a restaurant critic and writer!"

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Our guests are Shuso Imada, general manager of the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center and Sebastien Lemoine, co-host of the fantastic podcast Sake On Air.  

The Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center and Sake On Air jointly organized the fascinating online event Sake Future Summit 2020, which was held on Saturday, November 21st and Sunday November 22nd.  

Since the program ran in Japanese Standard Time, many of us who have a massive time difference to Japan may have missed the event.  Shuso and Sebastien will share with us the takeaway points from the summit.

Japanese sake has a history of 2000 years and it is truly a precious, soulful beverage.  However, the consumption of Japanese sake has been steadily declining over the last decades.  On the other hand, sake is becoming increasingly popular outside Japan.  

In this episode, we will discuss what is happening in the Japanese sake industry and its future based on the takeaway points from the first-ever global sake summit!  We will also discuss the shochu industry, a traditional Japanese spirits that is as important as sake.  

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Our guest is Joshua Schlachet who is the Assistant Professor of Japanese History at The University of Arizona.  

Josh is a historian of early modern and modern Japan, specializing in the cultural history of food and nourishment in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which was the era of powerful Shoguns and the subsequent westernization.  But the scope of his work is way beyond it sounds!  His research includes global and comparative food studies and histories of science and health, which we can practically apply to our modern (and often problematic)  lifestyle.  

By the way, Josh joined us on Episode 98 as an instructor of the Wa-Shokuiku program, which teaches elementary and middle school students in the U.S. about Japanese food and foodways through hands-on cooking and learning activities.  

In this episode, we will discuss the flourishing Japanese food culture in the 18th and 19th centuries, which also gave birth to our favorite Japanese foods including sushi, the unique healthy diet philosophies back then, how we can apply them to our life and much, much more!

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Our guest today is Joshua Walker who is the President & CEO of Japan Society in New York. Joshua has a very intriguing background. He was raised in Japan and spent his formative years until 18 in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan where the geography and climate are diversely different from the mainland Japan. And Hokkaido’s food culture is extraordinary! 

Since Joshua left Japan, he has been working in global affairs and known as a perpetual bridge-builder, citizen diplomat and trained academic with a specialization in the Middle East and East Asia.

In this episode, we will discuss Joshua’s unique childhood in Japan, how it influenced his mindset as a global leader now, the fascinating food culture in Hokkaido, what you should eat there and much, much more!

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Our guest is Kanariya Eiraku who is a rakugo-ka or traditional Japanese comic storyteller. 

Rakugo is a unique form of entertainment that became popular in the 17th century during the Edo period. A storyteller sits on the stage alone only with a folding fan and a hand towel. These are the only props used during the performance. But once the rakugoka starts talking, you are in another world. The rakugo-ka would quickly draws you into the story and you would feel as if you were sitting right next to the characters. And there is always a surprise punch line at the end! 

That is why rakugo has been very popular for centuries. Rakugo is becoming global lately and there are even non-Japanese rakugo-ka like Katsura Sunshine who joined us on Episode 102. 

Eiraku san is one of the rakugo ambassadors who inspire the world with the power of Japanese-style yet universal humor in English. 

In this episode, we will discuss what exactly rakugo is, how Eiraku san got into rakugo, why rakugo is so unique and powerful, food-related rakuro stories and much, much more!!! (Also, Eiraku san will perform rakugo for us!) 

For Eiraku san's upcoming events and classes, go to 
https://eigorakugo.wixsite.com/kanariyaeiraku 

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Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh, who already joined us 9 times on Episodes 18, 61, 83, 99, 108, 131, 156, 180, 200 and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. 

Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. 

Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen”, “Kibo: Recipes and Stories from Japan's Tohoku” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions”

Today’s topic is Shojin ryori. Plant-based foods are becoming increasingly popular globally for health and environmental awareness. Shojin ryori is the traditional Japanese vegan and vegetarian dishes that were developed around 800 years ago. It is made only with vegetables and grains without meat or seafood, which is based on a principle of Buddhism that it is a sin to take life. 

In this episode, we will discuss what exactly shojin ryori is, the underlying philosophies of shojin ryori, where you can eat shojin ryori dishes, how to cook them at home and much, much more!!!

