Japan Eats

Our guest is Daisuke Nakazawa who is the owner and executive chef of the Michelin-starred Sushi Nakazawa. He opened Sushi Nakazawa in New York in 2013 and its success led to the opening of the second location in Washington, D.C., in 2017. He is also planning to open the third location in Los Angeles later this year. He is also the owner of Saito, an izakaya and sake bar in Manhattan’s Nolita, which he opened in 2022. You may have seen Chef Nakazawa in the legendary documentary film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” on Netflix. After completing the classic, extremely strict training under chef Ono, he moved to the U.S. and started a new chapter of his life. In this episode, we will discuss what Chef Nakazawa learned from his 11-year training at the renowned Sukiyabashi Jiro, why he moved to the U.S., how he conveys the traditional sushi culture to a very diverse global audience, why he has never changed his menu price since Sushi Nakazawa’s opening 10 years ago, and much, much more!Heritage Radio Network is a listener su

Our guest is Michael Magers, who is a documentary photographer and journalist who splits his time between New York City and Austin, Texas. He is a frequent collaborator with the highly acclaimed publisher Roads & Kingdoms (legendary author and television host Anthony Bourdain was a partner and investor in Roads & Kingdoms), and served as the lead photographer on their award-winning books "Rice Noodle Fish” and "Grape Olive Pig."Michael’s images are exhibited both internationally and in the U.S., and have appeared in a wide range of digital and print publications, including TIME, Smithsonian, Vogue Italia, CNN’s Explore Parts Unknown, and The New York Times to name a few. Michael is also known for his unique and deeply insightful work that captures Japanese artisans called shokunin. In this episode, we will discuss how Michael got into documentary photography, what part of Japan attracts him as a photographer, the essence of the shokunin mindset, his intriguing work that features modern life of Japan i

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

Our guest this week is Todd Bellomy, the owner and brewer of Farthest Star Sake in Massachusetts. Todd joined us in Episode #36 to discuss his previous brewery Dovetail Sake in 2016. His success at Dovetail Sake led him to the opening of his new brewery Farthest Star Sake in 2022.Todd has not only been producing high-quality, authentic style of sake, but has also witnessed the development of the American sake culture as an insider. Now we have dozens of notable sake breweries in the U.S. and this is an exciting time to drink locally-made, delicious Japanese sake. In this episode, we will discuss how Todd successfully convinced American beverage lovers to drink Japanese sake in Massachusetts, his new products at Farthest Star Sake that would inspire both sake lovers and novices alike, the fascinating recent changes in American sake production, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simpleca

Our guest today is Hajime Sato who is the chef/owner of Sozai near Detroit, Michigan. Hajime has been known for keenly pursuing sustainability, which is very challenging for a sushi chef, for the last 14 years.His efforts have been widely recognized, and this year, Hajime became one of the five nominees for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef Award. The James Beard Foundation Awards are often called the Academy Awards for culinary professionals, so you can tell how powerful Hajime’s voice is.In this episode, we will discuss how Hajime came to the U.S. and became a sustainability-minded chef, how he manages to offer sustainable seafood at his Japanese restaurant Sozai, what unknown, delicious and sustainable seafood we should try, what we should do now for the future to keep enjoying seafood, and much, much more!!!Photo courtesy of Rebecca Simonov.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 Matt Alt who is a Tokyo-based writer and "localizer" of Japanese entertainment products including video games, toys, and manga. His work has appeared widely in publications including The New York Times, BBC Culture, The Economist 1843, Aeon Magazine, and The New Yorker. (We will find out what “localizer” means in our conversation.)Also, Matt is the author of “Pure Invention: How Japan Made The Modern World”, which insightfully analyzes how the unique Japanese mindset ended up producing unexpectedly globally influential products, such as anime and games, along with the roots of these inventions. In this episode, we will discuss how Matt established his interesting career in Japan, his deep insights into how Japanese culture has unexpectedly influenced the world (with plenty of fun examples such as Konbini, Depachika, Hello Kitty and Anime), what is underneath the Japanese food culture, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eat

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!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest today is Jean-Baptiste Meusnier, the chef and owner of Kodawari Ramen in Paris. Jean-Baptiste was an air force pilot in his home country of France when he had a revelation to become a ramen chef. In April 2016, he opened Kodawari Ramen in central Paris and his focus on creating the best ramen has been as sharp as flying a military airplane. He makes everything from scratch at a level even Japanese ramen cooks would never do. In this episode, we discuss how Jean-Baptiste was drawn into the world of ramen, his authentic yet inspiring philosophy of making ramen, the utterly unique ambiance of Kodawari’s dining room, challenges in cooking ramen in Paris, and much, much more!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 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 t

