Japan Eats!

This week on Japan Eats, Akiko is joined in studio by Naoki Takahashi of Naoki NYC. Tucked away in a hidden space in Chelsea, Naoki serves seasonal multi-course Japanese cuisines in a Zen-like interior. The recently launched kaiseki-style restaurant is part of Create Restaurants Holdings, which operates over 800 restaurants in Japan and around Asia. Japan Eats is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, Akiko is joined in studio by Tim Sullivan, Brand Ambassador for the Hakkaisan Sake Brewery. Tim was the first person ever to receive a Cultural Activities Visa to study sake making in Japan! He founded UrbanSake.com, America’s longest-running sake website, and was awarded the title of “Sake Samurai” by the Japan Sake Brewer’s Association in recognition of his work promoting sake outside of Japan. 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.

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, author and Japanese cuisine specialist Elizabeth Andoh is back in studio to chat with host Akiko about Japanese tableware. Looks aren't the only important thing in Japanese utensils; plates, bowls, and chopsticks must be functional, adequate for the type of food and season of the year, and above all feel good in the hands and mouth. Here are the links to the seasonal recipes for the fall that Elizabeth mentioned during the show: Sanma Dobin Mushi Enjoy!!! Japan Eats is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Mayumi Uejima-Carr of the Table for Two USA organization, a nonprofit that simultaneously addresses the opposing issues of malnutrition/hunger in developing countries and overconsumption/obesity in the developed world. The concept is to take excess calories from places like the U.S. and transfer them to countries in need. World Food Day 2017 “Change the World with Onigiri” #OnigiriAction 1 Onigiri photo post brings 5 school meals to children in need! TABLE FOR TWO is holding a World Food Day 2017 campaign from Oct 5th to Nov 15th. As an NPO with roots in Japan, the campaign promotes healthy Japanese food and aims to provide 1 million meals to children in need around the world. As a part of the campaign, it will feature the popular Japanese food “Onigiri” (rice ball). For each Onigiri photo post on the campaign website or your social media with #OnigiriAction, our partner organizations will donate 5 school meals to children in need. It’s free to participate. You make a difference just by posting your photos of making and enjoying Onigiri! Campaign website: http://jp.tablefor2.org/campaign/onigiri/en/ Japan Eats is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by Shinji Fukuyo, Whisky expert and chief blender of Suntory. Shinji Fukuyo joined Suntory in 1984 and eventually transferred to the whisky blending department in 1992. He quickly rose through the ranks and after four years studying at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh he moved to work in the Morrison Bowmore team in 1999, creating whiskies for Bowmore, Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan. In 2006 Shinji returned to Japan as the director of the whiskey blending department and in 2009 became chief blender for the whole of Suntory, only the fourth person to have held the prestigious position. Japan Eats is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Fujiko Aoki, chef and owner at Mochin Rin. A dessert specialist, Fujiko created a new type of mochi that doesn’t quite exist in Japan by infusing New York’s locally-sourced ingredients into Japan’s popular traditional dessert. Japan Eats is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by chefs Nick Kim & Jimmy Lau of Shuko, where the duo offers daily tasting menus based on traditional Japanese flavors and techniques from the kitchen and sushi bar. Chefs Kim and Lau build their menu based on seasonality and freshness, sourcing ingredients locally and internationally. Japan Eats is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the season premiere of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Chris Bonomo, a passionate home cook who especially loves Japanese food. He is the co-founder of The Japanese Pantry, an organization dedicated to bringing the best quality artisanal Japanese ingredients to professional and recreational cooks in North America. If you are interested in artisanal Japanese ingredients, go to www.TheJapanesePantry.com and here’s a 15% discount code for Japan Eats listeners: JAPANEATS15 The coupon is good from September 1 until December 31, 2017. Japan Eats is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the season finale of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Megumi Sasaki, a film director and producer who was born and raised in Japan, and has lived in New York City since 1988. Her latest project is the documentary A Whale of a Tale, a deep dive into how the sleepy fishing town of Taiji in southern Japan became a battleground between local whalers and international activists, following the release of a previous documentary about whale and dolphin hunting. Japan Eats is powered by SimplecastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Jessica Joly, a sake sommelier who became the very first Miss SAKE USA in 2016. Miss SAKE USA is a beauty pageant organized by the Miss SAKE Association in Japan to select a Sake Ambassador responsible for the representation and promotion of Japanese Sake in the United States. 2016 was the inaugural year of this pageant being held outside of Japan. 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.