VOL. 103 NOVEMber 2016 THE WORLD OF JAPANESE CUISINE 6 12 An Introduction to Japanese Meet You at Andy’s! Cuisine One of Tokyo’s favorite watering holes An interview with Yoshiki Tsuji, president of culinary school operator the Tsujicho Group 8 Starting with Stock The first building block of Japanese cuisine 14 Open Orchards Features Markets across Asia are biting in to the apples of Aomori Prefecture 10 Edo Banqueting Reborn A taste of the fine dining of Edo times at Tezen Museum in Shimane Prefecture 4 22 24 PRIME MINISTER’S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY HOME AWAY FROM HOME DIARY Fresh Fish for Faraway Places Fancy a Ramen? Also COPYRIGHT © 2016 CABINET OFFICE OF JAPAN WHERE TO FIND US The views expressed in this magazine by the interviewees Tokyo Narita Airport terminals 1 & 2 ● JR East Travel Service Center (Tokyo Narita Airport) ● JR Tokyo and contributors do not necessarily represent the views of Station Tourist Information Center ● Tokyo Tourist Information Center (Haneda Airport, Tokyo Metropolitan the Cabinet Office or the Government of Japan. No article Government Building, Keisei Ueno Station) ● Niigata Airport ● Chubu Centrair International Airport Tourist or any part thereof may be reproduced without the express Information & Service ● Kansai Tourist Information Center (Kansai Int'l Airport) ● Fukuoka Airport Tourist permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries Information ● Foreign Press Center/Japan ● Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan ● Delegation of the should be made through a form available at: European Union to Japan ● Tokyo University ● Waseda University ● Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University● Ritsumeikan University ● Kokushikan University ● University of Tsukuba ● Keio University ● Meiji University www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/mailform/inquiry.html ● Osaka University ● Kyushu University ● Kyoto University ● Tohoku University ● Nagoya University ● Sophia University ● Doshisha University ● Akita International University ● International University of Japan 2 | highlighting japan ISSUE 103, NOVEMBER 2016 Theme for novemBER: THE WORLD OF JAPANESE CUISINE 16 nscribed in 2013 on UNESCO’s Everyone’s Cup of Tea Representative List of the A day out at Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms Intangible Cultural Heritage of IHumanity, Washoku is defined as “a social practice based on a set of skills, knowledge, practice and traditions related 20 to the production, processing, A Cut Above The fine art of Japanese kitchen knife preparation and consumption manufacturing of food. It is associated with an essential spirit of respect for nature that is closely related to the sustainable use of natural 18 resources.” In this month’s Have a Break Feature Story, we look at some Have a bowl of kaki-pi of the many elements informing this definition. 26 28 30 INNOVATIVE ARTISTS TRADITIONAL CRAFTS JAPAN HERITAGE Wine Redefined The Ultimate Chopsticks The Pursuit of Porcelain PRODUCTION The Japan Journal ON THE COVER MANAGING EDITOR Osamu Sawaji The World of Japanese Cuisine EDITOR Alex Hendy Photo: Masatoshi Sakamoto Aomori (p. 14) EDITORIAL SUPPORT Jun Ashida, Hitoshi Chiba, Eriko Kiura CONTRIBUTORS Rob Gilhooly, Toshio Matsubara, Kyoko Motoyoshi, Fukui (p. 28) Kyoto (p. 16) Takashi Sasaki, Kumiko Sato, Akira Umezawa, Miho Yanagisawa Tokyo (p. 12) DESIGN Hirofumi Okadome Shimane (p. 10) PHOTOS Tadashi Aizawa, Rob Gilhooly, Yoshifusa Hashizume, Saga/Nagasaki (p. 30) Yuichi Itabashi, Masatoshi Sakamoto, Satoshi Tanaka VIDEOGRAPHY Satoshi Tanaka november 2016 | 3 Prime Minister's Diary JAPAN-PHILIPPINES SUMMIT MEETING n October 26, Prime Min- itime security, measures against ister Shinzo Abe held a terrorism, Mindanao Peace, and OJapan-Philippines Sum- nation-building based on long- mit Meeting with H.E. Mr. Rodrigo term development plans. R. Duterte, President of the President Duterte stated that Republic of the Philippines. he has served as the mayor of Prime Minister Abe com- Davao for 22 years and during mented that Japan is very focused that time JICA completed various on the Philippines, that Japan projects such as an airport, and he has pushed forward the develop- then expressed his appreciation Prime Minister Abe greets President Duterte, ment of the Philippines for many for Japan’s support. 26 October 2016. years up to now through the Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan International Cooperation Japan has consistently supported scheduled to serve as the ASEAN Agency (JICA) and so on, and that the strengthening of the ASEAN presidency holder next year, that Japan will continue to provide the community as an equal strategic Japan is sincerely hoping for the utmost support regarding matters partner, that Japan strongly sup- Philippines’ success, and that upon which President Duterte is ports the centrality and integrity Japan intends to give the utmost particularly focused, such as mar- of ASEAN, that the Philippines is support to the Philippines. JAPAN-JORDAN SUMMIT MEETING n October 27, Prime Min- security in the future. ister Shinzo Abe held a King Abdullah responded OJapan-Jordan Summit that he always