BEGIN Japanology - Nabe Cuisine

Summary

The video script explores the rich culture of 'Nabeyaki', Japan's beloved hotpot cuisine, highlighting its significance in winter, sumo wrestling, and community bonding. It delves into the history of hotpot in Japan, from ancient Jomon period clay pots to modern variations like 'Chanko nabe' for sumo wrestlers. The script also showcases regional hotpot delicacies and their comforting role during natural disasters, emphasizing the harmony and warmth hotpot brings to Japanese society.

Takeaways

• 🍲 Hotpot, known as 'nabe' in Japanese, is a quintessential winter dish in Japan, offering warmth and comfort with its steaming broth and variety of ingredients.
• 🥘 Nabemono is not just a type of food but also refers to the pot it is cooked in, reflecting its importance in Japanese cuisine and culture.
• 🐟 Seasonal ingredients play a key role in the appeal of nabe, with fresh seafood and vegetables being popular choices for the broth.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The communal aspect of eating nabe is highlighted by the practice of family and friends gathering around a single pot, sharing food and conversation.
• 🍲 Nabe cuisine can be categorized into three types based on the broth: clear broth with separate seasoning, seasoned soup that flavors the ingredients, and less liquid for deep flavor infusion.
• 🥣 Ingredients for nabe are often boiled in water or dashi stock, with the option for personal seasoning, emphasizing the natural flavors of the food.
• 🍢 Regional delicacies in Japan have given rise to a diverse range of nabe styles, with each area having its own signature hotpot dish.
• 🥩 Sukiyaki is an example of a nabe dish that uses a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and other seasonings to flavor beef, highlighting the influence of Western cooking on traditional Japanese cuisine.
• 🤼‍♂️ Chanko nabe is a staple in sumo wrestling, providing the wrestlers with a hearty meal that is believed to contribute to their strength and stamina.
• 👵 The history of nabe cooking in Japan dates back thousands of years, with clay pots used during the Jomon period for boiling nuts and vegetables.
• 🏠 Nabe has been a source of comfort and community support, as seen in its role in providing sustenance and warmth to victims of natural disasters like the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake.

Q & A

What is the significance of hotpots in Japanese culture, especially during winter?

Hotpots are an indispensable element of winter in Japan, offering both warmth and a communal dining experience. They are loaded with various ingredients reflecting regional delicacies and are considered Japan's ultimate winter comfort food.

What does the term 'nabe' signify in the context of Japanese cuisine?

The term 'nabe' in Japanese cuisine refers to both the cooking pot and the dish itself, which typically involves boiling ingredients in a pot placed on a tabletop device, shared among a group of people.

How does the diversity of ingredients contribute to the appeal of hotpots in Japan?

The diversity of ingredients, including fresh seafood, mushrooms, and prime cuts of meat, contributes to the appeal of hotpots by offering a wide selection of flavors and textures, catering to various regional tastes and preferences.

What are the three broad categories of hotpot cuisine in Japan based on the nature of the broth?

The three broad categories are: 1) Boiling ingredients in water or water with dashi stock, where items are seasoned separately; 2) Using a seasoned soup to flavor the ingredients; and 3) Using less liquid to impart a deep flavor to the ingredients, often with a focus on the taste of the soup along with the ingredients.

Can you explain the role of chanko nabe in the world of sumo wrestling?

Chanko nabe is a staple diet for sumo wrestlers, contributing to their strength, technique, and spirit. It is a large communal hotpot prepared by the wrestlers themselves, which also serves as a part of their sumo education and emphasizes the importance of hierarchy within the sport.

How does the preparation of chanko nabe reflect the sumo wrestlers' attention to detail and consideration for each other?

The preparation of chanko nabe involves careful management of heat, timing, and order of adding ingredients to ensure the best flavor. This process requires attention to detail and consideration for each other, as the wrestlers must ensure that all ingredients are cooked properly and that the broth is seasoned to perfection.

What is the historical significance of hotpot cooking in Japan, and how has it evolved over time?

Hotpot cooking in Japan has a long history, stretching back thousands of years to the Jomon period. It evolved from simple boiling of vegetables and fish to more complex forms influenced by Western cooking, such as sukiyaki and gunyabi, showcasing the adaptability and diversity of Japanese cuisine.