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Our guestis Tom Kisaichi who is the owner, grower and winemaker of the Maboroshi Vineyard in Sonoma, California. 

Tom is courageous. Without any background of wine-making, he went to France to study wine at the one of the greatest Burgundian wineries in Gevrey Chambertin in 1991 and he opened The Maboroshi Vineyard in Sonoma, California with his wife and business partner Rebecca in 1999. 

Tom practices the biodynamic agricultural method in his vineyard. As a result, his wine reflects the pure and lively flavors of the soil and that is why wine lovers chase his wine. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Tom got into wine, how he started his career in wine without any background, why biodynamic methods are important in making great wine, a Japanese wine pioneer in Sonoma in the early 20th century and much, much more!

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Our guest is Bastian Schwithal who is the CEO and co-founder of Go-Sake based in Berlin, Germany. Since Bastian founded the company in 2017, he has been actively introducing Japanese sake to Germany, which is the kingdom of beer and wine. He also has an award-winning premium sake brand co-produced by traditional Japanese breweries. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Bastian got into Japanese sake, why he founded his sake company in Berlin, his own award-winning sake brand, how sake is accepted in Germany and much, much more!

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Our guest is Andrea Fazzari, a Tokyo-based James Beard Award- winning photographer and author who specializes in travel and the culinary world.

Andrea joined us on Episode 113 to discuss her then-new book “TOKYO NEW WAVE: 31 Chefs Defining Japan's Next Generation with Recipes”, which won The 2019 James Beard Foundation Book Awards for photography.

Andrea just released a fascinating new book - which she photographed, wrote, and co-designed - called “Sushi Shokunin: Japan’s Culinary Masters”, published by Assouline.  Shoknin means craftsman/ artisan and you cannot talk about Japanese cuisine without understanding the craftsmanship running through it.

Andrea beautifully and insightfully captures the idea of Japanese shokunin in her new book and you can tell her profound understanding of Japanese culture as well as love and passion for it. 

In this episode, we will discuss the uniqueness of Japanese style craftsmanship, how sushi masters practice it, the concept of Ikigai, which is the backbone of their professional life, how the traditional sushi industry is changing and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Tez Sawanobori who is the founder and CEO of the Connected Robotics based in Tokyo. 

We have already seen various applications of robots to our daily life. For example, a Japanese older couple lives with a robot as their close friend to ease their loneliness. 

Tez develops robots that can manage skillful tasks with advanced technology and AI for the restaurant industry. The restaurant industry has been known for constantly struggling with finding kitchen staff who can maintain their passion and energy under pressure for long hours. Tez has a mission to improve the conditions. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Tez got into robots, why he decided to focus on the food industry, what robots he has developed so far, how we can work effectively with robots instead of competing against each other and much, much more!!! 

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Our guest is Kumiko Zimmerman who is the Founder and CEO at Don Sueños Tequila. She is the first Japanese woman who owns and runs a tequila company. 

Although Japan is now famous for great whisky production, tequila is not instantly connected with Japan in our mind. But Kumiko has been proving to the world that she can make the world-class tequila by winning reputable awards since she launched her products in the U.S. in 2018. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Kumiko got into the tequila business, her philosophy of making great tequila, challenges she faces in running the business, why she is committed to charitable causes through her tequila business and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Scott Haas who is a writer and clinical psychologist based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He went to Japan for the first time in 2003 and has been visiting the country three to four times a year ever since. 

Based on his intimate experience with Japanese culture over the years, Scott recently published a truly inspiring book “WHY BE HAPPY?”. This book is about how to achieve happiness with the mindset of the Japanese. The key is you don’t have to be Japanese to reach your own happiness. And the book is extremely helpful to understand Japanese culture broadly and deeply. 

Also, Scott has a unique relationship with food. He has cooked in professional kitchens in the past and wrote "Back of the House", a book about chef’s mentality in the kitchen. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Scott became interested in Japan, how we can attain happiness in the Japanese way, his unique experiences in restaurant kitchens, what he learned from them and much, much more! 

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network.  Support Japan Eats! by becoming a member!

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Our guest is Jeremy Hunter who is the Founding Director of the Executive Mind Leadership Institute at Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management.  

Jeremy teaches corporate executives how to examine their lives, because he thinks that you cannot manage people without managing yourself first.  You may have heard of the concept of flow state or being in the zone or the Zen state and his approach is based on it.  

