Japan Eats!
339 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 64 ratingsWhat 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!
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Episodes
Episode 89: What is Iekei Ramen?
July 10, 2017 19:48 - 48 minutes - 44 MBOn this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko is joined in studio by Jimmy Matsushima of E.A.K. Ramen. Jimmy talks about his background as a second-generation Japanese-American entrepreneur and his experience adapting Japanese cuisine to the taste of American guests.
Episode 88: Beyond Sushi
June 26, 2017 20:16 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MBOn this week's episode, Akiko Katayama discusses Japanese food, vegetarianism, and much more with Guy Vaknin, Owner and Executive Chef of Beyond Sushi, which has four locations in Manhattan. Sushi has become a part of the American diet, and Guy created a unique concept based on traditional Japanese sushi, and expanded the category. Hear about his background, interest in vegan cooking, and more on this wide-ranging conversation.
Episode 87: Translating the History of Japanese Americans
June 12, 2017 19:49 - 48 minutes - 44.1 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Craig Koketsu, a third generation Japanese-American and chef-partner of Fourth Wall Restaurants in New York City. The group is comprised of established restaurants including the flagship Smith & Wollensky location, Maloney & Porcelli, Quality Meats and Quality Italian. Tune in to hear how the traditions of his heritage, as well as those of the chefs who mentored him, made Koketsu the chef that he is today.
Episode 86: Inspired by Japanese Cuisine
June 05, 2017 19:48 - 42 minutes - 39 MBOn an all new episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Nils Norén of Asil Limited, a consulting company for the hospitality industry. Norén is also the former Vice President of Culinary and Pastry Arts at The French Culinary Institute, the former Director of Operations for Marcus Samuelson's MSG Group, and the former Executive Chef of Aquavit. Tune in to hear them discuss the value of incorporating Japanese ingredients and techniques into all forms of cooking.
Episode 85: The Craftsmen Behind Your Glass of Sake
May 29, 2017 19:50 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Masahiro Takeda of Wine of Japan, the leading national importer and distributor of Japanese alcoholic beverages for the last 40 years. He oversees a comprehensive portfolio of 250 brands of Japanese beer, sake, and shochu, distributed in over 32 states. Here are links to the three fascinating breweries discussed in this episode: Niida Honke (Their brand name on the label is Kinpou Shuzo) https://www.kinpou.co.jp/ Sh...
Episode 84: Serving Japanese Tea for 300 Years
May 22, 2017 19:51 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Tomoko Honda of Ippodo Tea in Midtown Manhattan, the first street-front location of the shop outside Japan. The original location, located in the heart of Kyoto, has been providing the highest quality Japanese green tea for nearly three centuries.
Episode 83: Tsukemono: The Unexplored World of Japanese Pickles
May 15, 2017 07:45 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBOn this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko is joined in studio by Japanese cuisine specialist Elizabeth Andoh. Elizabeth talks about the fascinating world of preserved vegetables. A graduate of the Yanagihara School of Classical Japanese Cuisine, Andoh has written three books on Japanese cooking: An American Taste of Japan, At Home with Japanese Cooking, and the IACP-award winning An Ocean of Flavor. She has been writing for Gourmet magazine for more than 30 years and has been a freq...
Episode 82: Nabe: Japanese Hot Pot
May 08, 2017 19:52 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBOn the season premiere of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Chef Tadashi Ono Tadashi Ono was born and raised in Tokyo, where he first began chef training, at age sixteen. Inspired by the mentorship of celebrated Japanese chef, ceramicist, and author, Rosanjin, Ono decided to further pursue his culinary career. He moved to Los Angeles in the eighties, cooking at the innovative French-Japanese fusion restaurant Le Petite Chaya and the legendary L'Orangerie. Relocating...
Episode 81: What Exactly Is Wagyu?
April 17, 2017 19:46 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBOn the season finale of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Ryuta Kawano of Zen Noh, a passionate advocate of wagyu who has worked with the beef industry for over two decades. Tune in to hear how Japanese wagyu became the world’s best beef.
Episode 80: My Career in Sake
April 10, 2017 19:45 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBOn this week's episode of Japan Eats, sake specialist Monica Samuels joins Akiko in studio for a conversation about Monica's American-Japanese background and her career as a sake sommelier, including Monica's takes on sake's production, distribution, and food pairings.
