Japan Eats!

Heritage Radio Network
  • 4.8 (69)
  • ARTS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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!

  1. Discovering Real Japan: The Oldest Izakaya, Fermentation Lab And Singing With Japanese Bluegrass Musicians

    DEC 19

    Discovering Real Japan: The Oldest Izakaya, Fermentation Lab And Singing With Japanese Bluegrass Musicians

    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 he enjoyed and his stay at a traditional foodway retreat in Yamanaka Onsen.  We will also talk about traditional manufacturers and breweries he visited, Japan’s fermentation culture and much, much more!!!   ＊＊＊   Places mentioned:   Shinsuke izakaya https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1066442-d1688850-Reviews-Shinsuke-Bunkyo_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html   Kagiya izakaya https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1066461-d9930321-Reviews-Kagiya-Taito_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html   Tachiguizushi Akira (standing sushi bar) https://tachiguizushi-akira.com/en   Hakko Department (fermentation retail shop) https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/11155/    Hannah Kirshner’s Yamanaka retreat https://www.instagram.com/hanamurasaki_official/   Harappa Aizu (cotton textile) https://www.harappaaizu.com/en/indtop.html    Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Japan Eats by becoming a member! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    58 min
  2. Konbini Culture: Unwrapping Japan’s Unique Convenience Stores

    DEC 4

    Konbini Culture: Unwrapping Japan’s Unique Convenience Stores

    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.

    56 min
  3. Discover America’s Largest Japanese Whisky Collection at Teruko

    NOV 27

    Discover America’s Largest Japanese Whisky Collection at Teruko

    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.

    53 min
  4. Chef Tadashi Ono: Serving The Essence of Japanese Cuisine For Three Decades

    NOV 20

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

    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.

    38 min
  5. An American Winemaker's 35-Year Journey Helping To Shape Japanese Wine Culture

    NOV 13

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

    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.

    1h 9m
  6. What Makes a Michelin Star Sushi Restaurant?

    NOV 6

    What Makes a Michelin Star Sushi Restaurant?

    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.

    36 min
  7. Teaching Kids How To Cook And Eat Healthy Food (With Fun!)

    OCT 30

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

    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.

    46 min
  8. A Humane Catch: How Ikejime Benefits Fish, Flavor And The Planet

    OCT 23

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

    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.

    46 min
See All (388)

4.8
out of 5
69 Ratings

About

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!

Information

More From Heritage Radio Network

You Might Also Like