Japan Eats! (Heritage Radio Network)

Akiko welcomes Elizabeth Andoh of A Taste of Culture back to the program to discuss quintessential Japanese condiments and seasonings.

A Taste of Culture is a culinary arts program that combines spicy tidbits of food lore with practical tips and skill-building lessons on how to prepare Japanese food. Programs are conducted in Tokyo, Japan, and offer a unique opportunity for foreign residents and visitors from overseas to explore and enjoy Japan's culture through its food. Instruction, by Andoh, is in English.

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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!!!

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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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Japanese tea ceremony instructor Keiko Kitazawa Koch.

Keiko was born and raised in Nara, Japan, a historically and culturally rich part of Japan. She has carried a deep sense of Japanese tradition since childhood. Her first education in Japanese tea ceremony started with the Musyanokoji-style (武者小路流). She was trained in her earlier years, in Nara.

Keiko teaches Omotesenke-style (表千家流) tea ceremony in her own tea room in New Jersey, and also at a location in Brooklyn. Her students develop deep interest in “Chaji” which is the formal tea ceremony, held throughout the year, spanning all four seasons. Keiko also demonstrates and teaches in schools in New Jersey, Brooklyn, and New York City.

Keiko's class schedule: http://murasakinj.exblog.jp/i8/
Keiko's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/moonlightnj

On an all new episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Nils Norén of Asil Limited, a consulting company for the hospitality industry. Norén is also the former Vice President of Culinary and Pastry Arts at The French Culinary Institute, the former Director of Operations for Marcus Samuelson's MSG Group, and the former Executive Chef of Aquavit.

Tune in to hear them discuss the value of incorporating Japanese ingredients and techniques into all forms of cooking.

Machiko Chiba is a best-selling cookbook author and television personality in Japan. Her invention, the patented Cook-Zen microwave pot, was the top-selling item on QVC Japan for seven years. A proponent of "good food and good health," she teaches her microwave cooking techniques to aspiring chefs around the world.

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Our guest today is Yoshihiko Shida who is the chief Instructor of Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku London www.sushicollege.uk, which opened in September 2024.  The opening is exciting since the school is the first major Japanese culinary school in Europe.  Chef Shida has worked as an educator and instructor in Japanese culinary institutes for over 32 years. Before that, he gained over 10 years of practical experience in a variety of restaurant and hotel kitchens in Japan and abroad.

In this episode, we will discuss the growing demand for sushi and Japanese cuisine chefs, what programs Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku London offers, who is studying at the school, the joy and challenges Chef Shida faces in teaching his students and much, much more!!!

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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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by San Francisco's Chef Richie Nakano.

In 2010, Nakano opened Hapa Ramen as a pop-up food stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. A few years later, after launching a successful Kickstarter campaign, he opened his first brick-and-mortar ramen noodle shop and earned a 2013 StarChefs Rising Star Community Chef Award. His involvement with Hapa ended, but Nakano continues to experiment with new recipes and host pop-ups, as well as writing for First We Feast as well as Rising Stars Magazine.

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 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!

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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!!!

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

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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Idan Elkon, co-owner of Ichimura, a ten seat sushi bar serving an omakase dining experience. Tune in to hear them discuss why fresh fish is not always better, particularly for sushi.

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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On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by Brian Polen & Brandon Doughan, co-owners of Brooklyn Kura, the very first Japanese sake brewery in NYC. Now that sushi and ramen are part of the American diet people are becoming more familiar with sake and opening sake breweries across the country. Brian and Brandon share a bit about their experience brewing sake outside of Japan and mixing tradition with innovation.

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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!

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Our guest is Phillip Frankland Lee who is the chef/owner of Sushi by Scratch.  Sushi by Scratch Restaurants began in Los Angeles and New York marks its tenth location, which opened in September 2024.

Phillip is known for innovative omakase-style sushi preparations, while still respecting the values set by sushi masters. For example, he uses premium seafood mostly from the Toyosu Market in Japan and he imports rice from Toyoama Prefecture and mills it in-house.  On the other hand, he pays homage to his American upbringing by flavoring hamachi yellowtail with sweet corn pudding and topped with a sprinkle of sourdough breadcrumbs.

Sushi has come a long way in the U.S. since the 1960s when it was introduced to the general public for the first time.  Sushi is now one of the most popular foods in the U.S. and great talents like Phillip seem to be making it uniquely American.  

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!!!

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

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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by fellow HRN hosts Harry Rosenblum and Michael Harlan Turkell, creators of the Sumo Stew event series.