Episode 79: Blue Bottle Coffee & Japanese Coffee Culture
March 27, 2017 18:28 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MBOn this week's episode of Japan Eats, Akiko is joined in studio by James Freeman, founder and CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee. James talks about his pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee and reveals his three favorite Kissaten in Tokyo: Cafe Bach, Café de L'Ambre, and Chatei Hatou.
Episode 78: 50/50: The Second Generation’s Japanese Cuisine
March 20, 2017 19:48 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Maiko Kyogoku, owner of Bessou, a restaurant in Noho featuring modern takes on Japanese comfort food. Bessou was conceived from Maiko's desire to share her family’s food traditions. The ingredients are responsibly sourced and prepared with care, with a menu that is seasonal and changing year-round.
Episode 77: Born to Make Sushi
March 13, 2017 19:48 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Keizo Seki, owner and founder of Sushi Zo. Keizo Seki was born in Osaka, Japan. His lifelong desire to become a sushi chef, led him to Tokyo, where he gained valuable experience and knowledge of sushi. In 1991, he moved to Los Angeles, where he learned the business of the restaurant industry and honed his sushi skills. His dream to open a true Edomae style sushi restaurant, came to fruition in March of 2006, with the opening of the...
Episode 76: The Quilted Giraffe: A Japanese Legacy
March 06, 2017 20:45 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBOn this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko is joined in studio by restaurant industry legend Barry Wine, former chef and owner of The Quilted Giraffe Restaurant, one of the most important restaurants in NYC's history. Tune in and listen to Barry share a few of his many stories of years working as a restauranteur in the city.
Episode 75: The CIA's New Japanese Culinary Program
February 27, 2017 23:13 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Howie Velie, Associate Dean of Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America, and culinary student Jose Ganem to discuss the school's new Japanese culinary program. The "Advanced Cooking: Japanese Cuisine" curriculum covers Japanese history and culture, along with the ingredients, flavors, textures, and techniques of authentic Japanese cooking.
Episode 74: Sumo Stew!!!
February 20, 2017 20:50 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by fellow HRN hosts Harry Rosenblum and Michael Harlan Turkell, creators of the Sumo Stew event series. Inspired by a trip to Japan, photographer Michael Harlan Turkell returned to New York City with aspirations of importing this ancient sport and teamed up with Harry Rosenblum, owner of The Brooklyn Kitchen, a wonderfully multi-faceted cooking store and center for culinary education. The two created a series based around ...
Episode 73: Pursuing a New Style of Ramen
February 13, 2017 20:50 - 53 minutes - 49 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by San Francisco's Chef Richie Nakano. In 2010, Nakano opened Hapa Ramen as a pop-up food stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. A few years later, after launching a successful Kickstarter campaign, he opened his first brick-and-mortar ramen noodle shop and earned a 2013 StarChefs Rising Star Community Chef Award. His involvement with Hapa ended, but Nakano continues to experiment with new recipes and host pop-ups, as well as writing ...
Episode 72: Made in Brooklyn
February 06, 2017 20:50 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by chef and entrepreneur Makoto Suzuki, owner of several restaurants in Brooklyn, including Bozu, Samurai Mama, Momo Sushi Shack, The Brooklyn Ball Factory, and Samurai Papa. Suzuki talks about how he struggled to open his first restaurant in the not-yet-cool Williamsburg 13 years ago and how he keeps his restaurants staying popular for years. Masa Urushido's favorite bars in Tokyo: Bar Trench (in Ebisu) Fugulen (in Shibuya...
Episode 71: A Japanese Take on Cocktails
January 30, 2017 20:49 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Masahiro Urushido, bar manager of Saxon + Parole in New York's East Village. Urushido learned the craft of classic cocktails, mastered the art of ice carving, and perfected his overall technique in Tokyo, before moving to New York in 2008. Urushido has since achieved national recognition for his creative approach to drink making and has had a major contribution in Saxon + Parole’s award as World’s “Best Restaurant Bar...
Episode 70: What is Kindai Tuna?
January 23, 2017 20:42 - 46 minutes - 42.3 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by Nick Sakagami, the only Certified Seafood Master by Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo) who resides outside of Japan, bicoastal fresh tuna importer, and expert in branding/marketing of higher-end seafood. Nick is also a supporter and educator of responsible fisheries globally.
