Japan Eats!

Our guest is Kazuya Kubota, who is the Global Brand Director of Pizza 4P’s https://pizza4ps.com/.  Pizza 4P's is truly a unique concept.  It goes far beyond serving pizza, with the vision of “Make the World Smile for Peace”.  Pizza 4P’s was founded in Vietnam in 2011 and it now operates over 40 locations in 5 countries: Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, India and the U.S. Its first U.S. location opened in Brooklyn, New York, on July 4th, 2026. In this episode, we will discuss the unique concept of Pizza 4P’s, how each location sets a theme and goals to make the world more peaceful, why the brand has been so successful in inspiring and inviting guests to join social movements and much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guests are A-K Hada and Christian Suzuki-Orellana, who opened a fascinating cocktail bar Dokidoki https://www.dokidokinyc.com/ in Brooklyn, New York in July 2026.  Both A-K and Suzu have highly successful careers as bartenders. A-K served as head bartender at the renowned cocktail bar PDT for six years. She also worked as a brand ambassador for Bacardi Rum, earning nominations for Best U.S. Brand Ambassador at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in 2023 and 2024. Meanwhile, Suzu honed his craft at notable cocktail bars in San Francisco and became a semifinalist on Netflix’s hit bartending competition show, Drink Masters, in 2022. At Dokidoki, they feature Japanese sake and shochu in innovative ways, breaking the mold of how they are traditionally served at Japanese restaurants. In this episode, we will discuss the unique, cross-cultural concept of Dokidoki, how the duo creatively uses sake and shochu as cocktail ingredients, what a Tachinomi bar is in Japanese culture and how the

Our guest is Genki Ito, who founded the unique online sake shop Tippsy Sake in 2018.  He joined us in Episode #254 in February 2022 and discussed its innovative concept.  Tippsy Sake’s business has grown successfully, alongside a community of sake lovers, and in May 2026, Genki renamed it Palate Project https://palateproject.co/ to reflect the company’s new mission to make sake more accessible to American consumers.     In this episode, we will discuss what exactly Genki’s new mission at Palate Project is, how it could change the distribution of Japanese sake in the U.S., why it can help traditional family-owned small sake breweries as well as American consumers and much, much more!!!  Tipssy Sake, Palate Project, Japanese sake, Japanese food, Japanese culture, Genki Ito, vertically integrated Japanese sake distribution Social Handles:  IG palateproject.sakeFB https://www.facebook.com/palateproject.sake/YouTube  https://www.youtub

Our guest is Nick Rowan, author of Japanese Wine, a fantastic, comprehensive book on Japanese wine. The Japanese wine industry and culture have been developing very rapidly since the 1990s, and Nick’s book, which came out in 2025, is so timely. The book covers 725 producers and 130 grape varieties—over 80 of which are unique to Japan—to showcase the uniqueness and diversity of Japanese wine. It also includes 380 bars, restaurants, and wine stores specializing in Japanese wine, and 125 Japanese wine fairs and festivals. In this episode, we will discuss how Nick got into Japanese wine, the unique terroir of Japan, how Japanese winemakers embrace and overcome its climatic and commercial challenges, the outstanding flavor characteristics of Japanese wine, and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Silvia Mella who is the owner of Sorate in New York.  Sorate is a unique Japanese green tea company, which sells premium Japanese tea through online and operates beautiful tea houses in Manhattan.  Japanese tea has been gaining attention in the global markets, fueled by rising health consciousness and growing interest in Japanese food.  According to the Japanese government, Japanese tea exports in 2025 reached record highs, and the key driving factor was Matcha.  The U.S. accounts for approximately 40% of total export volume, 80% of which was Matcha. And it is mostly used for iced or hot lattes and smoothies.But in Japan, people don’t drink Matcha on a daily basis.  There are many other types of delicately produced, highly flavorful Japanese tea.  Silvia knows the profoundness of Japanese tea culture very well, and is passionate about introducing its charm to a global audience.  In this episode, we will discuss how Silvia