I got to know Jeremy through a very inspiring YouTube video hosted by the Japan Society’s President & CEO Joshua Walker.   In that video, Jeremy explained how he conquered an incredibly challenging experience of survival, which we are going to talk about and how he uses his learning from the experience to empower others.　

Jeremy's mindset and the concept of flow are deeply related to Japanese culture (and he is half Japanese too!).  

In this episode, we will discuss Jeremy’s truly inspiring personal story that made him who he is now, the concept of flow state, his 86-year-old father-in-law’s philosophy who still cooks at his legendary yakitori restaurant in Japan and much, much more!!!

You can find Jeremy here:

https://jeremyhunter.net/

Transform (Japan): https://transform-your-world.com/

Japanese book: Amazon  link

Executive Mind Leadership Institute:  https://www.cgu.edu/center/executive-mind-leadership-institute/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGJYxcDUUQYzCni5QDQVH2Q

TEDx Talk (How to Change Your Future):  https://youtu.be/8-j6Qfj8udg

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Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh who joined us 8 times on Episodes 18, 61, 83, 99, 108, 131, 156, 180 and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture.  

Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years.  She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food.  

Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen”, “Kibo: Recipes and Stories from Japan's Tohoku” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions”

In this episode, we will discuss Donburi.  Donburi is one of the most popular comfort foods in Japan.  It is as popular as ramen in Japan but it is not well-known outside the county.  Join us to discover what donburi is, why it is so popular in Japan, what flavor variations it has, how to make donburi at home and much, much more!!!

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Japan Eats on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Our guest is Marybeth Boller who is a chef with impressive experience. She worked under some of the greatest chefs in the world like Michel Roux in London and Jean Georges Vongrichten in New York. She also served as a private chef for the US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy from 2013 to 2017 in Tokyo. She continues to live in Japan and pursue her own culinary philosophy there. 

In this episode we will discuss challenges she came across while she worked as the chef for the American Ambassador to Japan, why she decided to stay in Japan when the job was completed, what is special about Japanese culture for her and much, much more!

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Japan Eats! on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Our guest is Sakura Yagi who is the chief operating officer at the T.I.C. Group. The T.I.C. Group is very important for the Japanese food culture in NYC. It is founded by Sakura’s father Bon Yagi who is regarded as the founder of the Japan Town in the East Village. In 1984, Mr. Yagi opened his first restaurant Hasaki in East Village. Since then Mr. Yagi opened more approachable and high-quality unique Japanese restaurants and now the T.I.C. Group operates 13 restaurants in Manhattan, mostly in the East Village. (If you are interested in Mr. Yagi’s intriguing life and inspiration, listen to Episode 14.) 

Sakura joined the T.I.C. Group 8 years ago and has been working hard to keep the company authentic as well as fresh and modern. 

In this episode, we will discuss why Sakura decided to work for his father, challenges she faces in managing the diverse collection of Japanese restaurants, what is happening in the Japanese food culture in NYC, how she is coping with the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and much, much more!

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Japan Eats on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Our guest is Yuu Shimano who is the executive chef at Mifune, a creative Japanese restaurant in Midtown, Manhattan.  

Yuu’s experience is unique.  He is from Japan and studied in France, worked in Japan and eventually he became the saucier at Guy Savoy in Paris, which has 3 Michelin-stars.  Saucier is the top station in French kitchen, and he was the first Japanese person to take that position at Guy Savoy.  Now he is in New York, going through difficult times as his restaurant is closed due to the coronavirus.  But Yuu has done a fantastic job to support essential workers for two months before reopening Mifune.  

In this episode, we will discuss Yuu’s fascinating culinary journey, how he skillfully merges French and Japanese cuisine at Mifune, his charity work for the essential workers in the midst of the pandemic and much, much more!!!

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Japan Eats on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Photo by Kayoko Ogawa 

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Our guest is Karl Palma who is the chef and owner of Karl’s Balls in New York City. He cooks authentic takoyaki at various pop-up events. Takoyaki is one of the most classic Japanese comfort foods but it is yet to be discovered in the US and most other countries outside Japan. 

In this episode, we will discuss what takoyaki is, why the simple bite-size balls are a piece of art, Karl’s philosophy of making great takoyaki, and much, much more! 
 