Inspired by a trip to Japan, photographer Michael Harlan Turkell returned to New York City with aspirations of importing this ancient sport and teamed up with Harry Rosenblum, owner of The Brooklyn Kitchen, a wonderfully multi-faceted cooking store and center for culinary education. The two created a series based around plentiful bowls of chankonabe, the “sumo stew” wrestlers prepare and eat before matches. The hearty broth is loaded with fortifying protein and vegetables. This, paired with the live streamed bimonthly grand tournaments, makes for a lively event, bringing hungry first time and long-standing sumo fans ringside.

The next Sumo Stew takes place on Monday, March 13 at the Brooklyn Brewery, and tickets are available here.

This week's guest is Stephen Lyman, one of the leading American experts on authentic Japanese shochu. He has visited approximately 70 shochu distilleries and has sampled around 2,000 different brands. In 2015, he was the first person to become a certified shochu adviser through the Sake School of America. He was also designated the first shochu ambassador through the Cool Japan initiative from the Japan National Tourism Organization. He now works closely with the Japanese government, importers and distributors, and shochu companies to educate and promote shochu in the United States. In 2013 he began working at a handmade shochu distillery in Kagoshima every fall.

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On the season finale of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Ryuta Kawano of Zen Noh, a passionate advocate of wagyu who has worked with the beef industry for over two decades. Tune in to hear how Japanese wagyu became the world’s best beef.

Our guest is Jeff Cioletti, the author of “Sake-Pedia: A Non-Traditional Guide to Japan’s Traditional Beverage”.

Japanese sake is becoming popular in the US, which is now the biggest importer of the national beverage of Japan. But it is hard to find an easy and fun guidebook of sake. Jeff’s book is very handy for someone who is curious about it, for both beginners and connoisseurs.

We will discuss why Jeff wrote the book, what you can learn from the book, what he learned from writing the book, 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!

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

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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.

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

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On the season finale of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Megumi Sasaki, a film director and producer who was born and raised in Japan, and has lived in New York City since 1988. Her latest project is the documentary A Whale of a Tale, a deep dive into how the sleepy fishing town of Taiji in southern Japan became a battleground between local whalers and international activists, following the release of a previous documentary about whale and dolphin hunting.

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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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On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by chefs Nick Kim & Jimmy Lau of Shuko, where the duo offers daily tasting menus based on traditional Japanese flavors and techniques from the kitchen and sushi bar. Chefs Kim and Lau build their menu based on seasonality and freshness, sourcing ingredients locally and internationally.

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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 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!!!

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

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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura, who recently debuted his first restaurant in the United States.

Hailed as one of only 4 "Ramen Gods" Chef Naka experienced colossal success in Japan after he opened Nakamura-Ya when he was 22. Always seeking to share his craft with America, he partnered up with Sun Noodle, the leading US-based ramen noodle manufacturer, and started building up a network state side. In the US, Chef Nakamura debuted at Sun Noodle's "Ramen Lab" where he again received critical acclaim. With a network of support created through Sun Noodle, and the success at Ramen Lab, Chef Naka was ready to open his own shop: Nakamura.

This week, Akiko is joined by Jamie Graves, the Japanese portfolio manager at Skurnik Wines, a leading wine and spirits importer and distributer based in New York City. Jamie has an extensive knowledge of sake, and discusses the Kimoto Method of making sake, how long sake keeps after opening a bottle, and 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 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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This week on Japan Eats, Akiko is joined in studio by Naoki Takahashi of Naoki NYC. Tucked away in a hidden space in Chelsea, Naoki serves seasonal multi-course Japanese cuisines in a Zen-like interior. The recently launched kaiseki-style restaurant is part of Create Restaurants Holdings, which operates over 800 restaurants in Japan and around Asia.

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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!

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On this week's episode of Japan Eats, sake specialist Monica Samuels joins Akiko in studio for a conversation about Monica's American-Japanese background and her career as a sake sommelier, including Monica's takes on sake's production, distribution, and food pairings.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Tomoko Kato, an alum of Bouley and Le Bernardin who is behind the dessert bar at Patisserie Tomoko. A unique pastry shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Patisserie Tomoko combines French and European style pastries with a touch of Japanese inspired tastes and flavors.

