Japan Eats!

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!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member!Japan Eats is Powered by Simplecast.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest today is Joshua Walker who is the President & CEO of Japan Society in New York. Joshua has a very intriguing background. He was raised in Japan and spent his formative years until 18 in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan where the geography and climate are diversely different from the mainland Japan. And Hokkaido’s food culture is extraordinary! Since Joshua left Japan, he has been working in global affairs and known as a perpetual bridge-builder, citizen diplomat and trained academic with a specialization in the Middle East and East Asia.In this episode, we will discuss Joshua’s unique childhood in Japan, how it influenced his mindset as a global leader now, the fascinating food culture in Hokkaido, what you should eat there 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.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 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 Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats! by becoming a member!Japan Eats! is Powered by Simplecast.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elizabeth Andoh, a seasoned food writer and cooking instructor in Tokyo, dives into the world of Shojin ryori, Japan's traditional vegan and vegetarian cuisine with roots in Buddhist principles. She shares its rich history and philosophy focused on mindfulness and respect for ingredients. Elizabeth discusses how to prepare these flavorful dishes at home, the spiritual connection between cooking and Zen Buddhism, and the importance of achieving nutritional balance through vibrant colors and diverse flavors in food.

Our guestis Tom Kisaichi who is the owner, grower and winemaker of the Maboroshi Vineyard in Sonoma, California. Tom is courageous. Without any background of wine-making, he went to France to study wine at the one of the greatest Burgundian wineries in Gevrey Chambertin in 1991 and he opened The Maboroshi Vineyard in Sonoma, California with his wife and business partner Rebecca in 1999. Tom practices the biodynamic agricultural method in his vineyard. As a result, his wine reflects the pure and lively flavors of the soil and that is why wine lovers chase his wine. In this episode, we will discuss how Tom got into wine, how he started his career in wine without any background, why biodynamic methods are important in making great wine, a Japanese wine pioneer in Sonoma in the early 20th century 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.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 Bastian Schwithal who is the CEO and co-founder of Go-Sake based in Berlin, Germany. Since Bastian founded the company in 2017, he has been actively introducing Japanese sake to Germany, which is the kingdom of beer and wine. He also has an award-winning premium sake brand co-produced by traditional Japanese breweries. In this episode, we will discuss how Bastian got into Japanese sake, why he founded his sake company in Berlin, his own award-winning sake brand, how sake is accepted in Germany 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.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 Andrea Fazzari, a Tokyo-based James Beard Award- winning photographer and author who specializes in travel and the culinary world.Andrea joined us on Episode 113 to discuss her then-new book “TOKYO NEW WAVE: 31 Chefs Defining Japan's Next Generation with Recipes”, which won The 2019 James Beard Foundation Book Awards for photography.Andrea just released a fascinating new book - which she photographed, wrote, and co-designed - called “Sushi Shokunin: Japan’s Culinary Masters”, published by Assouline.  Shoknin means craftsman/ artisan and you cannot talk about Japanese cuisine without understanding the craftsmanship running through it.Andrea beautifully and insightfully captures the idea of Japanese shokunin in her new book and you can tell her profound understanding of Japanese culture as well as love and passion for it. In this episode, we will discuss the uniqueness of Japanese style craftsmanship, how sushi masters practice it, the concept of Ikigai, which is the backbone of their professional life, how the traditional sushi industry is changing 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.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 Tez Sawanobori who is the founder and CEO of the Connected Robotics based in Tokyo. We have already seen various applications of robots to our daily life. For example, a Japanese older couple lives with a robot as their close friend to ease their loneliness. Tez develops robots that can manage skillful tasks with advanced technology and AI for the restaurant industry. The restaurant industry has been known for constantly struggling with finding kitchen staff who can maintain their passion and energy under pressure for long hours. Tez has a mission to improve the conditions. In this episode, we will discuss how Tez got into robots, why he decided to focus on the food industry, what robots he has developed so far, how we can work effectively with robots instead of competing against each other 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. 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 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!!!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats! by becoming a member!Japan Eats! is Powered by Simplecast.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 Scott Haas who is a writer and clinical psychologist based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He went to Japan for the first time in 2003 and has been visiting the country three to four times a year ever since. Based on his intimate experience with Japanese culture over the years, Scott recently published a truly inspiring book “WHY BE HAPPY?”. This book is about how to achieve happiness with the mindset of the Japanese. The key is you don’t have to be Japanese to reach your own happiness. And the book is extremely helpful to understand Japanese culture broadly and deeply. Also, Scott has a unique relationship with food. He has cooked in professional kitchens in the past and wrote "Back of the House", a book about chef’s mentality in the kitchen. In this episode, we will discuss how Scott became interested in Japan, how we can attain happiness in the Japanese way, his unique experiences in restaurant kitchens, what he learned from them 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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.