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Japan Eats on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Our guest is Hirohisa Hayashi, the chef and owner of Hirohisa in SOHO, which has a previous Michelin star.  Hiro’s culinary experience is unique.  He was classically trained in Japan and came to New York, cooked at Sushi Samba, which is a both latin and Japanese themed creative restaurant. He also had a casual neighborhood restaurant in Brooklyn called Hibino before he opened Hirohisa.  

In this episode, we will discuss what his unique culinary journey has taught him so far, how he expresses his philosophy at Hirohisa, how is coping with the challenges caused by the coronavirus and much, much more!!! 

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Japan Eats! on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Japan Eats! is powered by Simplecast.

Our guest is Yael Peet who is a chef with impressive culinary training at top restaurants in New York City including Prune and Shuko. Until April 2019 she was the co-executive chef at Karasu, which is a cool Japanese-influenced izakaya-style restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Yael and her co-executive chef Elena Yamamoto joined us on Episode 158 to discuss her unique culinary approach and their forthcoming new restaurant Fury’s. 

While getting ready for opening the new restaurant, Yael participated in a global culinary competition called the Washoku World Challenge and went to Japan last February. And she won the precious second prize. 

In this episode, we will discuss Yael's experience at the competition, the new restaurant she and Elena are planning to open, how they are coping with the challenging circumstances surrounding the coronavirus and much, much more!!!

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Japan Eats on the air, become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Our guest is Chris Uhde who is a whisky specialist based in Los Angeles.  Japanese whisky is very popular among whisky connoisseurs in the world lately.  Chris understands Japanese whisky thoroughly but it is not the only reason he is here.  He has done something very precious for the shochu industry.  

In Japan, if shochu is barrel-aged for a long time and its color turns amber, you cannot sell it in the market.  Chris discovered batches of unsalable barrel-aged shochu and magically made it into coveted whisky labels in the US.  

n this episode, we will discuss the unique flavor profile of barrel-aged shochu, the Japanese regulation to restrict sales of dark-colored shochu, how it can be sold in the US as whisky and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is John Cox, owner and cooper at Quercus Cooperage in the Hudson Valley. 

John founded Quercus Cooperage in 2013 to pursue the art of traditional coopering. It is one of the 33 cooperages in the US, and is one of the very few, or maybe the only one that manufactures items for Japanese-style fermentation. 

In this episode, we will discuss John’s unique career path, his commitment to traditional woodwork, how he got into Japanese fermentation equipment and much, much more!!!

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My guests are Rich Shih and Jeremy Umansky, who just wrote a great book on Koji -  the title of which is “Koji Alchemy – Rediscovering the magic of mold-based fermentation”.  

Koji is the national mold of Japan.  It is used to make almost all fermented products in Japanese cuisine, such as miso, soy sauce and sake.  Koji is also becoming a culinary keyword lately, and top chefs in the world such as Rene Redzepi and Ferran Adria have been actively utilizing it in innovative ways.  

Jeremy joined us on Episode 135 and discussed his mind-blowing and effective ways to use koji.  

In this episode, we will discuss what is in their fascinating new book - what koji is, why it is so special and powerful in producing great flavors, what you can make with it in both traditional and modern ways and much, much more!!!  

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In this episode, we will discuss why Lillian decided to start Kokoro Care Packages, the artisanal farmers and producers they works with, challenges they face in running the niche global business and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Shinobu Kato who is the owner and brewer of Kato Sake Works in Bushwick, Brooklyn.  Shinobu soft-opened his sake brewery in March 2020 after several years of dreaming and careful planning while working as IT project manager at a major corporation in the US.

As you may know, New York City already has the first sake brewery Brooklyn Kura in Industry City, which opened in 2017.  The owners Brian Polen and Brandon Doughan joined us twice (Episodes 105 & 176) to discuss their experience of opening and managing a craft sake brewery outside Japan.  Now here is the second craft sake brewery in New York City where Shinobu makes unique sake that is both authentic and American.  

In this episode, we will discuss how Shinobu got into sake, his life philosophy that prompted him to a new career, the challenges he has been facing in making Japanese sake abroad and much, much more!