How did hotpot cuisine play a role in providing comfort and community support after natural disasters in Japan?

Hotpot cuisine, particularly in the form of communal dining, provided warmth and sustenance to victims of natural disasters like the 1995 Kansai earthquake. Volunteers used hotpots to nourish and comfort those affected, strengthening community bonds and offering a sense of togetherness in times of crisis.

What is the connection between the use of soft water in Japan and the extraction of flavors in hotpot cuisine?

Japan's soft water is ideal for extracting flavors from soup stocks like dried fish and seaweed, as well as from vegetables and other ingredients used in hotpot dishes. This contributes to the rich and delicate taste profiles of various hotpots.

How does the communal aspect of eating hotpot reflect the Japanese value of harmony?

The communal aspect of eating hotpot, where a group of people share a single pot of food, embodies the Japanese value of harmony. It promotes a sense of togetherness and mutual enjoyment, allowing individuals to connect and share in a warm and convivial dining experience.

Outlines

00:00

🍲 Introduction to Japanese Hotpot Culture

The script opens with an introduction to the Japanese hotpot, known as 'nabe,' highlighting its significance as a winter comfort food. It discusses the variety of ingredients like seafood and mushrooms, and the importance of regional delicacies in local hotpot recipes. The video aims to explore the history and enduring appeal of hotpot in Japan. The narrator, Peter Bergen, sets the scene for a culinary journey through different types of nabe, emphasizing the communal aspect of sharing a pot with friends, which adds to its popularity.

05:01

🥘 Diverse Categories of Nabemono

This paragraph delves into the three main categories of Japanese hotpot based on the type of broth used. The first category involves boiling ingredients in water or dashi stock, with separate seasoning, exemplified by 'chicken stock broth' and 'tofu simmered in seaweed stock.' The second, most common category, uses seasoned soup with ingredients like dried bonito flakes and seaweed to enhance flavor. The third category employs minimal liquid to deeply flavor the ingredients, such as in 'sukiyaki,' which combines soy sauce and sugar. The script also touches on the use of regional ingredients, creating a strong association between specific locations and their hotpot varieties.

10:02

🏮 Sumo and the Significance of Chanko Nabeyaki

The script explores the connection between sumo wrestling and hotpot, specifically 'chanko nabeyaki,' which is a staple in sumo training. The dish's origin dates back to the 19th century when a sumo stable began cooking large quantities for all trainees. The preparation of chanko nabe is described as a meticulous process involving broth-making from chicken stock and seafood, careful ingredient selection, and attention to cooking times. The meal is a lesson in hierarchy, with wrestlers eating in rank order, and it embodies sumo education, including the importance of teamwork and consideration for others.

15:03

🗼 Regional Hotpot Specialties and History

This section showcases various regional hotpot specialties in Japan, such as 'sake nisshi nabe' from Akita featuring salmon and rice, and 'tori dojyo nabe' from Tokyo with chicken and a sweet and spicy sauce. The script also discusses the historical development of hotpot cooking in Japan, dating back to the Jomon period, and the evolution of hotpot styles from simple boiled ingredients to more complex and diverse forms. The importance of clean water for extracting flavors in hotpot broths is highlighted, as well as the role of Western influences in shaping modern hotpot cuisine.

20:05

🌾 Sukiyaki and its Cultural Impact

The script narrates the history and cultural impact of 'sukiyaki,' a form of hotpot that originated from the practice of cooking over a heated metal spade. It describes the transition of the term 'sukiyaki' from a method of cooking tofu and fish to the modern dish involving beef cooked in shallow pans. The paragraph also mentions the significance of sukiyaki in Japanese literature and its association with literary giants like Natsume Soseki, illustrating the dish's deep roots in Japanese culture.

25:13

🌐 Hotpot as a Symbol of Comfort and Unity

The final paragraph discusses the role of hotpot as a source of comfort and unity, particularly in times of disaster. It recounts the story of Miyako Ikeda, a woman who lost her home in the 1995 Hanshin earthquake and later opened a restaurant specializing in 'odanabe,' a hotpot that provided solace to her community during the evacuation. Ikeda's story of resilience and giving back is highlighted, as she used her restaurant's hotpot to support victims of another earthquake in Niigata in 2004. The script concludes by reflecting on the essence of hotpot culture as a symbol of harmony and strength in Japanese society.