Episode 69: You Think You Know Udon?
January 16, 2017 20:50 - 41 minutes - 38 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by chef and udon specialist Joji Uematsu. Uematsu is the vice president of Dining Innovation New York and a managing partner of TsuruTonTan Udon Noodle Brasserie at Union Square, where he gives New Yorkers an unique opportunity to taste udon noodles made masterfully with traditional Japanese techniques.
Episode 68: Into the Woods: An American’s Journey in a Japanese Village
January 09, 2017 20:53 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MBOn the season premiere of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Douglas Diaz, a visual artist whose work has been strongly influenced by the Japanese countryside.
Episode 67: The Art of Soba
December 12, 2016 20:50 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBOn the season finale of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Chef Mutsuko Soma, formerly of Seattle's Miyabi 45th. Soma studied the age-old art of making soba in Japan and brought her noodle-making skills to the west coast. Currently, Soma experiments at her in-home soba studio, and curates her series of Kamonegi soba popups.
Episode 66: Expressing the Seasons
November 28, 2016 20:53 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBToday on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by David Kinch of Los Gatos' Manresa. David tells us about cooking in the midst of California's various microclimates, a chef's relationship to farmers, and what he draws from Japanese tradition.
Episode 65: Luca Catalfamo of Casa Ramen
November 21, 2016 20:45 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Luca Catalfamo, chef and owner of Casa Ramen, the first restaurant dedicated to ramen in Milan, Italy. While working as a chef in cities such as Sydney and London, Catalfamo learned about Japanese cuisine, which helped to hone his ramen skills, from learning about dashi to Japanese cooking techniques. Thereafter, he decided to open a ramen shop in his native country of Italy. He moved to Japan for a month to research the different ...
Episode 64: Edwyn Ferrari of Great Northern Food Hall
November 14, 2016 21:11 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Edwyn Ferrari, head chef of Great Northern Food Hall. "Scandinavian" might not be the first thing you think as you're considering which culture's cuisine to dine at, but that's what patrons get at this food hall – a group of counters and stands – within the commuter hub that is Grand Central Terminal.
Episode 63: Kaiseki Takes Root in Seattle
November 07, 2016 20:49 - 40 minutes - 37 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Shota Nakajima, the chef and owner of Naka in Seattle. Chef Shota began his culinary journey at the age of sixteen, working for a well-acclaimed sushi restaurant in his hometown of Seattle, WA. At the age of eighteen, Nakajima moved to Osaka, Japan to learn about the art of Japanese cuisine. In Japan, Nakajima had the opportunity to work for Michelin Star rated Chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto. As one would expect, this experience changed Chef...
Episode 62: The Sake Ambassador at a Liquor Shop
October 31, 2016 19:52 - 50 minutes - 46.6 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Leonard Phillips, the owner of Ambassador Wines & Spirits in Midtown Manhattan. Leonard’s original calling in life was to be a biochemist and ultimately become a physician in the military, but he found his true passion in working for the business his family started in 1973. In addition to wine and liquor, Ambassador's selection of Sake, Soju and Sochu is one of the best in New York City.
Episode 61: One Thing, Entirely Eaten
October 24, 2016 19:12 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBElizabeth Andoh was born and raised in America and is not ethnically Japanese, but Japan has been her home for more than four decades. She received her formal culinary training from the Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine in Tokyo. In 1972, she began her own culinary arts program, A Taste of Culture, that combines spicy tidbits of food lore with practical tips and skill-building lessons on how to prepare Japanese food. Andoh lectures internationally on Japanese food and cultur...
Episode 60: Inspired by Tea
October 17, 2016 19:50 - 45 minutes - 42 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Stefen Ramirez of Tea Dealers, which aims to introduce premium teas to America by offering only rare, single origin teas from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and India and pairing them with contemporary artisanal ceramics from around the world. Stefen first started in the tea business at the NYC flagship of one of Japan’s largest tea companies as a tea specialist and buyer in 2003. Two years later, Tea Dealers began, exclusively, as a...
