Contents Please click here for PDF file of actual Table of Contents
1. Tokyo Journal Editorial Inside this issue	12. Celebrating Sake / 日本酒を讃える The evolution and trends of Japan’s beloved beverage /日本の美酒の進化とトレンド
2. Expo 2025 Osakai / 2025年日本国際博覧会 （大阪・関西万博） Experience the world /世界を体験	13. Fresh Halibut XO Recipe / オヒョウのXOレシピ Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto / 料理の鉄人 森本正治
3. Osaka & Kyoto Hotel Reviews / 大阪・京都のホテルレビュー Where to stay at Expo 2025 Osaka /大阪・関西万博観光で泊まる宿	14. Hōtō Noodle Soup / ほうとう Yumiko’s homecooking / ユミコのホームクッキング
4. Tokyo Hotel Reviews / 東京のホテルレビュー Where to stay in Tokyo / 東京の宿泊施設	15. The Legacy of Yamanashi Prefecture /山梨県のレガシー The best of tradition and innovation/伝統と革新が生み出す最高峰
5.United Nations University Rector / 国際連合大学学長 Dr. Tshilidzi Marwala / チリツィ・マルワラ博士	16. Bon Odori / 盆踊り The evolution of Japan’s traditional festival / 日本の伝統文化の進化形
6. Japanese Gardens Go Global / 世界が日本庭園に注目 Growing their reputation overseas/ 海外で人気上昇中	17. Yamato / 倭 -YAMATO The global journey of the drummers of Japan / 世界を旅する和太鼓集団
7. The True Meaning of “Unshakable Mind” / 「不動心」 の本当の意味 Zen Wind from Tasaka Juku / 田坂塾の 『叡智の風』	18. Inside Instruments of a Beating Heart / 心はずむ楽器たち』の内幕 Academy Award nominee Ema Ryan Yamazaki 『Instruments of a Beating Heart/ アカデミー賞ノミネート監督 山崎エマ
8. Photographer Hiroyuki Suzuki / 写真家 鈴木弘之 Shadow / 陰	19. From Shakespeare to Shōgun / シェークスピアから 『SHOGUN 将軍』 まで Actress Haruka Igarashi 『Instruments of a Beating Heart/ 俳優 五十嵐 晴香
9. Shingen-ko Festival/ 信玄公祭り Heroes of the Sengoku era revived/現代によみがえる戦国の英雄	20. Keeping Kimono Culture Alive / 着物文化を守る Reimagining classic beauty for modern eras / 上質な伝統美を現代の生活様式に取り込む
10. Unique Accommodations in Yamanashi Prefecture / 山梨県のユニークな宿泊施設 Convenient access to the Shingen-ko Festival / 「信玄公祭り」 に行きやすい宿	21. The Essence of Sado / 茶道の神髄 The way of tea /
11. Akiko Yano / 矢野顕子 A life in jazz, pop and film / 「ジャズ、ポップス、映画に生きる

Hiroyuki Suzuki Reveals the Beauty of New York’s East Side Access in The Next Level

Photographs Inspiring Beauty within the Bleak Realities of Construction

Written by Ingrid Lee

Not all stories are pretty. That’s the premise that Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Suzuki had when he set out to tell the story of an extension to the New York transit system through “The Next Level: East Side Access Photographs.” In addition to this exhibition, Suzuki describes the photographs in his book, The Next Level.

Three-Time World Karate Champion Elisa Au America’s First Female World Karate Federation Champion

A world champion in karate, Elisa Au was born and raised in Honolulu. She began karate training at the age of five under the guidance of master Chuzo Kotaka. Now with over three decades of experience under her belt, she has achieved numerous pioneering firsts and secured many medals, such as her title as a three-time World Karate Champion. She is the Chair of the USA National Karate-do Federation, President of the World Karate Federation’s National Federation of the United States, a passionate entrepreneur and a mother of two. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie sat down with Elisa Au to learn more about her achievement as the first American woman to win a World Karate Federation championship and to talk about the latest developments in karate, her journey into the sport, what she loves most about karate and her involvement with the Guardian girls Initiative.

Actor Shin Koyamada The Way of Life Through Karate

Shin Koyamada is an actor, producer, martial artist, philanthropist and entrepreneur. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles from Japan, Koyamada became known for his roles in the Hollywood blockbuster The Last Samurai alongside Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe and Disney Channel’s Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior. The latter scored the high- est rating in the history of Disney Channel in Europe and Japan. Since then, Koyamada has gained recognition for his long-running advocacy of global philanthropic causes, supporting many international non- governmental organizations around the world, including his own Koyamada International Foundation. Koyamada holds black belts in Japanese and Korean martial arts. He has also won U.S. national cham- pionships in Chinese martial arts. In 2016, Koyamada was appointed the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics Karate Ambassador. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie spoke with Shin Koyamada about how learning the way of life through karate influenced his journey in America, his career in Hollywood and his ongoing philanthropic pro- jects, such as Guardian Girls.

The Current Trend in Japan's Adaptive Fashion

text by Ai Kishino

Japan is widely thought of as a country with a strong public health-care system, where residents are less concerned about common illnesses and injuries than in other countries. Japan, however, has long lagged European countries and the United States in its awareness about services for disabilities. This awareness has been slowly improving over the past few years, thanks to the efforts of activists, the accomplishments of the athletes in the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, and popular TV shows that feature characters with disabilities played by well-known actors. Also drawing more attention to disabilities in Japan is adaptive fashion, which is seen more frequently on social media. We interviewed three people who have been studying the relationship between people with disabilities and fashion to find out what they’ve discovered by questioning how fashion should be.

No Longer Simple Stock Food Japan’s Kanzume Culture

In Europe, Japan, and the United States, the most popular kanzume, or canned good, is arguably tuna. But a wealth of unique canned goods can be found in grocery stores around the world that reflect the food culture of each country and its people. Japan is no exception. It has everything from canned goods with the ingredients used in traditional Japanese food to those that contain dishes made from restaurant reci- pes. In recent years, izakayas ( Japanese bars or pubs) have been serving canned food and premium-quality, expensive canned products. The negative perception of canned products as a poor-tasting shelf stocker is certainly waning. We explored more about this new kanzume culture as it surprises even the local Japanese.

SAKE vs. WINE The Fundamentals of Food Pairings, Scientifically Explained

By Toshio Ueno, Sake School of America / Mutual Trading Co., Inc.

Is sake only suitable when paired with washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine? Or can sake accompany Western fare like wine? The answer: there are no set rules, whether it’s sake or wine. But one may pair better than the other from a scientific perspective.

World-Acclaimed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa

Squid Pasta with Light Garlic Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces • 120 g / 41⁄2 oz cuttlefish or squid tubes • 4 teaspoons butter • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced • 4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed • 6 spears of asparagus cut into 2-inch pieces • 3 tablespoons sake • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • Sea salt • Black pepper • Shichimi togarashi powder (optional)

Yumiko's Home Cooking Takoyaki Recipe (Octopus Balls)

Prep Time : 5 mins | Cook Time : 20 mins | Total Time : 25 mins

A famed Osaka street food, takoyaki (octopus balls) is a small dumpling with a piece of octopus in the middle. Crispy on the outside and gooey inside, takoyaki is fun to make and delicious to eat. Please note that the cooking time does not include the time to boil the octopus. The cooking time assumes that the takoyaki balls are cooked in two batches.

Konamon, a Tasty Kansai Cuisine

text by Miu Fujiwara

Konamon has long been a popular food for Osakans. Stemming from the food culture of konamono, Konamon refers to dishes that use wheat flour, such as okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), takoyaki (ball- shaped Japanese snack), and udon ( Japanese noodle dish). Despite its century-long history, how does this food trend that cannot be found in Tokyo and the surrounding Kanto region remain unique? We searched in Osaka, the hub of konamon culture, for the meanings behind konamon and the secret to its rich flavors.