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!

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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!!!

-----

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 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 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.

-----

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 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 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!!!

-----

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 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.  

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 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!

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!!!

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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 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!

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 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 

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 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!!!

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

Japan Eats! is Powered by Simplecast.

​

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!

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 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!

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 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!!!

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 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!!! 

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 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!!!

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 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!

Japan Eats! is Powered by Simplecast.

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

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!!!

-----

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 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. 

Japan Eats! is powered by Simplecast.

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. 

Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast.