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In the first episode, Yanagihara takes a trip to the Boso Peninsula, where he samples the abalone caught off Chikura, the southernmost fishing town on the peninsula. Early-summer bonito is featured in the second episode, filmed at Katsuura fishing port, which is one of the largest bonito landing ports in Japan. (Photo by Masashi Kuma)
Yanagihara’s grandfather, Toshio Yanagihara, the founder of Kinsa-ryu, traveled nationwide in pursuit of top-quality produce, and related his experience in an article series titled, “A historical, cultural, and culinary diary” in Fujingaho 50 years ago.
Lightly roasted bonito made by Yanagihara Yanagihara. The bonito is accompanied by seasonal delicacies such as Japanese karami daikon radish, udo (Japanese asparagus), Myogatake (Japanese ginger shoot), cucumber, and seaweed, creating a colorful dish.
Starting from July 2010, women's magazine Fujingaho, published by Sumitomo Corporation's affiliate company Hachette Fujingaho Co., Ltd., and LaLa TV, a female-focused entertainment TV channel managed by Jupiter Entertainment Co., Ltd. (a Group company of Sumitomo's affiliate company Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Ltd.), will present, in tandem, articles and show featuring Naoyuki Yanagihara, the popular young successor of the traditional Edo Kaiseki Kinsa-ryu Japanese culinary style that has been passed down through generations since the Edo period. Yanagihara is aptly known as the "prince" of Japanese cuisine.
In addition to conducting research on the long-established Kinsa-ryu style of cooking and chakaiseki (tea-ceremony dishes), as well as teaching these, Yanagihara is engaged in a wide range of activities including providing culinary guidance to the producers of popular TV drama series.
Yanagihara is committed to passing on to the next generation the Kinsa-ryu style that cherishes the country's cooking traditions; great care in the preparation of food and carefully selected ingredients that evoke a sense of the season are core features of this culinary style.
Fujingaho, which celebrates its 105th anniversary this year as the women's magazine with the longest history in Japan, and LaLa TV, which marks its 10th anniversary under the theme "Eternity," found they could relate to Yanagihara's commitment, leading to the launch of this exciting new project. In the project, Yanagihara will travel throughout Japan to visit production bases of various food products and seasonings. Drawing upon his encounters with local tastes and flavors, he will conjure up delectable dishes. Fujingaho and LaLa TV will allow the readers and viewers to become more familiar with the intricacies of Japanese cuisine by presenting Yanagihara's trips, which will unveil the history and culture of various regions, as well as meeting the people there who are involved with food.
"The Kinsa-ryu cooking style constitutes home cooking know-how and recipes passed on through generations of women since the Edo period in the 1800s,'' Yanagihara said at a press conference to announce the new project. "My grandfather collected and compiled them into a set of cooking traditions. Kinsa-ryu features such skills as how to use a kitchen knife in a way that allows fish to be smoothly cut and ways to create beautiful culinary art, among others."
Being true to his words, he effortlessly cut a whole bonito into pieces, and set the sashimi artistically on a dish together with summer vegetables and condiments.
Project Details
( Jun. 30, 2010 )