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Our guest is Amanda Cohen who is the chef and owner of Dirt Candy in Lower East Side and co-owner of Lekka Burger in Tribeca in Manhattan.  Amanda has been cooking vegetarian food for the last 20 years, since when vegetarians were in the absolute minority.  She is a James Beard Award-nominated chef and definitely a pioneer of the vegetable-forward movement in the US.  

Amanda visited Japan in December 2019 to discover vegetarian food culture in the country.  Japan is a Buddhist society and had the heavily restrictive meat consumption policy that lasted 1200 years until the end of 19th century.  

In this episode, we will discuss what Amanda discovered in Japan, how she applies the discoveries to her dishes in New York City, what vegetarian cuisine means in our modern society and much, much more!!! 

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Our guest is Atsushi Kono who is the chef de cuisine at Chikarashi Isso in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. Previously Atsushi was the executive chef and General Manager at Torishin, which is the destination for authentic yakitori in New York City. 

Chikarashi Isso opened in October 2019 and serves beautiful yakitori by Atsushi along with the executive chef Michael Jong Lim’s kappo-style Japanese dishes. 

Sushi and ramen became familiar terms around the world, but not many people know enough about yakitori. Yakitori simply means grilled chicken, but profound skills and craftsmanship are behind it. 

In this episode, we will discuss what yakitori is, how Atsushi got into the world of yakitori, why cooking ostensibly simple chicken skewers requires years to master and much, much more!!!
 

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Our guest is Massud Ghaussy who has a Japanese food and restaurant blog on instagram under TokyoManhattan. His posts not only describe restaurants he has visited, but also include many other elements behind the dishes, such as history, culture, cooking methods. He appeared on Episode 125, 136 and 152 and shared his favorite Japanese chefs and restaurants in Paris, NY and in Tokyo as well as sushi restaurants in NY and Tokyo. 

In this episode, we will continue our conversation with Massud, but the theme is not his favorite restaurants. In order to help you to understand Japanese food more deeply, we will discuss different genres of Japanese cuisine and how they were created. For example, what is honzen ryori? It is the mother of kaiseki cuisine created by samurais! 

Also, we will talk about various concept of taste and flavors that are unique to Japanese cuisine such as umami and kokumi. 
 

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Our guest is Marc Krampe who is the chef and owner of Southern Hospitality Kitchens in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Marc has a unique relationship with Japanese cuisine through his wife’s heritage. His interest in Japanese food has developed over time and now he beautifully incorporates Japanese and Southern American elements on his dishes. Marc is also a chef devoted to sustainability. 

In this episode, we will discuss Marc's unique family background, 
how he studied Japanese cooking, his efforts to be local, sustainable and global at the same time, and much, much more!

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Our guests are Alexis Agliano Sanborn and Chris Whittaker.  Alexis joined us on Episode 106 in 2018 to discuss the production of her new film “Nourishing Japan”. She is the producer and director of the film and now it is finally on view.  Chris is a professional composer, conductor and pianist, and he created beautiful songs for the film. 

Their new film “Nourishing Japan” introduces us to the unique Japanese food education philosophy through an example of the unique school lunch programs at an elementary school in the Tohoku region.  Healthy eating has become an important subject globally in recent years. The Japanese government enacted new legislation for food education, or Shokuiku, in 2005 to improve Japanese people’s diet and lifestyle of all ages.  The film inspires us to think what food education can do to our healthy mind, body and beyond. 

In this episode, we will discuss the philosophy of Japanese food education, how the Japanese school lunch programs differ from those in the US and other countries, what children actually can learn thought the programs, who support the system to function and much, much more!!! 
 

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Our guest is Katsushi Sakai who is the Sushi Head Chef at Kyo Ya, the iconic Japanese restaurant in East Village, Manhattan. 

Sushi began to draw attention around 1960s in the US and its popularity has seen exponential growth since 1980s. Who would have imagined 50 years ago that many Americans would eat raw fish on a daily basis?

Katsushi came to New York in 2004 after working in Ginza, Tokyo, which is the capital of greatest sushi restaurants. In New York, he built his career from Assistant to Head Chef to Head Chef himself at the legendary Sushiden in NY. He also worked at Sushi Ginza Onodera and Sushi Nakazawa, two of the most reputable sushi restaurants in NYC before he joined Kyo Ya. 