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 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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Koji is becoming a culinary keyword lately, and our guest Jeremy Umansky is one of the most knowledgeable and experienced professionals in the field with an innovating, refreshing mindset. We will discover what Koji is, how it is used traditionally, how you can use it in your own kitchen 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 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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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Craig Koketsu, a third generation Japanese-American and chef-partner of Fourth Wall Restaurants in New York City. The group is comprised of established restaurants including the flagship Smith & Wollensky location, Maloney & Porcelli, Quality Meats and Quality Italian.

Tune in to hear how the traditions of his heritage, as well as those of the chefs who mentored him, made Koketsu the chef that he is today.

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by ice sculptor Shintaro Okamoto. He is the owner of Okamoto Studio, a New York-based collective best known for their design, production, and consultation of everything made of crystal clear ice. Father-son Takeo and Shintaro Okamoto make up the founding core of the group, which was formed in 2003 with a mission of showcasing in the full beauty and potential of handcrafted ice. Okamoto Studio has fast become a favorite among the event, hospitality, culinary, fashion, and media industries for their articulate and fanciful use of both traditional hand-tool craftsmanship and current art-world sensibilities.

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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On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Keizo Shimamoto, creator of the Original Ramen Burger. He has worked for Ivan Orkin and the mini ramen chain Bassanova, all while documenting his love affair with noodles on his blog, GO RAMEN! Keizo is also the subject of the short film Ramen Dreams, a chronicle of his extraordinary passion for ramen.

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, Akiko is joined in studio by James Freeman, founder and CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee. James talks about his pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee and reveals his three favorite Kissaten in Tokyo: Cafe Bach, Café de L'Ambre, and Chatei Hatou.

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 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 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 guests are Elena Yamamoto & Yael Peet, wonderfully talented chefs who cooked beautiful Japanese-influenced food at Karasu in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, until recently. They are currently getting ready for their own new restaurant.

Elena and Yael grew up in the US, but understand the essence of Japanese food very, very well. Today, we will discuss how they learned cooking Japanese food, how they incorporate traditional ideas and recipes into their dishes, the concept of their upcoming new restaurants, 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 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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On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Fujiko Aoki, chef and owner at Mochin Rin. A dessert specialist, Fujiko created a new type of mochi that doesn’t quite exist in Japan by infusing New York’s locally-sourced ingredients into Japan’s popular traditional dessert.

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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 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 guests today is Peter Hottum (AKA Sakeman Green) of Kuramoto US, which represents wonderful boutique sake labels in the US.

Peter recently spent 6 weeks in Japan to study sake-making at 8 breweries in total. We discuss his intriguing experience at each brewery, along with an academic program he took in Tokyo, how he got on multiple media in Japan, and much, much more!!!

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Our guest is Thomas Frebel who is the creative director at Noma https://noma.dk/.  Noma is the famed restaurant in Copenhagen with numerous accolades, including three Michelin stars and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ No.1 spot.

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 served as the executive chef at Noma’s restaurant project in Tokyo called INUA.  He joined us in Episode #338 and discussed his experience at INUA, Noma’s pop-up dinners in Kyoto in spring 2023 and many other topics.

In this episode, Thomas is back to talk about Noma’s latest pop-up dinner in Kyoto that ran for 10 weeks from September to December 2024.  He will share with us the new discoveries and flavor development by the Noma team in Kyoto, this time in the fall, and also what is the future of Noma going to be after the pop-up up and much, much more!!!

This is an episode from Manga Sensei, which is one of the most popular Japanese language learning podcasts.

The host John Dinkel majored in Japanese language in college and lived in Japan as well. So he has deep experience in Japanese language and culture. If you are willing to learn Japanese, I suggest that you subscribe to John’s super-approachable and effective podcast Manga Sensei on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify.

John invited Akiko Katayama, the host of Japan Eats! to his podcast as a guest, and had a fun conversation about Japanese food culture.

I hope you will find this episode a nice little window to peek into Japanese mindset and culture!

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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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On May 1, 2019, Crown Prince Naruhito was inaugurated as the 126th emperor of Japan. As a result, a new Japanese era Reiwa began.

In this episode, the Japan-based food expert Elizabeth Andoh returns (she was on Episodes 18, 61, 83, 99, 108 and 131) to discuss notable food trends in Japan during the previous Heisei era (1989-2019) and the unique Japanese mindset behind them.

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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!!!

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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 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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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Tomoko Honda of Ippodo Tea in Midtown Manhattan, the first street-front location of the shop outside Japan. The original location, located in the heart of Kyoto, has been providing the highest quality Japanese green tea for nearly three centuries.

