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!
Latest episodes
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37 min
From Vietnam to New York: The Story Behind Pizza 4P’s
Our guest is Kazuya Kubota, who is the Global Brand Director of Pizza 4P’s https://pizza4ps.com/. Pizza 4P's is truly a unique concept. It goes far beyond serving pizza, with the v…
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33 min
Dokidoki: Innovative Sake & Shochu Cocktails In Japanese Tachinomi Vibes
Our guests are A-K Hada and Christian Suzuki-Orellana, who opened a fascinating cocktail bar Dokidoki https://www.dokidokinyc.com/ in Brooklyn, New York in July 2026. Both A-K and…
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29 min
Palate Project: Making Japanese Sake More Accessible to Americans
Our guest is Genki Ito, who founded the unique online sake shop Tippsy Sake in 2018. He joined us in Episode #254 in February 2022 and discussed its innovative concept. Tippsy Sake…
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54 min
Why Is Japanese Wine So Hot Right Now?
Our guest is Nick Rowan, author of Japanese Wine, a fantastic, comprehensive book on Japanese wine. The Japanese wine industry and culture have been developing very rapidly since t…
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26 min
Making Waves in the Latte-Driven Matcha Boom: An Italian Woman Introduces Authentic Japanese Tea Culture
Our guest is Silvia Mella who is the owner of Sorate in New York. Sorate is a unique Japanese green tea company, which sells premium Japanese tea through online and operates beauti…
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50 min
Food Is The Foundation Of Our Mindfulness: Zen Monk Masaki Matsubara
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 mona…
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41 min
Crafting Shogun-Selected Barrel Aged Soy Sauce For Over 330 Years
Our guest is Hideatsu Shibanuma who is the 18th-generation president of Shibanuma Soy Sauce, which was founded in 1688. Shibanuma Soy Sauce has specialized in producing barrel-aged…
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58 min
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…
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56 min
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.…
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53 min
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, i…
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38 min
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 throug…
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1 h 09
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,…
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36 min
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 r…
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46 min
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 deve…
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46 min
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 tec…
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24 min
Nozomi Mori: A Female Sushi Chef Breaks New Ground In L.A.
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 201…
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42 min
Global Kura: Japanese-American Sake Collaborations
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 Assoc…
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38 min
What Is The Difference Between Japanese Restaurants In Japan And The U.S.?
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 Japane…
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51 min
Ask The 18th Generation Priest: What Is Zen And How Do You Practice It Daily?
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 monas…
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49 min
‘Read The Room’ Mindset: What Makes Japanese Culture Unique?
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…