Episode 59: Teaching the Subtleties of Japanese Cuisine
October 10, 2016 19:52 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Hiroko Shimbo, an authority on Japanese cuisine who has earned world-wide recognition. She is a chef-instructor at respected culinary schools, a consulting chef to diverse food service industries, and a cookbook author based in the United States since 1999. Her latest book, Hiroko’s American Kitchen: Cooking with Japanese Flavors, was selected from among 500 books to receive the IACP 2013 Cookbook Award as the best American cookboo...
Episode 58: Born into a Chef's Family in Kyoto
October 03, 2016 20:48 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBToday on Japan Eats, we're joined by restaurant consultant Atsushi Nakahigashi, who's swinging by New York all the way from Kyoto. Nakahigashi is from a long line of chefs and restaurateurs, but before settling on a career in food, he tried his hand at professional bass fishing for several years.
Episode 57: West Meets Japan at This Patisserie
September 26, 2016 19:48 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Tomoko Kato, an alum of Bouley and Le Bernardin who is behind the dessert bar at Patisserie Tomoko. A unique pastry shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Patisserie Tomoko combines French and European style pastries with a touch of Japanese inspired tastes and flavors.
Episode 56: Beyond Fishmonger
September 19, 2016 19:16 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by managers Luke Davin and Emma Kramer of Osakana fish market. Osakana is a Japanese-style fish retailer dedicated to providing high-quality, local, and seasonal seafood to the community. Here, customers will find fresh, expertly sourced fish, prepared and presented with respect by the team behind Okonomi. They offer a careful selection of local seafood for customers to purchase, and also provide a community space in which...
Episode 55: Teaming Up with Sake Brewers
September 12, 2016 19:36 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBOn the season premiere of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Henry Sidel, president of Joto Sake. Joto is Japanese for “highest level," and is the exclusive importer for several multi-generational, family-owned breweries in Japan. Their bottles feature English-language labels with producer names, locations and helpful tasting notes. With distribution in over 35 states, and top wholesale distributors in each market, Joto is recognized by distributors, buyers, consumer...
Episode 54: How I Became the World's Best Bartender
August 15, 2016 19:48 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Shingo Gokan, head bartender of Angel’s Share and winner of the Bacardi Global Legacy Cocktail Competition. Tune in to hear them discuss how he began bartending in Japan at the age of 18 and came to New York in 2006 not knowing a word of English, only to become the “World’s Best Bartender” a short time later.
Episode 53: The Story of a Sake Ninja
August 08, 2016 19:29 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Chris Johnson, aka The Sake Ninja. As a sake sommelier, Johnson is one of the foremost experts on sake in the United States. Tune in to hear them discuss the differences between sake varieties, food pairings, sake judging competitions, and more!
Episode 52: My Own Shochu Distillery
August 01, 2016 18:37 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Jesse Falowitz, whose long travels around Asia finally lead to his opening a shōchū business in Japan. Falowitz calls shōchū the predecessor to whiskey in Japan, and puts its flavor profile "somewhere between a sake, a whiskey, and a vodka." He tells us all about how the drink is made, why single distillation matters, and shōchū's possible next conquest: the cocktail bar.
Episode 51: What is Tea Ceremony?
July 25, 2016 19:09 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Japanese tea ceremony instructor Keiko Kitazawa Koch. Keiko was born and raised in Nara, Japan, a historically and culturally rich part of Japan. She has carried a deep sense of Japanese tradition since childhood. Her first education in Japanese tea ceremony started with the Musyanokoji-style (武者小路流). She was trained in her earlier years, in Nara. Keiko teaches Omotesenke-style (表千家流) tea ceremony in her own tea room i...
Episode 50: A Ramen Legend from Japan
July 18, 2016 18:19 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura, who recently debuted his first restaurant in the United States. Hailed as one of only 4 "Ramen Gods" Chef Naka experienced colossal success in Japan after he opened Nakamura-Ya when he was 22. Always seeking to share his craft with America, he partnered up with Sun Noodle, the leading US-based ramen noodle manufacturer, and started building up a network state side. In the US, Chef Nakamura debu...
Episode 49: Forager: Steward of the Land
July 11, 2016 19:43 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Tama Matsuoka Wong, a forager, weed eater, meadow doctor, lawyer and mother of three. She is the author of the backyard field guide and cookbook Foraged Flavor, which was nominated for a James Beard award in 2013. After graduating from Harvard Law School and serving more than 25 years as a financial services lawyer in Tokyo, New York and Hong Kong, she returned with her family to Hunterdon County, New Jersey and redisco...
