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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 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!!!

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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!!!

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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!!!

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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!!!

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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.

What Is The Difference Between Japanese Restaurants In Japan And The U.S.?

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 decided to study and teach Buddhism abroad, what exactly Zen is and why it is instrumental and effective for us in navigating our daily lives, the concept of Engi, which can give us a fresh way to see our existence, Rev. Matsubara’s personal Zen practice 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.

Ask The 18th Generation Priest: What Is Zen And How Do You Practice It Daily?

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 during World War II that ended 80 years ago with the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings 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.

‘Read The Room’ Mindset: What Makes Japanese Culture Unique?

Our guest is Gento Torigata https://gentotorigata.com/ who is the owner and mixologist of Waltz https://waltzbar.uk/ in East London. After diverse culinary and bartending experiences in Japan, Australia and Singapore, Gento moved to London and opened Waltz in April 2024.

Waltz is truly a unique place. With his traditional Japanese mindset of appreciating seasonality, Gento offers original cocktails inspired by micro seasons along with Japanese hospitality, or Omotenashi. 

In this episode, we will discuss how Gento has built a strong career as a bartender through his global experiences, how he creates cocktails based on Japanese traditional micro seasonal calendars called NIjyushi Sekki and Shichiju Niko, the essence of Omotenashi Gento aims to practice at Waltz 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.

Waltz: Japanese Cocktail Culture Expressed in Seasonality

My guest today is Tim Fronzek who is a co-founder of Nosh.bio https://www.nosh.bio/ based in Berlin, Germany. 

 

Plant-based protein has been gaining attention, particularly since the 2010s for our growing health and environmental concerns. However, various products in the market may not be as ideal as it was thought to be. Some are not so environmentally friendly in their manufacturing process, or undesirable compounds are created during the high level of processing of ingredients. Also, their flavors and textures may not be very satisfying. 

 

To conquer these issues, Tim came up with the idea of using Koji, the beneficial mold used to make a majority of traditional Japanese food. His company Nosh.bio has been offering protein made with koji since 2022 to global clients. 

 

In this episode, we will discuss how Tim discovered Koji’s potential, the health benefits and sustainable nature of Koji protein, what diets are possible to keep our earth healthy 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.

Pioneering Sustainable Plant-Based Protein With Koji

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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What Is Okonomiyaki?

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