Our guest is Reverend Dr. Masaki Matsubara, who is an eighteenth-generation Zen priest in the Japanese Rinzai tradition. His career is unique and impressive. Following his Zen monastic training in Heirinji Monastery in Japan, he moved to the US in 1999 to study at Cornell University, where he eventually earned a PhD in Asian religions.  Since then, he has taught Buddhist studies at prominent institutions, including U.C. Berkeley, Stanford University, Cornell University, Brown University and the University of Tokyo.  Also, Rev. Matsubara is the head abbot of Butsumoji Zen Temple in Chiba, Japan Reverend Matsubara joined us in Episode #377 in September 2025 and discussed important ideas underlying Japanese society, such as the true meaning of Zen and the difference between Zen and mindfulness. Now, he is back to talk about food in Zen practice.  Generally speaking, in business organizations, the lower level of the hierarchy tends to be in charge of foo

Our guest is Hideatsu Shibanuma who is the 18th-generation president of Shibanuma Soy Sauce, which was founded in 1688. Shibanuma Soy Sauce has specialized in producing barrel-aged soy sauce in Ibaraki Prefecture for about 370 years.  Its products were so superior that they were served to Shoguns during the Edo period. Like many other craftsmen-based traditional businesses in Japan, soy sauce manufacturers have faced challenges due to reasons like a declining population and changes in people’s diet.  But Shibanuma Soy Sauce is doing well, thanks to its success in the export markets, with over 60 destinations worldwide.  But it did not happen overnight.  It is the result of Hideatsu’s hard work. In this episode, we will discuss the key to successfully running the 377-year old soy sauce company, the unique taste of Hideatsu’s barrel-aged soy sauce, why his products have been attracting the attention of top c

Our guest is George Padilla who plays a key role in multiple exciting Japanese restaurant and hospitality businesses in New York, including Rule of Thirds (https://www.thirdsbk.com/), Bin Bin Sake (https://linktr.ee/bin.bin.sake) and Teruko (https://hotelchelsea.com/dining-and-bar/teruko) at The Hotel Chelsea.  George’s passion for and profound understanding of Japanese culture is impressive.  Since he joined the tiny yet influential Japanese restaurant Okonomi in Brooklyn in 2014, he has been one of the most inspiring people in the Japanese food industry.  He joined us with his chef partner JT at Rule of Thirds, in Episode #236 in August 2021, and shared his idea of Japanese food and food culture.  He recently took another trip to Japan, which was packed with unique experiences and discoveries.  In this episode, we are going to discuss all about them, such as his visit to the oldest izakaya in downtown Tokyo, the standing sushi bars h

Our guest is Gavin Whitelaw https://rijs.fas.harvard.edu/gavin-h-whitelaw who is the Executive Director of Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University.  Gavin has spent over a decade living and teaching in Japan. Before joining the Reischauer Institute in 2016, he was the Senior Associate Professor of Anthropology and Japan Studies at International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo for eight years.  He has researched a wide range of topics, including Japanese contemporary commerce, work life, foodways and material culture.     Gavin is here today to discuss Konbini, the Japanese-style convenience store, a subject on which he has done extensive research. Convenience stores were born in the U.S in the 1920s and were transplanted to Japan in the 1960s.  Then its concept developed into something very different, which has become a necessary part of Japanese society overall.  As of January 2025, there were

Our guest is Brian Evans who is the Director of Bars at Sunday Hospitality Group https://www.sundayhg.com/, which operates 12 popular hospitality concepts in New York and London, including Japanese-inspired restaurants Rule of Thirds https://www.thirdsbk.com/ in Brooklyn and Teruko https://hotelchelsea.com/dining-and-bar/teruko in Manhattan.  Brian’s talent in mixology earned him the 2021 Starchefs Rising Star Award.  And his outstanding beverage program at the Lobby Bar at The Hotel Chelsea was highly recognized to receive the status of one of Esquire Magazine’s Best Bars In America 2023 as well as Best U.S. Hotel Bar at Tales of the Cocktail in 2025.  Also, with his passion and knowledge, Brian created the biggest Japanese whisky list in the U.S. at Teruko (with over 360 labels) at The Hotel Chelsea.  In this episode, we will discuss how Brian got into the world of cocktails and spirits, how he developed his knowledge and skills in New York Ci