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko is joined in studio by restaurant industry legend Barry Wine, former chef and owner of The Quilted Giraffe Restaurant, one of the most important restaurants in NYC's history. Tune in and listen to Barry share a few of his many stories of years working as a restauranteur in the city.

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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On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Andrea Fazzari, a Tokyo based international photographer, author, and dining consultant with a background in fashion and film. Her book Tokyo New Wave: 31 Chefs Defining Japan's Next Generation will be released on March 13, 2018 worldwide. She has written, photographed, and styled this unique 304 page book, her love letter to Japan and its distinct philosophy and approach to food. It includes 435 of her photographs, her insights, interviews, and chef recipes. Andrea is an insider in the city’s food scene, working regularly with Tokyo’s many influential and respected chefs.

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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Masahiro Takeda of Wine of Japan, the leading national importer and distributor of Japanese alcoholic beverages for the last 40 years. He oversees a comprehensive portfolio of 250 brands of Japanese beer, sake, and shochu, distributed in over 32 states.

Here are links to the three fascinating breweries discussed in this episode:

Niida Honke (Their brand name on the label is Kinpou Shuzo) https://www.kinpou.co.jp/

Shimazaki Shuzo (Azuma Rikishi) http://azumarikishi.co.jp　　

Hayashi Honten (Eiichi/ Hyakujurou) http://www.eiichi.co.jp/en/

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 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 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 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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Coco Kayoko Seo, Japanese beverage specialist, worked at the legendary Japanese cocktail bar Angel’s Share in the East Village, and is a certified as Sake and Shochu Adviser.

Currently she hosts a fun, weekly educational happy hour at Bar Moga in the West Village called Coco’s Spirit. We will discuss how Coco became a Japanese beverage expert, what Coco’s Spirit is, what Japanese spirits you should try now, and much, much more!

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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Mina Newman, the executive chef of Sen Sakana. There, she collaborates with Osaka native Taku Nagai, a well-respected chef in his own right, to blend Japanese and Peruvian flavors and dishes, showcasing the cuisine that was created with the migration of Japanese people to Peru.

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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 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)

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Japanese cocktail culture is getting global attention lately, but we don’t know too much about what it is outside Japan. Today, we will discover it through the unique concept of Katana Kitten, a new Japanese-American bar in the West Village in NYC.

Our guests are three key players of the cocktail industry: Masahiro Urushido, the Managing Partner, Head Bartender & Director of Deliciousness of Katana Kitten, James Tune, the General Manager and Managing Partner and Greg Boehm, the co-owner and the Founder of Cocktail Kingdom, which brings rare-to-find great cocktail books and barware to the cocktail community.

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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 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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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Tama Matsuoka Wong, a forager, weed eater, meadow doctor, lawyer and mother of three. She is the author of the backyard field guide and cookbook Foraged Flavor, which was nominated for a James Beard award in 2013.

After graduating from Harvard Law School and serving more than 25 years as a financial services lawyer in Tokyo, New York and Hong Kong, she returned with her family to Hunterdon County, New Jersey and rediscovered her passion for the natural world. In 2007 she was named Steward of the Year by the New Jersey Forest Service.

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 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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This week's guest is Christina Lecki, the executive chef of Reynard in Brooklyn's Wythe Hotel. Lecki was inspired to pursue cooking after a trip to Japan, and she and Akiko discuss this pivotal experience, and much more!

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On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko is joined in studio by Japanese cuisine specialist Elizabeth Andoh. Elizabeth talks about the fascinating world of preserved vegetables. A graduate of the Yanagihara School of Classical Japanese Cuisine, Andoh has written three books on Japanese cooking: An American Taste of Japan, At Home with Japanese Cooking, and the IACP-award winning An Ocean of Flavor. She has been writing for Gourmet magazine for more than 30 years and has been a frequent contributor to the New York Times travel section for more than a decade. She lectures around the world on Japanese food and culture and runs A Taste of Culture, a culinary arts center in Tokyo, Japan. She lives in Tokyo, Japan.

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 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!

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On today's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko is joined by Katsura Sunshine, a traditional Japanese Storyteller.

On September 1st , 2008, Sunshine was accepted as an apprentice to the great Rakugo Storytelling Master, Katsura Bunshi VI, and subsequently received the name Katsura Sunshine. Sunshine received his professional debut in Singapore the following year, and completed his three-year Rakugo apprenticeship in November, 2012. Sunshine divides his time between London and Tokyo.

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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!!!