Episode 48: Image of Japanese Life
June 27, 2016 19:04 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Everett Kennedy Brown, a photographer working in Japan for the past 28 years whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Geo, Time, Newsweek, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, The New York Times, and more. He is also interested in exploring techniques of the glass plate collodion photographic process, in an effort to capture the ambient mood of a place on film. In addition to his photographic and writing activities, Brown has ...
Episode 47: The Birth of Saké
June 20, 2016 19:31 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBFilmmaker Erik Shirai joins us in the studio to tell us all about the making of his latest documentary, The Birth of Saké, which grants an inside look at the art of sake creation in a Japanese brewery. Shirai and his producer managed to get access to the brewery at a time of transition, as a younger brewmaster was starting to take greater responsibility.
Episode 46: The Art of Ice
June 06, 2016 20:07 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBOn this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by ice sculptor Shintaro Okamoto. He is the owner of Okamoto Studio, a New York-based collective best known for their design, production, and consultation of everything made of crystal clear ice. Father-son Takeo and Shintaro Okamoto make up the founding core of the group, which was formed in 2003 with a mission of showcasing in the full beauty and potential of handcrafted ice. Okamoto Studio has fast become a ...
Episode 45: Many Seasons of Tableware
May 23, 2016 20:12 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Kumiko Jitsukawa, the founder of Ki-Chu New York, a traditional Japanese tableware company dedicated to enhancing appreciation of the Japanese dining experience. Jitsukawa was born in Yokohama, Japan. She studied space design at Musashino Art University in Tokyo, moved to New York in 2001, and studied at New York School of Interior Design. She worked at the renowned lighting design firm, L’Observatoire International. Sh...
Episode 44: Connecting Tea Farmers & New Yorkers
May 16, 2016 20:22 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Zach Mangan, the founder of the kettl tea compay. Sourced from Nagano’s famed buckwheat, the hills of Hoshinomura, and elsewhere in Japan, kettl’s top-tier teas are served at New York restaurants such as Atera and Brushstroke and sold online for at-home consumption. Their catalog of clients have been awarded 16 Michelin stars and counting. Tune in to hear them discuss Zach's path from musician to tea importer, regional ...
Episode 43: No, It is Not Wagyu!
May 09, 2016 19:29 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Andy Moran, manager at Japan Premium Beef, a specialty butcher shop in New York City that sells both imported Japanese Wagyu and domestic Wagyu raised on its own farm in Oregon. Tune is as they debunk some popular myths about Wagyu, and find out what makes this beef so special.
Episode 42: Born into a Sake Brewery
May 02, 2016 20:02 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBOn this week's episode of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Kenji Ichishima, owner of the Ichishima Sake Brewery. Born and raised in Shibata City, Kenji Ichishima grew up around the brewery that had been run by his forefathers for generations. Encouraged by his grandfather, who had also spent time outside of Japan, Kenji came to the United States and spent time in Atlanta, Georgia and Albany, New York. His time in America rekindled Kenji's awareness of his identity and reminded...
Episode 41: Introducing Wabi-Sabi Spirits to New Yorkers
April 25, 2016 19:13 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MBThis week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Stephen Globus, a native New Yorker who has long been involved with cultural fusion and interchange between Japan and the United States. Through the Globus Washitsu organization, Stephen and his brothers have sponsored events at various eminent institutions including the Japan Society, the Asia Society, and many other NYC locations. The scope of these events includes dance, theater, cinema, art, craft, tea ceremony, and ...
Episode 40: Discover Sake!
April 11, 2016 21:55 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBThis week on Japan Eats, Akiko is joined by sake expert Chizuko Niikawa-Helton. Ms. Niikawa, grew up on the Temple grounds of the Zen Buddhist Temple Gihozan Hosho Ji, located in the finest Rice and Sake producing prefecture of Japan, Akita. chizAfter graduating, Takushoku University and with additional studies at Esmond Japon, a fashion college. Ms. Niikawa embarked on a career in fashion as a fashion designer for over ten years. With her firm grounding in balance, and form, through a dec...