Newsletter Archive
Browse past newsletters full of recipes, seasonal insights, and Japanese traditions.
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June 2026
The Lesson Hidden in Homemade Mirin May has slipped away. It was short, cool, and blessedly low in humidity, but now we enter June—one of the true summer months. This week I finally filtered the homemade mirin that Team 2026 students began back in mid-January. At school, anything that isn’t a dry good must live in the refrigerator, so our mirin stayed chilled until April 15, the end of the Spring Semester. Once I brought it home, I moved it to an ambient environment and let it mature properly. Last year, in the spirit of accessibility, I experimented with vodka instead of shochu. It was a well-intentioned idea, but it taught me exactly why tradition matters. Continue Reading on the Blog June is the month of the Ume I made a mistake last year when I attempted to make umeshu using the wrong variety of fruit. It prompted me to revisit a basic question: What exactly is Japanese plum, ume—Prunus mume? Although I often use the word “plum,” ume is botanically closer to the apricot. The tree originated in the Yangtze River basin, the same region from which rice cultivation ultimately came to Japan—though the two arrived at very different times. Raw ume is far too sour and contains high levels of amygdalin (a cyanogenic compound), making it unsuitable for eating fresh. Through salt-drying and alcohol infusion—seen in traditions such as umeboshi and umeshu—Japanese culinary practice transforms an otherwise inedible fruit into something both edible and culturally meaningful. Continue Reading on the Blog June Recipes This month, I invite you to explore two fundamental elements of Japanese home cooking. Homemade mirin reveals the beauty of traditional fermentation, while June vegetable nibitashi highlights the natural sweetness and freshness of June vegetables enhanced with dashi, mirin, and light-colored shoyu. Homemade Mirin June Vegetable Nibitashi Now Open:Immersion Kyushu 2027 November 9-20, 2027 Immersion Kyushu 2026 is now fully booked, and I am deeply grateful for the wonderful response. With this year's journey at capacity, I am pleased to announce that the dates for Immersion Kyushu 2027 are now available. Reservations are open, including a special $350 early-bird discount (applicable now through March 31, 2027). I would be delighted to welcome you on next year's journey.Save $350 on your deposit using code EARLYBIRD27 See Dates, Details and Reviews Thank you for being part of this community, and please feel free to share my newsletter with anyone who may enjoy learning about Japanese food, culture, and traditions. — Hiroko Register for Free Access to Hiroko's Original Recipes and Cooking Tips See the Latest Hiroko Shimbo hiroko@hirokoskitchen.com No longer want to receive these emails? Unsubscribe
May 2026
Learn about a rare journey, the spirit of ichigo ichie, golden week in Japan, and early summer recipes to enjoy at home.
April 2026
A Rare Journey to Japan—and an Evening in New York. Travel with us on the 2026 Kyushu tour, and join me for dinner at De Gustibus Cooking School this month.
March 2026
As the sakura bloom, I share a story of young farmers reshaping Japan’s future—along with fresh spring recipes.
February 2026
Celebrating Risshun Risshun (立春), which typically falls around February 4, marks the first of the 24 solar terms on the traditional Japanese calendar and signals the beginning of spring. Yet early February is still among the coldest times of the year. Celebrating Risshun gives us a sense of hope—an assurance that warmer days are on their way. By mid-February, the first signs of early spring begin to appear. Sweet, fragrant ume (plum blossoms) open, and we bundle up to venture out for ume-mi, the season’s first blossom viewing, in gardens and parks. The Setsubun Ritual On the day before Risshun, we take part in the Setsubun (節分) ritual to purify the home and pray for a healthy, successful year ahead. The tradition involves throwing roasted soybeans inside the house while chanting, ‘Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!’ to drive out oni (misfortune and illness) and invite fuku (good fortune). I remember my parents saying we should eat one bean for each year of our age, plus one extra for good health in the coming year. In reality, we never managed to eat that many dry-roasted beans at once—they were not so tasty and too harsh on the stomach. Since moving to America, I’ve sadly fallen out of the habit of practicing Setsubun. It just doesn’t quite fit the rhythm of life in my new environment. My Favorite Kanazawa Sweet (Chitose) I was born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, 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,’ and the 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. Umebachi: My Mother’s Family Crest 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. Continue Reading on the Blog February Recipes The best meals to enjoy during this cold month are nabemono (鍋物), or hot pot dishes. In nabemono, we cook an assortment of raw or partially cooked ingredients in a flavorful dashi or kombu-kelp stock at the table, using a large ceramic or iron pot set over a portable stove. We cut ingredients into chopstick-friendly pieces and pre-cook some to ensure quick cooking at the table. We arrange all the ingredients beautifully on a large platter before setting it on the table along with the portable gas burner. Shiitake and Carrot Studded Chicken Meatball Hot Pot Chicken Thigh Hot Pot with Winter Vegetables If you don’t have a portable gas burner, you can still enjoy this dish: cook half the ingredients in a large, shallow pot in the kitchen, ladle them into serving bowls with some of the broth, and bring them to the table. Then return to the kitchen to cook the remaining ingredients for a second round. Still too much trouble? Cook everything together in one large pot and bring the whole pot to the table to share. Travel to Japan with Hiroko My Immersion Kyushu Tour is more than a trip to Japan. It's a guided journey into the heart of Japanese culture & cuisine.Limited to just 10 guests, this intimate, boutique tour takes place November 11–22, 2026. You'll travel through Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, known for its dramatic landscapes, rich history, and distinctive regional food traditions.Designed for food lovers, nature enthusiasts, and cultural explorers, the tour goes far beyond typical sightseeing. Through trusted relationships built over decades, you’ll gain rare, behind-the-scenes access to experiences that are not available to ordinary travelers.I will personally guide you throughout the journey, sharing Japan from the inside out, and offering a depth of understanding that only comes from genuine connection. Tour Details & Testimonials As winter slowly gives way to spring, I hope these stories and recipes bring you warmth and a sense of renewal. Thank you for being part of this community, and please feel free to share my newsletter with anyone who may enjoy learning about Japanese food, culture, and traditions. — Hiroko Register for Free Access to Hiroko's Original Recipes and Cooking Tips See the Latest Hiroko Shimbo hiroko@hirokoskitchen.com No longer want to receive these emails? Unsubscribe
January 2026
This month, I share Japanese New Year customs, reflections on craftsmanship, and what I hope to cultivate in the year ahead.
December 2025
This month, I’m sharing the stories behind Japan’s year-end customs—and my visit to the Ikeri Somen Company to learn the art of noodle making.
November 2025
Welcome November with Kabocha Recipes & Japan’s First Winter Wind | Discover Hiroko’s November recipes featuring kabocha squash, learn the story of Rittō—the beginning of winter in Japan—and don’t miss early-bird savings for the 2026 Kyushu Tour.
October 2025
Japanese October Traditions + New Kid-Friendly Recipes | Learn about Japanese Sports Day, Matsutake Mushrooms, and Chrysanthemum Flower Viewing
September 2025
Noodle Recipes to Celebrate Japan's Full Moon Viewing Festival | My visit to Long Season Farm in NY, an interview with Beyond Japan NYC, and a digital version of my cookbook
August 2025
Koromo-gae Season, Summer Dishes, Kaki-gori, and Asagao | Transforming spaces—and recipes—for the summer
July 2025
Celebrating Summer with Cold Somen Noodles | Body cooling somen recipes, tomatos in dashi stock, and festive yukatas