Keywords

💡Hotpot

Hotpot, also known as 'nabe' in Japanese, is a communal cooking method where ingredients are cooked in a pot placed over a heat source. It is central to the video's theme as it represents the ultimate winter comfort food in Japan, bringing people together to share food and warmth. The script describes various types of hotpots, such as those loaded with fresh seafood, mushrooms, or prime cuts of meat, showcasing the diversity of ingredients used in different regional recipes.

💡Seasonal Ingredients

Seasonal ingredients are fresh foods that are available, flavorsome, and typically harvested within a certain period of the year. In the context of the video, seasonal ingredients are highlighted as a key element in the appeal of hotpot, emphasizing the use of vegetables and seafood that are in season during the colder months in Japan, adding to the freshness and variety of the hotpot dishes.

💡Camaraderie

Camaraderie refers to the friendly, often jovial atmosphere that exists among a group of people who share a common interest or activity. The video script illustrates this concept by describing how sharing a hotpot meal around a pot stimulates conversation and a sense of togetherness, which is a significant aspect of the hotpot dining experience in Japan.

💡Sumo

Sumo is Japan's national sport, characterized by a competitive full-contact wrestling. The video discusses the significance of hotpot, specifically 'chanko nabe,' in the sumo culture, where it is a staple diet for wrestlers to build strength and endurance. The script explains how chanko nabe is prepared and shared among sumo wrestlers, reflecting the discipline and hierarchy within sumo stables.

💡Chanko Nabe

Chanko nabe is a type of hotpot that is particularly associated with sumo wrestling. It is a hearty dish that typically includes a variety of ingredients such as chicken, vegetables, and seafood, cooked in a seasoned broth. The script describes how chanko nabe is prepared collectively by sumo wrestlers, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and the role of the dish in building physical strength.

💡Regional Delicacies

Regional delicacies refer to special foods or dishes that are unique to a particular geographic area. The video script mentions how regional delicacies from land and sea find their way into local hotpot recipes, contributing to the diversity and richness of Japanese hotpot cuisine. Examples include salmon hotpot from Hokkaido and kiritanpo nabe from Akita.

💡Miso

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans, and it is used as a flavoring in various dishes, including hotpots. The script refers to miso as one of the seasonings used in hotpot broths, highlighting its role in imparting a savory taste to the dish and contributing to the depth of flavor in certain types of hotpot.

💡Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is a specific type of Japanese hotpot that involves thinly sliced beef, vegetables, and a sweet and savory sauce. The script explains that sukiyaki is one of the forms of hotpot that developed from the influence of Western cooking and the introduction of beef to Japan. It is characterized by its rich flavors and the use of raw egg as a dipping sauce for the cooked beef.

💡Disaster Relief

Disaster relief refers to the aid and assistance provided to those affected by natural disasters. The video script recounts the story of how hotpot was used as a form of comfort and sustenance for victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake in Japan. It illustrates the role of hotpot in providing warmth and a sense of community during times of crisis.

💡Harmony

Harmony is the state of being in agreement or concord, often associated with a sense of balance and peace. The video script concludes with the idea that sharing a hotpot meal embodies the Japanese value of harmony, as it brings people together to enjoy food and company, reflecting a deep cultural practice that goes beyond mere dining.

Highlights

Hot pot is an essential part of Japanese winter cuisine, with various ingredients and broths reflecting regional diversity.

The term 'nabe' in Japanese refers to both the cooking pot and the dish itself, highlighting its popularity.

Nabe cuisine emphasizes seasonal ingredients and the social aspect of sharing a meal with friends and family.

There are three broad categories of nabe based on the nature of the broth: water-based, seasoned soup, and deep-flavor liquid.

Chanko nabe is a special hot pot dish significant in the development of sumo wrestlers, reflecting sumo's culture and hierarchy.

Sumo wrestlers eat chanko nabe in a strict order of rank, with the highest-ranking eating first, teaching them discipline and consideration for others.

Regional delicacies are incorporated into nabe recipes, creating a diverse nabe culture across Japan.