Our guest is Tadashi Ono who is the executive chef at Teruko https://hotelchelsea.com/dining-and-bar/teruko at The Hotel Chelsea in New York.  Tadashi's career has been built through deliberate decisions along with his flexible, lighthearted approach to life.  When he arrived in Los Angeles in 1982, he started his culinary training and eventually proved his talent as the executive chef at the legendary French restaurant La Caravelle in New York, where he earned a 3-star review from The New York Times twice.  Over time, he realized that Japanese cuisine was what he wanted to cook and shifted his focus.  He earned a great reputation at the popular Japanese restaurants, including Matsuri at the Maritime Hotel in Manhattan.   In this episode, we will discuss Tadashi’s unique career development, why he enjoys cooking Japanese more than French (which he also loves), the Japanese dishes he wants you to know beyond sushi and ramen, the creative yet trad

Our guest is Bruce Gutlove, who is an American-born winemaker based in Hokkaido, Japan. The Japanese wine industry has been flourishing, particularly in the last two decades or so, thanks to the rapid increase in talented winemakers who are willing to conquer the challenges of the country’s unique terroir.  Bruce has greatly contributed to shaping the modern Japanese wine-making culture.  Since 1989, he has worked in vineyards and wineries in Japan to bring out the potential of the Japanese climate and soil.  Most notably, he led the COCO Farm & Winery https://cocowine.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cocofaw-pr-eng.pdf in Tochigi Prefecture, which is owned and operated by people with intellectual disabilities, to become an award-winning wine producer.  Now, as the owner of 10R Winery https://www.10rwinery.jp/ in Hokkaido, he keeps fostering successful winemakers and helps solidify Japan’s unique wine industry.  In this episode, w

Our guest is Cheng Lin who is the chef/owner of Shota Omakase https://shotaomakase.com/ in Brooklyn, New York.  After nearly three decades of studying and serving sushi at notable restaurants in New York City, including Sushi Seki, Blue Ribbon, and ITO Tribeca, he opened his Omakase-only sushi restaurant Shota Omakase in August 2023 and earned his first Michelin star within a year.  In this episode, we will discuss how Cheng got into sushi, an inspiring book that steered his career as a sushi chef, how he finds unique ingredients from Japan, such as seven-year-old vinegar and a rare sushi rice, the advantage of being non-Japanese as a sushi chef, how to eat confidently at an Omakase sushi bar and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guests are Mayumi Uejima-Carr and Debra Samuels. Mayumi is the President of TABLE FOR TWO USA https://usa.tablefor2.org/ and Debra leads the program content and curriculum development of TABLE FOR TWO USA’s Japanese-inspired food education program.  TABLE FOR TWO is a not-for-profit organization founded in Japan in 2007, initiated by the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders.  Now its activities have expanded globally and have helped so many people through unique programs. For example, TABLE FOR TWO has offered those in need in the world over 100 million meals so far.  Mayumi joined us in Episode #98 in October 2017 and talked about TABLE FOR TWO USA’s mission and its valuable programs.  In this episode, we will discuss TABLE FOR TWO USA’s Wa-Shokuiku programs, which aims to educate kids about healthy diet, the importance of food education and how different it is between Japan and the U.S., the new cookbook for children that Mayum