Katsushi is one of the talented chefs who have been supporting the popularity of sushi in NYC. 

Today, we will discuss how he built his career as sushi chef, his philosophy of sushi making after 22 years of experience in Japan and New York City in total, how he balances sustainability and highest quality of fish and much, much more!
 

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Our guest is Erik Ramirez, who is the chef and owner of the modern Peruvian restaurant Llama Inn, the casual Peruvian spot Llamita and the modern Nikkei Peruvian restaurant Llama San.  

Peruvian cuisine is a hot genre in the culinary world right now.  As you may know, there are Peruvian citizens of Japanese ancestry called Nikkei who has influenced Peruvian cuisine over the last century.  And Erik is a Nikkei descent.

Nikkei cuisine is getting attention globally too.  For example, Ferran and Alberto Adria brothers of El Bulli opened the Nikkei restaurant Pakta in Barcelona in 2013, and Maido in Lima, Peru is currently ranked #10 in the 50 World Best Restaurant list.  

In New York, Erik is a big ambassador of Peruvian and Peruvian Nikkei cuisine.  

In this episode, we will discuss Erik’s unique family background, his passion for Peruvian culture, what Nikkei cuisine is, how he expresses the uniqueness of Peruvian food on his plates, and much much more!

Photo Courtesy of Paul Barbera

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Our guest is Jon Klip. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and after working at reputable Japanese restaurants in New York, he went to Japan and worked at one of the greatest kaiseki restaurants Arashiyama Kumahiko in Kyoto for 2 years until September 2019. 

Working in a Japanese kitchen is not easy for many reasons from language and cultural barriers to visa issues. But Jon conquered all those challenges and had precious culinary and life experiences in Kyoto. 

In this episode, we will find out how Jon discovered the charm of Japanese cuisine, how he landed in the unique job at a traditional kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto, what he has learned there, and much, much more!!!

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Our first guest of 2020 is Elizabeth Andoh, who has joined us seven times on Episodes 18, 61, 83, 99, 108, 131, 156 and shared her deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. 

Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. 

Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen”, “Kibo: Recipes and Stories from Japan's Tohoku” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions”

In this episode, we will discuss Japanese kitchen tools. Many unique kitchen utensils have been invented in the long culinary history of Japan. Elizabeth will introduce us to various kitchen tools and gadgets that make your time in the kitchen more fun and efficient even if you cook only non-Japanese dishes!!!

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Our guest is Sonoko Sakai who is a cooking teacher, noodle maker, food writer and grain activist based in Los Angeles and Tehachapi in Southern California. 

Sonoko just published “Japanese Home Cooking – simple meals, authentic flavors”. It covers everything you would like to know about the basics of Japanese food with tips and personal stories on each page. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Sonoko’ unique global upbringing inspired her to build her career in food, her passion for preserving ancient grains, her new book, and much, much more!

The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.

Image courtesy of Ben Hunter.

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Our guests are Haru Zenda of Masa, a famed sushi restaurant with three Michelin stars, and Andy May who works at The Polynesian, the cool tiki bar operated by the Major Food Group of Carbone, ZZ’s Clam Bar, Dirty French and other popular spots.  

Haru and Andy are the two winners of the Shochu cocktail competition “Spirited Away” held in May.  The winners’ prize was a trip to Kyushu, the southern part of Japan and the home of shochu production.  In this episode, we discuss what they discovered in Kyushu, why shochu is a great ingredient for mixologists, how to make a great glass of shochu and much, much more!!!

The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.

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Our guest is Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale. She is the Director of Communications at Cushman Concepts, which operates multiple successful restaurants including Oya in Boston and New York. The owner Tim Cushman joined us on the show on Episode 10 and talked about his culinary philosophy and the flagship restaurant Oya. Alyssa first joined Oya in Boston as a host and has built her career successfully since then in the challenging restaurant business. Also, she was recognized as an Eater Young Guns in 2013 for her role of effectively leading the sake program at Oya. In this episode, we will discuss how Alyssa developed her career in the restaurant industry, the very unique sake programs that she offers, her eye-opening encounter with Japanese-style hospitality and much, much more!

