I’m delighted to share that my cookbook, The Sushi Experience, is now available on CKBK.
CKBK is a digital platform offering access to the full content of hundreds of the world’s best cookbooks.
CKBK is a subscription service, licensed from leading publishers, that brings together over 1,000 curated cookbooks through the 1000 Cookbooks project. It’s an incredible resource for anyone who loves cooking, learning, and exploring culinary traditions from around the world.
By using this special link, you’ll receive 25% off a Premium Membership, which gives you unlimited access to more than 1,000 cookbooks, including The Sushi Experience.
About The Sushi Experience
The Sushi Experience is a comprehensive guide to sushi for both home cooks and professionals. Inside, you’ll find:
A look at the history and traditions of sushi.
Guidance on how to order at a sushi bar.
Step-by-step, illustrated instructions for preparing sushi rice, fillings, and toppings.
Tips for selecting, handling, and preparing fish safely.
This book was written to help you not only make sushi at home but also better understand and appreciate the cultural significance behind this beloved Japanese cuisine.
Explore The Sushi Experience on CKBK and take advantage of the 25% discount on Premium Membership here.
I was born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.
This is a region once governed by the Maeda clan—the second-most powerful feudal lords after the Tokugawa during the Edo period (1600–1868). Under the prosperous Maeda domain, Kanazawa, flourished as a center of refined art and culture, earning its nickname ‘Little Kyoto.’
Among the city’s many elegant regional okashi (Japanese sweets), the 400-year-old Chitose from Morihachi Confectionery Company remains especially memorable.
Chitose translates to a thousand years.
This sweet consists of silky adzuki bean paste, lightly sweetened with rice syrup, wrapped in an exquisitely tender mochi sheet and dusted with fine powdered sugar. The sweets are traditionally paired in white and soft reddish-pink, colors that make them a favorite for celebratory occasions throughout the year.
Though Chitose has no direct connection to plum blossoms, its delicate appearance always reminded me of a white-and-red-pink ume flower. I dream of savoring Chitose while admiring the gentle beauty of blooming ume.
I have always loved my mother’s family crest, the kamon (家紋).
Hers is the Umebachi (梅鉢) crest, a design of five larger circles arranged in a pentagon around a smaller central circle, resembling a plum blossom viewed from above. Japan has more than 20,000 family crests and over 100 variations of plum-blossom design alone.
The history of the family crest dates back to the 8th through 12th centuries, when courtiers used designs drawn from nature on their ox carts and other belongings to distinguish themselves from others and show their power.
Next, in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), a period of Japan’s civil war, warriors adorned their kabuto helmets with highly stylized versions of their family crests to distinguish themselves from others and express their mighty power. When the Edo period (1600-1868) began, commoners were allowed to use family crests; at the time, surnames were not yet permitted. In 1875, all citizens were allowed to carry a surname, and the family crest became a symbol of all families.
Battle of SekigaharaCredit: Gifu History Museum
The Battle of Sekigahara, fought on October 21, 1600, marked a decisive turning point in Japanese history. The clash split the nation into Eastern and Western factions, and its outcome opened the path for Tokugawa Ieyasu to unify the country, leading to nearly three centuries of tightly managed peace. managed peace. In this scene, you find hundreds of crests representing the participating armies, each one symbolizing a clan that took part in the battle.
Daki-kashiwa: My father’s family crest
Many samurai families connected to the Maeda clan used the Umebachi crest. My mother often reminded me—many times over—that her great-grandfather had served the Maeda clan. I own several formal kimonos, each bearing a family crest prominently displayed at the center of the back. The crest on my kimonos, however, is not my mother’s but my father’s: Daki-kashiwa (抱き柏).
The oak leaf, kashiwa, has long been regarded as sacred. In ancient times, oak leaves were used as vessels for offerings to the gods. Because old oak leaves do not fall until new ones emerge, the kashiwa came to symbolize the continuity of the family line and, by extension, prosperity for future generations. For this reason, the oak-leaf motif has been favored by courtiers and warriors since antiquity.
Unfortunately, I foresee my Shimbo family line, including other Shimbo relatives, coming to an end when my sister eventually passes. There are no sons to carry on the name and inherit it. I am blessed to continue to use Daki-kashiwa as my business logo on my cards and website until the end.
Japanese craftsmanship permeates daily life through food production, culinary arts, food presentation, textiles, traditional gardens, architecture, and artworks.
Each year, Meiji Jingu 明治神宮, Tokyo's most popular shrine, draws 3 million visitors. We deliver the message, including a New Year’s resolution, to the gods and ancestors and ask for their protection for the year.