The history of hot pot cooking in Japan dates back thousands of years to the Jomon period.

In the 17th century, the widespread availability of nabe pots allowed for the popularization of hot pot dishes.

Nabe culture in Japan is deeply connected to the country's climate and the abundance of water and fresh ingredients.

The introduction of Western cooking techniques in the 19th century led to the creation of new nabe dishes like sukiyaki.

Sukiyaki is a unique form of nabe where beef is cooked with minimal liquid and seasoned with soy sauce and sugar.

Nabe has been used as a form of comfort and community support, especially during times of disaster, such as the 1995 Kansai earthquake.

Volunteers provided hot nabe to disaster victims, offering warmth and a sense of community during difficult times.

The story of Miyako Ikeda, who lost her home in an earthquake and later opened a restaurant to honor her husband's memory and support her community.

Nabe culture is not just about food but also about the harmony and togetherness it fosters among people.

Nabe is a versatile dish that can be adapted to various tastes and occasions, reflecting the adaptability of Japanese cuisine.

The use of traditional Japanese earthenware pots for nabe cooking helps to gently simmer ingredients and retain heat.

Transcripts

[Music]

steam Bulow's invitingly and the

delicious aroma of a bubbling hot pot

fills the air warming body and soul hot

pots are an indispensable element of

winter in Japan this one is loaded with

fresh seafood another one piled high

with mushrooms a luxury hot pot with

prime cuts of meat

Japan's countless regional delicacies

blessings of the land and the sea find

their way into local recipes for hot

pots hotpot cuisine Naboo in Japanese

has flourished since ancient times in

Japan it has a special significance in

sumo the national sport of Japan

NABBA can even comfort the victims of a

natural disaster and strengthen

community bonds

on this edition of begins upon ology our

theme is hotpots nabek Japan's ultimate

winter comfort food we explore now BAE's

history and timeless appeal hello and

welcome to begin Japan all gee I'm Peter

Bergen today our topic is a type of

Japanese cuisine known as nubbin or

hotpot which is extremely popular at

this time of year

in fact you feel going out with a group

of Japanese friends in the winter to

have something to eat and trying to

decide what kind of restaurant to go to

there's a strong probability that

somebody is going to suggest going for

nabbing another the word simply means

the cooking pot but because this kind of

food is so popular the word has come to

mean the food as well as the pot itself

of course you'll find hot pot dishes all

over the world but Japan does seem to

have particularly wide selection with

all kinds of different ingredients and

broths first of all let's take a look at

some of the many different kinds of naba

that you'll find family and friends

fishing for tasty morsels amid billowing

clouds of steam this is a typical winter

scene in Japan in the colder months the

shops are full of delicious Navy

ingredients including vegetables and

seafood

seasonal ingredients are one of the key

elements in Navy's appeal another is now

BAE's amazing diversity

another email involves boiling fish meat

and vegetables in a pot placed on a

table top eating device you eat as the

cooking continues typically a group of

several people gather around to share

one pot you dig straight in plucking out

the items you want to eat you have to be

with good friends because you're sharing

the same pot it gives you a feeling of

camaraderie it's just so much fun

chatting over an abbey meal a friendly

gathering around a hotpot stimulates

conversation that's another reason for

Nellie's popularity Nabby cuisine can be

divided into three broad categories

based on the nature of the broth

in the first category ingredients are

boiled in water or water containing

dashi stock items are taken from the pot

and seasoned separately

this category includes mezzo turkey with

its savory chicken stock broth and you

daughter tofu simmered in a seaweed

stock broth this type of Navi emphasizes

the flavors of the ingredients

themselves you can season your own

portion to taste

[Music]