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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)

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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Stephen Globus, a native New Yorker who has long been involved with cultural fusion and interchange between Japan and the United States. Through the Globus Washitsu organization, Stephen and his brothers have sponsored events at various eminent institutions including the Japan Society, the Asia Society, and many other NYC locations. The scope of these events includes dance, theater, cinema, art, craft, tea ceremony, and performance groups.

Wabi-sabi represents Japanese aesthetics and a Japanese world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete."

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by chef and entrepreneur Makoto Suzuki, owner of several restaurants in Brooklyn, including Bozu, Samurai Mama, Momo Sushi Shack, The Brooklyn Ball Factory, and Samurai Papa. Suzuki talks about how he struggled to open his first restaurant in the not-yet-cool Williamsburg 13 years ago and how he keeps his restaurants staying popular for years.

Masa Urushido's favorite bars in Tokyo:

• Bar Trench (in Ebisu)
• Fugulen (in Shibuya)
• Tableaux Lounge - cocktail & cigar bar (in Daikanyama)

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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And my guest today is Toshio Shinko who is the fifth-generation owner of Marushin Honke in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.  The company was founded in 1881 and since then, it has produced high-quality traditional Japanese food products, such as miso and soy sauce.  In 2002, in addition to managing Marushin Honke, Toshio founded the new company Yuasa Shoyu, or Yuasa Soy Sauce https://www.yuasasyouyu.co.jp/yuasa_gb_front.html in English to pursue the highest quality of soy sauce that reflects the family tradition.

Preserving tradition is hard and even harder is to keep it fresh in response to the fast-changing environments.  Toshio has been very successful in doing so and a great example is his innovative idea of making soy sauce in Bordeaux, France https://www.yuasasyouyu.co.jp/yuasa_gb.html in collaboration with the well-established Grand Cru winery Chateau Coutet in Saint Emilion.

In this episode, we will discuss how Toshio’s company produces premium soy sauce with wood barrels, which is rare these days, how he came up with the idea of making soy sauce in the French wine country, why the French winery wants to make soy sauce with Toshio, how his Bordeaux-made soy sauce is different, why French chefs love using it and much, much more!!!

Here is a fabulous YouTube video, that captures how Toshio makes soy sauce with the French partner Adrien David Beaulieu, the owner of Chateau Coutet and his team.  

https://www.marushinhonke.com/f/marushin

(Scroll further down and click on “We want to spread Yuasa soy sauce to France!”)

Here are some of the restaurants that uses Toshi’s Bordeaux-made soy sauce:

·       Maison nouvelle, Etchebest　https://maison-nouvelle.fr/　

·       Lalique, Lafaurie Peyraguey Schilling　　https://www.lafauriepeyragueylalique.com/en/michelin-starred-chef-jerome-schilling-unveils-his-autumn-menu/　

·       Skiff Club, Stéphane Carrade　　https://haaitza.com/les-restaurants-cafe-bar-brasserie-restaurant-etoile-arcachon/　

·       Le Prince Noir, Vivien Durand　　https://leprincenoir-restaurant.fr/　

·       L opidom etoilé Fondette　　https://www.lopidom.fr/fr/　

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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Today's guest is John McCarthy, a former attorney who gave up the practice of law to attend the French Culinary Institute. After graduating from FCI at the top of his class, he worked for Chef Wylie Dufresne at wd-50 for several years, ultimately becoming Chef Wylie’s research and development cook. In 2012, he opened The Crimson Sparrow restaurant in Hudson, New York, which served a tasting menu of cuisine that employs French and Japanese technique and incorporates flavors and ingredients primarily from Japan and local farms surrounding Hudson.

We discuss John's idea of Japanese cuisine, the fascinating concept behind his new restaurant OKA in Murray Hill, Japanese sweets, and much more!

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This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Luca Catalfamo, chef and owner of Casa Ramen, the first restaurant dedicated to ramen in Milan, Italy.

While working as a chef in cities such as Sydney and London, Catalfamo learned about Japanese cuisine, which helped to hone his ramen skills, from learning about dashi to Japanese cooking techniques. Thereafter, he decided to open a ramen shop in his native country of Italy. He moved to Japan for a month to research the different types of ramen available, typically consuming three to four bowls a day. His second ramen shop, Casa Luca, opened in May 2015.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Shingo Gokan, head bartender of Angel’s Share and winner of the Bacardi Global Legacy Cocktail Competition. Tune in to hear them discuss how he began bartending in Japan at the age of 18 and came to New York in 2006 not knowing a word of English, only to become the “World’s Best Bartender” a short time later.

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 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 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 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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