Chef Morimoto’s Sticky Ribs

Chef Morimoto’s sticky ribs are crispy, tender, salty, and sweet, making them perfect for impressing guests at any get-together. We serve them at many of my restaurants, and I’m excited to share the recipe with you. The ribs are braised first, then dunked in cornstarch and flash-fried to make them crispy. I then douse the ribs in my tasty hoisin sweet-and-sour sauce, giving them a unique Pan-Asian twist. Whether you’re an experienced chef or a new cook, this recipe is easy to follow at home with just a few simple steps and cooking instructions. I hope you enjoy making them as much as you’ll love eating them.

Nobu Sashimi Salad with Matsuhisa Dressing

Ingredients (serves 4):



• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 7 ounces fresh tuna fillet
• 2 ounces assorted mixed greens

GASTRONOMIC SAKE

Starting from the early 2000s, America’s interest in the culinary domain has been on a steady rise as the Food Network has brought food prep demonstrations and celebrity chefs on tours of restaurants around the world into viewers’ homes. Thanks to cable TV and YouTube, devotees from metropolitan and rural areas alike have “traveled” to international destinations for tastes of global cuisines, including Washoku (traditional Japanese food). During this foodie renaissance, sake has repositioned itself from a “house sake” single line listing on a restaurant menu to a featured item. By gradually gaining sake knowledge, diners have lifted gingko, the abundantly aromatic, premium-grade brew typically served chilled, to the heights of popularity it enjoys today.

Travel to Anaheim

Westin Anaheim Resort

Located directly across from the Disneyland Resort and adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center lies The Westin Anaheim Resort. This hotel is the closest in proximity to Downtown Disney, aside from Disneyland’s own hotels. Michael Hong, the architect who designed the Bellagio, Wynn, and Encore hotels in Las Vegas, pays homage to the resort’s surrounding Orange County with décor that includes oranges and tangerines in the motifs laid across the interior and exterior, as well as with the hotel’s signature restaurant, Tangerine Room. The Westin Anaheim Resort offers amazing food and dining options, including a top-notch continental breakfast, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Puesto Mexican Restaurant, Blossom Café & Market, Bar 1030, and more. This family-friendly resort also aims to make children’s experiences interactive and enjoyable. The hotel’s family program welcomes children with a travel journal, local activity guide, and a plush toy. There is also a curated menu for children.

Shohei Ohtani

Japan’s Gift to America

When Shohei Ohtani entered Major League Baseball in 2017, America not only gained a unique and highly coveted player who can throw a fastball upward of 100 mph while hitting home run after home run, but America also gained a hero. Shohei Ohtani’s superiority on the mound, combined with his exceptional abilities at the plate, have not been seen in a century since the glory days of Babe Ruth and his multifaceted talents. The broad-shouldered Ohtani stands 6’4”, tall by Western standards, let alone Japanese, with superior speed, strength, and hand-eye coordination. He is not only a phenomenal pitcher and home-run hitter, but he is also a strong defensive player and an excellent base runner. He is a competitive yet courteous player who pays respect to others on the field, including his teammates, rivals, officials, and fans. He is a patient and unselfish player with exceptional sportsmanship and a charming and respectful demeanor. His conduct is outstanding, and he sets an example for young people by going out of his way to pick up any trash that blows on the field. The true gift that Japan gave America with Shohei Ohtani goes beyond his remarkable achievements as a pitcher and hitter with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It is the values he portrays in sportsmanship and diplomacy that will have the greatest impact on the game of baseball and America’s youth. To share with Tokyo Journal readers what the world of Major League Baseball has to say about Shohei Ohtani, I attended the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

The Queen of Kawaii Headlines Coachella

U.S. superstar Billie Eilish and Japanese pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu simultaneously headlined stages at the world-renowned Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, which was held over two weekends in May 2022. Kyary’s appearance at the festival gained her a new legion of fans, not only among Coachella concertgoers, but also among music lovers around the world who watched the live-streamed event. Kyary, known for her fusion of the kawaii (cute) and creepy-chic styles, became a Japanese cultural icon after her debut single in 2011. While in California, she performed a sold-out show at L.A.’s Fonda Theater and attended events to help promote local businesses in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. She even managed to sneak in an L.A. Angels of Anaheim baseball game to see Japan’s national treasure, Shohei Ohtani. Tokyo Journal Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie sat down for his second interview with the J-pop star to talk about her trip to California and her career.

Nagano Nostalgia

By Peter Grilli

One of the first Japanese novels I read in my youthful forays into modern Japanese literature was Hakai, written in 1905 by Shimazaki Tōson and later published in English as The Broken Commandment. It must have been around 1961 or 1962 when I read this masterful novel at the age of 19 or 20. As I struggled to read the Japanese prose, dictionary in hand, I remember feeling swept away by the power and drama of the plot and the beauty of Tōson’s descriptions of the deep valleys and rocky plateaus of the Kiso Mountains of southern Nagano Prefecture. I’d gone several times to Karuizawa in Nagano, but Kiso was unfamiliar to me. Tōson, who was born in the town of Magome on the Nakasendo Road, wrote compelling, intimate, and magnetic descriptions of Kiso’s scenery.

Onbashira

The Resilience of Japan’s Most Dangerous Festival

By Chris Gladden. Assistant Researchers: Seira Gado, Airi Ito, and Chiharu Ohnishi.

The long-awaited moment has arrived. Hundreds of people in festival attire strain against two arm-thick ropes absorbed in the ancient task of hauling the Great Pillar of the Onbashira Festival. At last, they arrive at the infamous stretch of mountainside, which is treacherous and as steep as a ski jump. One heave at a time, they bring the pillar forward until it protrudes over the edge, ready for the plunge. Those chosen to accompany the falling log sit on top and brace themselves. In the valley below, thousands of spectators roar in anticipation. The traditional festival song swells all around, its message offering words of encouragement—and caution. Amid a final frenzy of chants and pulling, the pillar lurches ahead, drops, and begins its raging descent.

Four Decades of Rock in Japan

Legendary Rock Photographer Bob Gruen in Japan

I first arrived in Japan with Yoko Ono in August 1974. I stood behind her as the plane door opened, and I followed her as she walked down the stairs into a crowd of photographers. She was on tour in Japan with a band of top musicians.