remains Meeting with His Majesty King deeply appreciative of Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, King of Japan’s unchanging sup- the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. port for and cooperation Regarding bilateral relations, with Jordan. King Abdullah The Japan-Jordan Summit Meeting, 27 October 2016 Prime Minister Abe expressed his also referred to the major hope that with the signing of the economic and social bur- memorandum on defense cooper- dens being experienced by Jordan, accepted vast numbers of Syr- ation and exchanges there would including the influx of refugees, ian refugees, and being engaged be further advances in bilateral and expressed support for Japan’s in full-scale efforts to counter cooperation in the defense-related various initiatives in the interna- terrorism and extremism. In field. He also referred to the imple- tional community. this context, the Prime Minister mentation of a total of 1 billion yen Prime Minister Abe stated that announced that the Government in grant aid for security-related Japan would continue to provide of Japan would provide approxi- measures, noting that Japan seeks strong support to Jordan, which mately 30 billion yen in yen loans to cooperate with Jordan in areas is a cornerstone of stability in to Jordan as a new development relating to counter-terrorism and the Middle East region, having policy loan. Photographs and text courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Cabinet Public Relations Office of the Government of Japan. 4 | highlighting japan Feature THE WORLD OF JAPANESE CUISINE THE WORLD OF JAPANESE CUISINE Japanese culinary culture is flourishing around the world, its appeal lying not just in the taste and quality of the food itself but in the manner in which the dishes are prepared, served and traditionally enjoyed. In this month’s Feature Story we introduce some of the remarkable range and defining characteristics of Japanese cuisine, from the training of top chefs to the forging of quality kitchen knives; from the juicy Fuji apples of Aomori Prefecture to the refined green teas of Uji; and from the sophisticated banquets of the Edo period to the down-to-earth izakaya inns of today. Enjoy the feast! november 2016 Photo: Yoshifusa Hashizume | 5 Feature THE WORLD OF JAPANESE CUISINE he number of Japanese restaurants overseas An Introduction to has been increasing in recent years, and rising Tnumbers of foreign tourists have been com- ing to Japan to enjoy Japanese cuisine. We asked Japanese Cuisine Yoshiki Tsuji, president of Tsujicho Group, which has trained chefs in a wide variety of cuisines, about the special features of Japanese culinary culture and the internationalization of Japanese cuisine. Can you tell us how Japanese culinary culture was formed? The natural environment has influenced Japanese culinary culture in various ways. Throughout Japan, for example, localities have a variety of their own dishes and processed foods using fish and shellfish. This diversity has arisen thanks to the many rich fishing grounds off the Japanese coast. The waters of the Pacific off the coast of Tohoku are a typical example. This area of the sea marks the confluence of the Oyashio Current, which flows from north to south, and the Kuroshio Current, which flows from south to north. It has no equal anywhere in the world for the species and volumes of fish available. Japan’s culinary culture has been influenced by other countries as well. Rice cultivation, an impor- tant component of Japanese cuisine, was imported from the Chinese mainland and spread throughout nearly the whole of Japan starting from the Yayoi period, which lasted from around the third century BCE to about the third century CE. Owing to the influence of Buddhism, which was imported from China beginning in the sixth century, consumption of animal meat was banned or limited, so the foun- dation of Japanese culinary culture became cen- tered on rice, vegetables and marine products. During the Edo period (1603–1867), when exchanges with foreign countries were virtually cut off, Japanese dietary culture developed in unique ways. For example, kaiseki ryori developed under the influence of shojin ryori and sado (tea ceremony) became increasingly popular among the wealthy classes, including the Kyoto kuge nobility and rich Yoshiki Tsuji, president of Tsujicho Group Photo: Yuichi Itabashi 6 | highlighting japan Osaka merchants. In Edo (present day Tokyo), to open a restaurant offering dishes which blend meanwhile, sushi, tempura, soba and other styles Korean and Japanese cuisines. of cuisine were served at street stalls as a kind of fast food. What will be necessary to further popularize Jap- After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Western anese cuisine overseas? style foods became widespread, as did the con- There’s been a rapid increase in the number of sumption of animal meat. This led to the develop- Japanese restaurants overseas. However, there is ment of dishes such as sukiyaki, pork cutlet, curry a chronic shortage of human resources in the field rice and other dishes that were Western in origin of Japanese cuisine and, moreover, it would be but arranged in a Japanese style.