Image courtesy of Ally Schmaling

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Our guests are Brandon Doughan and Brian Polen, co-owners of Brooklyn Kura. It is the first sake brewery in New York, which opened at the Industry City in Brooklyn in 2017. They joined us on Episode 105, and discussed why and how created the sake brewery in NY and their sake-making philosophy. Since then, Brooklyn Kura is growing steadily and successfully. You may have seen their sake labels at Japanese restaurants and your local retailers. In this episode, we talk about their distinctively unique sake available at the tap room, new sake production methods that they are exploring right now, a fascinating collaboration with a traditional Japanese sake brewery, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Tetsuya Nick Sakagami, a fish expert based in Los Angeles. Nick joined me on Episode 70 and discussed the Kindai tuna, a unique experiment of farmed Bluefin tuna by the Kinki University in Japan. Nick works as an international business advisor to the university, import sustainable tuna from Tahiti, educate American chefs about fish among other things. Also, he recently published a book called “Sushi Master – an expert guide to sourcing, making, and enjoying sushi at home”.

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Our guests are Joshua Foulquier, co-owner of Sushi Noz, and Joshua Copeland, beverage director and general manager. Sushi Noz is an authentic ８-seat sushi restaurant in Upper East Side with a Michelin star. 

Joshua Copeland has extensive experience at highly reputable western and Japanese restaurants, including Del Posto and Brushstroke by David Bouley. He has built an impressive beverage list at Sushi Noz, which includes 165 sake, 18 shochu, 385 wine and 22 Japanese teas, to pair with sushi. 

In this episode, we discuss how Josh gained his knowledge of a vast variety of beverages, what to drink with sushi beyond Japanese sake, and much, much more!!!

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

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Our guest is Shuzo Nishiyama, the 6th generation president of Nishiyama Shuzojo in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture. After working at a major TV production company in Tokyo, Shuzo returned to succeed his family business. Now the 170-year old award-winning sake brewery is known for its innovative culture. 

In this episode, Shuzo will discuss his various efforts to revive the male-dominant conservative sake industry, e.g. why the majority of his brewery workers are female, why he has hired multiple foreigners as the brewmaster's assistants, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Arisa Forbes, a specialty cake designer and cookbook author based in NYC. Cakes are often the highlight of important events, including weddings, birthdays and other celebrations, and designing specialty cakes can be as challenging as designing a dress or making a sculpture. Arisa was born and raised in Japan but her passion and hard work led her to build a career here in NY. 

Today, we will discuss how Arisa chose to become a cake designer, the challenges she has faced to establish her career, her design philosophy and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Amy Watanabe, executive chef at Sake Bar Satsuko in East Village, Manhattan.  Sake Bar Satsuko is a unique Japanese restaurant originally opened by her mother Satsuko Watanabe in 2004.    In this episode, Amy discusses the charm of Sake Bar Satsuko, her life as the chef at the restaurant, challenges she faces in succeeding the legacy of her mother, and much, much more!!!

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Our guests are Kirsten and Christopher Shockey. They are the co-founders of Ferment Works where they educate people about fermented foods. They are also the co-author of multiple books about fermentation, including “Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments: A Step-by-Step Guide to Fermenting Grains and Beans", which came out in June 2019. Fermented foods are gaining global attention lately for their amazing flavors and health benefits, but Kirsten and Christopher already have 20 years of experience in the field. In this episode, we will discuss how they got into fermentation, why fermented foods are so good for you, what fermented foods you can make in your own kitchen and much, much more!

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Our guest is Stephen Lyman who is known as a leading shochu expert. He joined us on Episode 23 and talked about shochu extensively. He moved to Japan in 2018 and now lives in the mecca of shochu Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan. Stephen recently published an intriguing book titled “The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks”. Also, he now has a cool shochu bar in Fukuoka.

In this episode, we will discuss his new life in Japan, his exciting new book, Japanese drinking culture that he deeply observes as a resident of Japan, and much, much more!

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Our guest is Sylvain Huet who is one of the few Japanese sake experts in France. He is also the first French Sake Samurai, which is appointed by The Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council. Sylvain is also the organizer of on of the biggest sake events in the world Salon du Sake held annually in Paris.

In this episode, we will discuss Sylvain’s unique path to the world of sake, what sake French people drink in the kingdom of wine, the upcoming Salon du Sake and much, much more!

