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 monastic training in Heirinji Monastery in Japan, he moved to the US in 1999 to study at Cornell University where he eventually earned a PhD in Asian religions. Since then, he has taught Buddhist studies at prominent institutions, including U.C. Berkeley, Stanford University, Cornell University, Brown University and The University of Tokyo. Also, Rev. Matsubara is the head abbot of Butsumoji Zen Temple in Chiba, Japan, We tend to think of Zen as a part of Buddhist practices but it is quite prevalent in Japanese people’s minds and their society overall. It would be valuable for us to get to know the idea of Zen in understanding Japanese food culture as well as living a good life. In this episode, we will discuss why Rev. Matsubara decided to study and teach Buddhism abroad, what exactly Zen is and why it is instrumental and effective for us in navigating our daily lives, the concept of Engi, which can give us a fresh way to see our existence, Rev. Matsubara’s personal Zen practice 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.
-------- Â
51:09
--------
51:09
‘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 spent his formative years in Hokkaido, northern Japan. Since Joshua left Japan at the age of 18, he has been working in global affairs and is known as a perpetual bridge-builder, citizen diplomat and trained academic with a specialization in East Asia and the Middle East. After gaining diverse global experiences, he became the president and CEO of Japan Society in December 2019. Joshua joined us in Episode #210 in November 2020 and discussed his fascinating background and the culture of Hokkaido he loves. In this episode, we will discuss various topics about Japanese culture overall with Joshua’s profound perspective, including what makes Japanese culture distinctive, where the unique Japanese mindset comes from, his thoughts on the lessons learned during World War II that ended 80 years ago with the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings 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.
-------- Â
48:31
--------
48:31
Waltz: Japanese Cocktail Culture Expressed in Seasonality
Our guest is Gento Torigata https://gentotorigata.com/ who is the owner and mixologist of Waltz https://waltzbar.uk/ in East London. After diverse culinary and bartending experiences in Japan, Australia and Singapore, Gento moved to London and opened Waltz in April 2024.Waltz is truly a unique place. With his traditional Japanese mindset of appreciating seasonality, Gento offers original cocktails inspired by micro seasons along with Japanese hospitality, or Omotenashi. In this episode, we will discuss how Gento has built a strong career as a bartender through his global experiences, how he creates cocktails based on Japanese traditional micro seasonal calendars called NIjyushi Sekki and Shichiju Niko, the essence of Omotenashi Gento aims to practice at Waltz 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.
-------- Â
44:29
--------
44:29
Pioneering Sustainable Plant-Based Protein With Koji
My guest today is Tim Fronzek who is a co-founder of Nosh.bio https://www.nosh.bio/ based in Berlin, Germany. Plant-based protein has been gaining attention, particularly since the 2010s for our growing health and environmental concerns. However, various products in the market may not be as ideal as it was thought to be. Some are not so environmentally friendly in their manufacturing process, or undesirable compounds are created during the high level of processing of ingredients. Also, their flavors and textures may not be very satisfying. To conquer these issues, Tim came up with the idea of using Koji, the beneficial mold used to make a majority of traditional Japanese food. His company Nosh.bio has been offering protein made with koji since 2022 to global clients. In this episode, we will discuss how Tim discovered Koji’s potential, the health benefits and sustainable nature of Koji protein, what diets are possible to keep our earth healthy 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.
-------- Â
43:06
--------
43:06
Inspiring The World With Japanese Fermentation Culture And Traditions
Our guest is Takashi Sato who is the 8th generation family member of Sanjirushi Jozo in Mie Prefecture and the president of San-J International https://san-j.com/ in the state of Virginia. Sanjirushi Jozo has been making soy sauce and miso since 1804, and in 1978, the company decided to expand its business to the U.S. Now, San-J is one of the most familiar soy sauce brands in the U.S. and its products are distributed through online and notable retailers, including Whole Foods Market. Takashi joined us in Episode 297 in May 2023 and talked about various topics, such as how the company managed to expand in the U.S. market and its unique, natural, gluten-free products. Takashi is back on the show to discuss fermentation. Fermentation has been one of the keywords in the culinary world and among consumers globally these days. In 2023, the global fermented food market was valued at $578 billion and is expected to grow further, according to research. In this episode, we will discuss why fermentation is gaining so much attention these days, why fermented food is valuable to our society overall, the tours that Takashi organizes to visit producers of traditional Japanese fermented products 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.
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!
South Africa