Our guest is Andrew Tsui who is the founder and president of The Ike Jime Federation https://ikejimefederation.com/ based in Maryland.  Ikejime is a unique, traditional Japanese technique to treat fish right after it is caught.  Ikejime dramatically reduces fish’s suffering and extends its freshness.  The results are much better taste and flavor, as well as less waste of fish.  Ikejime is not known enough outside of Japan, but Andrew is passionately trying to educate commercial and recreational anglers about the awesome technique.   In this episode, we will discuss how exactly Ikejime is done, what types of fish are suited to the Ikejime treatment, the difference between Ikejime and Shinkeijime, how you can learn the Ikejime technique and be certified by Andrew’s Ike Jime Federation and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Nozomi Mori who is the chef/owner of the sushi bar Nozomi Mori https://www.morinozomi.com/ in Los Angeles, which opened in 2024. She got into the world of sushi in 2017, only 8 years ago, and her sushi bar already earned notable accolades, such as a Michelin star and was included in the New York Times’ 50 best restaurant list in 2025.  In this episode, we will discuss why Nozomi decided to become a sushi chef, how she studied sushi-making in the U.S., how she had conquered challenges being a woman in the traditionally male-dominant sushi industry, her advice to aspiring sushi chefs, and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest is Timothy Sullivan who has over 17 years of experience teaching about sake.  In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious title of Sake Samurai by the Japan Sake Brewers Association. Since 2013, Tim has served as the Global Brand Ambassador for the 100-year-old Hakkaisan Sake Brewery https://www.hakkaisan.com/. Now also as the Director of Education at Sake Studies Center https://www.sakestudiescenter.com/ at Brooklyn Kura https://www.brooklynkura.com/in New York, he has been playing a pivotal role in developing and advancing the American sake industry.  Tim is also the co-host of the fun and highly informative podcast Sake Evolution.  He joined us on Japan Eats! in Episodes #32, #100, #337, plus #241 with co-host of Sake Revolution John Puma.  This is Tim’s 5th appearance on Japan Eats!  In this episode, we will discuss the new and notable trends and products in the sake market in Japan and the U.S., successful collaborations bet

Our guests are Yusuke Fukuzaki and Ryo Yamazaki, co-owners of SSAW www.ssawbrooklyn.com/ in Brooklyn, New York.  The duo opened SSAW in November 2024 to serve “a refined ‘New Japanese’ dining experience, where traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary innovation,” according to its website.     Yusuke has worked at top restaurants in Japan, including the three-Michelin-starred Kagurazaka ISHIKAWA and KOHAKU. Along with Ryo’s Japanese-style Omotenashi hospitality, the eight-seat charming space has become a quintessential Japanese restaurant where you get the sense of belonging to a special community like in the popular Japanese drama series Midnight Diner. In this episode, we will discuss why Yusuke left a successful chef career in Japan and moved to the U.S., how he balances authenticity and creativity on his dishes, how Ryo manages to realize the Japanese-style hospitality at SSAW, the restaurant’s unique sake list and the principle behind it and much,

Our guest is Reverend Dr. Masaki Matsubara who is an eighteenth-generation Zen priest in the Japanese Rinzai tradition. His career is unique and impressive. Following his Zen monastic training in Heirinji Monastery in Japan, he moved to the US in 1999 to study at Cornell University where he eventually earned a PhD in Asian religions.  Since then, he has taught Buddhist studies at prominent institutions, including U.C. Berkeley, Stanford University, Cornell University, Brown University and The University of Tokyo.  Also, Rev. Matsubara is the head abbot of Butsumoji Zen Temple in Chiba, Japan,  We tend to think of Zen as a part of Buddhist practices but it is quite prevalent in Japanese people’s minds and their society overall.  It would be valuable for us to get to know the idea of Zen in understanding Japanese food culture as well as living a good life.   In this episode, we will discuss why Rev. Matsubara dec

Our guest is Joshua Walker who is the President and CEO of Japan Society https://japansociety.org/  in New York.  Joshua has a very intriguing background.  He was raised in Japan and spent his formative years in Hokkaido, northern Japan.  Since Joshua left Japan at the age of 18, he has been working in global affairs and is known as a perpetual bridge-builder, citizen diplomat and trained academic with a specialization in East Asia and the Middle East.  After gaining diverse global experiences, he became the president and CEO of Japan Society in December 2019.  Joshua joined us in Episode #210 in November 2020 and discussed his fascinating background and the culture of Hokkaido he loves.  In this episode, we will discuss various topics about Japanese culture overall with Joshua’s profound perspective, including what makes Japanese culture distinctive, where the unique Japanese mindset comes from, his thoughts on the lessons learned dur