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Our guest is James Kumm, the owner of Landmark Wine and Spirits in Chelsea, Manhattan. At the back of the store is a special section Minoru's Sake Shop that features regional sake. He is recognized as one of the professionals who effectively promote the preciousness of Japanese sake by the Consulate General of Japan.

Today, we will discuss James’ unique analysis of Japanese sake market as a retailer, the latest trend of popular sake, how to pick a bottle of sake at a retail shop, and much, much more!

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Our my guest is Gaston Becherano who is the co-founder & CEO at Bonsai Kakigōri, which opened in April this year2019. Kakigori is a traditional Japanese icy dessert. It is similar to snow cones but is distinctively different. And it is a very nostalgic and culturally important food for the Japanese.

In this episode, we will discuss how Gaston got into the world of kakigori, why it is a great tool to understand the essence of Japanese culture, what unique items are on the menu at Bonsai Kakigori, and much, much more!

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Our guest is Erina Yoshida of Yoshida Restaurant Group in New York. Erina’s father, Tony Yoshida is a quintessential figure when you talk about Japanese food culture in New York. He owns and operates multiple food establishments, including the legendary Sunrise Mart and Angel’s Share. And Erina is supporting him as the COO of the company.

In this episode, we discuss how Erina’s father started the business, the unique concepts of the brands that they operate, Erina’s upbringing as a Japanese American, their new project Japan Village in Industry City, and and much, much more!

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Our guest today is Austin Power who has been in the sake industry for the last 15 years as sake sommelier and kikizakeshi. Austin currently works at Tokyo Record Bar in Greenwich Village, Niche Niche and Special Club both in SOHO, all super-popular spots in New York City. He also have a 10 year experience as sake sommelier at Sake Bar Satsuko in the East Village. (And he is also a talented artist and graduate of Parsons School of Design.)

In this episode, we will discover how Austin got into sake, how he convinces people to try sake, his fun sake-pairing dinner party, and much, much more!

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Our guest today is Koichi Higuchi of Higuchi Matsunosuke Shoten in Osaka, Japan. His business is to provide koji starters to manufacturers of traditional fermented foods in Japan, such as miso, soy sauce, sake ... you name it!

Indeed, koji, the beneficial mold, is a quintessential element of Japanese food culture. Koji is also becoming a buzz word in the global culinary industry. For example, René Redzepi of Noma, the renowned restaurant in Denmark, included koji in his recent book "The Noma Guide to Fermentation".

In this episode, Koichi will discuss his 6th generation-old family business, what koji is, how to use it, and much, much more!!!

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Our guest is Justin Potts who has lived in Japan for the last 15 years, working on various projects to connect different communities from rural to global, with the power of Japanese traditional food culture. And he is also a kurabito at a sake brewery and the co-host of sake and shochu specialized podcast Sake On Air.

In this episode, we will discuss how Justin got involved in Japanese culture, his fascinating activities to promote Japanese food culture and empower communities, his podcast, his job at the brewery and much, much more!!!

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Our guest today is Russell Kohn, who is the chief operating officer of the mochi ice cream company Mochidoki. Mochi ice cream is super popular in the US and other global markets, so we will dig into the special delicacy!

Russell is also starting up an amazake production company. Amazake is now very well-known outside Japan yet, but it is another sweet item with lots of history, cultural background and nutrition. So we will discover Amazake with Russell as well!!!

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Our guest is Jamie Graves, the Japanese Portfolio Manager at Skurnik Wines, which is a leading wine and spirits importer and distributor based in NYC. Jamie joined us on Episode 114 and discussed his interesting path to get into the world of sake, and the unique process of sake making.

In this episode, we will talk about shoshu. Jamie recently visited 14 shochu distilleries in southern Japan. We will discover shochu through Jamie’s intriguing stories from the trip as well as his job at Skurnik working closely with family-owned, traditional yet innovative distilleries.

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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Our guest is Ken Fornataro, the founder and CEO of the Culture Group, which offers unique educational programs about fermentation with the focus on Japanese and Asian-style foods. Fermented foods are increasingly popular nowadays for their deliciousness and health benefits. Ken is one of the leading experts of fermentation in the US.

In this episode, we will discuss how he got into the world of fermentation, classic Japanese fermented foods that you can make at home, and much, much more!!!
It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

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