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Heritage Radio Network

What is Japanese food? Sushi, or ramen, or kaiseki? What about Izakaya? Akiko Katayama, a Japanese native, New York-based food writer and director of the New York Japanese Culinary Academy, tells you all about real Japanese food and food culture. With guests ranging from sake producers with generations of experience to American chefs pushing the envelope of Japanese gastronomy, Japanese cuisine is demystified here!

Japan Eats!

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 56,749 Konbini nationwide. 

 

In this episode, we will discuss the unique characteristics of Japanese-style convenience stores, what you can buy and experience at Konbini , Gavin’s intriguing work experience at Konbini shops and what he discovered there, the possibilities of exporting Japanese Konbini abroad 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.

Konbini Culture: Unwrapping Japan’s Unique Convenience Stores

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 City in the global context, how he naturally infuses Japanese ingredients into classic and original cocktails, what is distinctive about Japanese whisky, his thoughts on Shoshu’s global potential 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.

Discover America’s Largest Japanese Whisky Collection at Teruko

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 traditional menu he serves at Teruko 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.

Chef Tadashi Ono: Serving The Essence of Japanese Cuisine For Three Decades

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, we will discuss how Bruce got involved in wine consulting in Japan when the industry just about to start developing, the uniqueness of the wine-making environment in Japan, the exciting grape varieties that make Japanese wine stand out in the global market, Bruce’s personal observation of Japan and why he has spent over 35 years in the country 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.

An American Winemaker's 35-Year Journey Helping To Shape Japanese Wine Culture

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.

What Makes a Michelin Star Sushi Restaurant?

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 Mayumi and Debra recently published titled “Japanese Cooking with Kids: 50 Kid-Tested Recipes to Make Together!”, challenges educating children about food 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.

Teaching Kids How To Cook And Eat Healthy Food (With Fun!)

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.

A Humane Catch: How Ikejime Benefits Fish, Flavor And The Planet

Our guest is Nozomi Mori who is the chef/owner of the sushi bar Mori Nozomi 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.

Nozomi Mori: A Female Sushi Chef Breaks New Ground In L.A.

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 between American and traditional Japanese sake breweries, how American sake brands are recognized by the Japanese consumers, 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.

Global Kura: Japanese-American Sake Collaborations

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, much more!!!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Humane Catch: How Ikejime Benefits Fish, Flavor And The Planet

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