Many years ago, there was an interesting commercial running on American television channels. It showed ketchup emerging ever so slowly from its bottle, while the Carly Simon song “Anticipation” played in the background. The unstated message was that this product is so thick and rich that it just has to be delicious, and, naturally, one … Continue reading Anticipation: Moritami Sou Honke’s Nigorizake
This is the fifth installment on the media event entitled “A Journey to Unravel Tokyo’s Diverse Food and Spirit,” organized by the Tokyo Food Promotion 2024 Executive Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. This week I will look into my imaginary crystal ball to limn adumbrations of the city’s gastronomic future. The focus in this … Continue reading Tokyo Cuisine: The Future, Part 5
This is the fourth installment on the media event entitled “A Journey to Unravel Tokyo’s Diverse Food and Spirit,” organized by the Tokyo Food Promotion 2024 Executive Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. This week I look at what Tokyo has to offer in the 21st century as presented by Chef Yahei Suzuki, whose restaurant, … Continue reading Tokyo Cuisine: The Present, Part 4
This is the third installment on the media event entitled “A Journey to Unravel Tokyo’s Diverse Food and Spirit,” organized by the Tokyo Food Promotion 2024 Executive Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. This week I will report on what was cooking—and still is today—during the Edo Period. Chef Akihiko Murata, the owner of Suzunari, … Continue reading Tokyo Cuisine: The Past, Part 3
Fukagawa by Hiroshige This is the second installment on the media event entitled “A Journey to Unravel Tokyo’s Diverse Food and Spirit,” organized by the Tokyo Food Promotion 2024 Executive Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. This week I report on the three chefs who participated in it. There seems to be something almost magical … Continue reading Tokyo Cuisine: Past, Present, and Future, Part 2
Unknown Title; Artist: Hiroshige Late last year one of us here at drinkingjapan.org received an invitation from the Foreign Press Center of Japan to a media event entitled “A Journey to Unravel Tokyo’s Diverse Food and Spirit,” organized by the Tokyo Food Promotion 2024 Executive Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. It was open to … Continue reading Tokyo Cuisine: Past, Present, and Future, Part 1
The Natto Sculpture When the expression “hill of beans” is used to refer to something, it means that the referent is so common that it is insignificant and worthless. In reality, however, nothing could be further from the truth, especially if the beans are natto. As many non-Japanese now know, natto is fermented soy beans. … Continue reading The Powerful Hill of Beans
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