Our guest is David Yoshimura, who is the chef/owner of Nisei in San Francisco, California.Nisei means the first-generation, a son or daughter of Japanese immigrants who were born in the United States. Niseis inevitably live in dual cultures and many of them choose to celebrate Japanese culture in different ways. David is one of them. After working at top restaurants in the world, he opened his own place named Nisei in 2022 and earned a Michelin star within six months after opening. In this episode, we will discuss what is it like to be Nisei in America, how David expresses the Japanese tradition through his unique identity, how David explores possibilities of Japanese food in the global context by working with culturally diverse top chefs in the world, and much, much more!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 Sawako Okochi who is the co-chef and co-owner of Shalom Japan, which she opened in 2013 with her husband and co-chef, Aaron Israel. Shalom Japan is unique because Sawa and Aaron combine Japanese and Jewish food cultures on one menu. The unique concept has proven successful as they celebrate the 10th year of Shalom Japan. They also have just published a beautiful book titled “Love Japan – Recipes From Our Japanese American Kitchen”. In this episode, we will discuss how Sawa and Aaron met and decided to open a restaurant together, the overlapping and contrasting elements in Japanese and Jewish foods, creative menu items at Shalom Japan, what they want to share with us through the new book, and much, much more!!!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 Takashi Sato is the ８th generation family member of Sanjirushi Jozo in Mie Prefecture and the president of San-J International in the U.S. Sanjirushi Jozo has been making soy sauce and miso since 1804, and in 1978 the company decided to expand its business to the U.S. Now, 45 years later, San-J is one of the most familiar soy sauce brands in the U.S. and you may have seen its labels at Whole Foods Market, for instance. Soy sauce is a quintessential ingredient of Japanese food, but many of us don’t know the different types and their unique flavors. San-J specializes in Tamari, which is a rare type. Also unknown is the fact that the precious tradition of fermented food production has been declining in Japan and Takashi is very much concerned about the situation. That is why he created the Hakko Hub, which aims to revitalize the artisanal fermented food industry. In this episode, we will discuss the diverse types and flavors of soy sauce, what exactly Tamari soy sauce is, how Takashi’s unique product l

Our guest is Marco Moreira who is the chef/owner of 15 EAST @ Tocqueville in New York. He joined us in Episode #28 and discussed his fascinating background, including how the young Brazilian man came to New York and became a sushi chef, and shared his deep knowledge of Japanese food culture. Marco has run multiple highly successful restaurants in New York with a wide variety of influences from Japanese, French and Brazilian flavors. No restaurant was unaffected by COVID but Marco navigated tremendous challenges well and opened a new restaurant called 15 EAST @ Tocqueville after the pandemic. 15 EAST @ Tocqueville is an innovative concept because Japanese food and French are served both authentically and seamlessly under one roof without being gimmicky. In this episode, we will discuss the unique concept of 15 EAST @ Tocqueville, why Marco decided the contrasting culinary genres belong in one space, his point of view about how Japanese sushi has become part of mainstream American food culture, and much, much m

Our guest is Nori Nakamura who is the owner and winemaker at Noria, a unique winery in California. When we eat Japanese food, we almost automatically think to pair it with Japanese sake or Japanese beer. On the other hand, Japanese sake has become so popular globally that you can find it at Michelin-starred, non-Japanese restaurants outside of Japan these days. Nori decided to break the preconception and now is making beautiful wine that pairs perfectly with Japanese food. In this episode, we will discuss how Nori, who used to be in the high-end hotel industry in Japan, became a winemaker, his wine-making philosophy, what types of wine go well with Japanese food, the future of Japanese food and wine pairing, and much, much more!!!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 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!!!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 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 myo

Our guest is Kotaro Hamada who is the 6th generation of Hamada Shuzo in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Hamada Shuzo has been making shochu, the Japanese traditional spirit, since 1868. Hamada Shuzo’s quality is highly recognized not only in Japan but also abroad and its shochu brands called Daiyame 25 and Daiyame 40 have received multiple prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal for Daiyame 40 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2022. Japanese sake has once lost its popularity domestically due to various reasons such as declining alcohol consumption among the younger generations, competitive products such as wine and craft beer and the labor shortage. But thanks to the popularity of Japanese food abroad, Japanese sake has been repositioning itself in the market both in Japan and overseas. Shochu, however, is still an unknown beverage outside the country and the shochu industry has been striving to make it recognized as a precious spirit in the international market. So today, we will discu

Our guest is Zach Mangan who is the co-founder of Kettl, the Japanese tea importer and distributor based in New York and Fukuoka, Japan. He is also the author of the fantastic book about Japanese tea, “Stories of Japanese tea: The Regions, the Growers, and the Craft”. And in September 2021, he opened a beautiful tea shop and gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which is now one of the coolest sections of New York. Zach joined us in Episodes 44 and 264 and talked about his fascinating, somewhat accidental path to becoming a tea expert and his love and passion for tea. Japanese tea is gaining the attention of consumers and beverage professionals nowadays for its pure deliciousness and diverse flavors as well as its healthfulness. In this episode, we will discuss various flavors of Japanese tea that you can choose from, how to select the right type of tea to your liking, sustainable sourcing of Japanese tea that you should keep in mind, and much, much more!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit p

Our guest is Craig Mod who is a writer, author, and photographer based in Japan. Also, according to his website, he is a "walker". And we will talk about what it means. Craig has spent over 20 years in Japan and has produced a lot of valuable work, capturing Japanese daily life objectively as well as being an insider. His insight into Japanese culture is impressive and I have learned a lot from his curious observations. In this episode, we will discuss how Craig got into Japanese culture, his unique perspective of Japanese daily life, how walking helps him to discover the depth of the local culture, Crag’s love for the unique Japanese cafes called Kissaten, and much, much more!!!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 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