the second category uses a seasoned soup

to impart flavor to the ingredients this

is the most common style of Nabi in

Japan first a stock is made using dried

bonito flakes seaweed or dried sardines

then soy sauce miso salt and other types

of seasoning are added to boost the

flavor of the soup the taste of the soup

is enjoyed along with the ingredients

the third category uses less liquid the

aim is to impart a deep flavor to the

ingredients one example in this category

is sukiyaki soy sauce sugar and other

seasonings are used to add flavor to the

beef

the original aim of heavy seasoning was

to eliminate the distinctive aroma of

beef dipping the beef in raw egg gives

it a well-rounded flavor many now they

make use of regional delicacies and they

have come to be strongly associated with

specific locations let's start in

al-qaeda the islands big salmon catch is

put to use in the local numbing

here they're preparing a she Karina Bay

salmon chunks and roe and vegetables

simmered in a broth into which miso has

been dissolved sansho pepper is

sprinkled over the food to remove any

fishy smell and enrich the flavor

next an abbey from Akita one of Japan's

top centers of rice cultivation these

women are making kiri temple steamed

rice that is mashed then molded onto

skewers to be grilled this is the

signature food of Akita

QT Tambor pieces are added to a broth

based on chicken bones this produces

kiritanpo nabe the aromatic grilled rice

goes perfectly with the hearty chicken

stock

tokyo is home to a famous Navi that

dates back centuries the pot is brimming

with whole notion dojo simmered in a

sweet and spicy sauce before eating

scallions and sansho pepper or sashimi

spice mix are added to the dojo nabek

nara has a type of navigating back 1,300

years Escanaba is a mixture of chicken

soup and milk emissaries of Tang China

broad dairy products to Japan's ancient

capital at Asko and if you said that

this led to the development of the local

nabbit this pleasantly mild hotpot

features coarsely cut chicken shiitake

mushrooms

Chinese cabbage and other vegetables

[Music]

the coca in Kyushu this area is famed

for its MOT tsunami which uses both beef

and pork in its Mott tsunami is said to

date from the years after the Second

World War when low-priced awful was

cooked in aluminium pots soy sauce and

miso are the major types of broth used

plenty of vegetables including Nero

garlic chives also go into the pot in

Japan every local area is known for a

tasty product and this is why naba

culture is so diverse

[Music]

hi honey napo's I'm off

I'd come to a restaurant that

specializes in a kind of Nevaeh called

ordained which is extremely popular all

over Japan as you can see the soup here

it's a very clear color it doesn't use

any soy sauce they just use dried fish

and seaweed and some salt and it has a

very clear color and a very delicate

taste as well okay let me transfer my

this soup now

well that's delicious it's a very light

delicate taste it has the flavors of

both the seaweed and the dry fish and

Japan's soft water is ideal for

extracting the flavors from soup stocks

like dried fish dried bonito for example

or seaweed also for extracting the

flavors from all these vegetables and

other ingredients that go into the

various forms of different nugget around

Japan now next we're going to take a

look at another very popular form of

Nabi which is extremely important in the

development of sumo wrestlers sumo

wrestlers slam into each other with

tremendous force the world of sumo

demands strong spirit strong technique

and strong body one of the key factors

in producing this triple strength is

nabek the hotpot dish that sumo

wrestlers eat is called Chang corn

Abbott in the late 19th century one sumo

stable took in so many trainees that it

became impossible to offer them all

individual servings so the stable began

making one huge hotpot that everyone

could eat from

at sumo stables the jr. esters take

turns preparing the meals they cook

while the others train this task is

considered part of their sumo education

at this table the kitchen crew of three

prepares a meal for around 20 people

with chanko nabe the ingredients and

seasonings are varied so that many

different versions can be made the

stable master and his wife decide what

kind of nabi should be made based on

their instructions the kitchen crew

figures out what ingredients are needed

and how much time is required for each

process you have to boil each ingredient

properly and make broths that match what

goes into the nabek you should never

overcook the ingredients you have to

manage the heat and other factors

carefully to get the best flavor it's

not an easy job the first step is to

make the broth in this pot of chicken

stock is being prepared extracting a

delicious stock from the chicken

requires relatively high heat

any scum is carefully skimmed off

another pot is for making stock from

seaweed and bonito flakes this one is

kept on lower heat to avoid generating a

fishy smell combining animal-based stock

and seafood based stock creates a

delicious broth

soy sauce sake and other seasonings are

added to fine tune the flavor of the

broth

[Music]

next comes preparation of the

ingredients there are many different

ingredients in large quantities so the

cooks have to be deft with a knife

sometimes fans and supporters of the

stables wrestlers send gifts of food and

these must be incorporated appropriately

into the recipe

this time chicken is going into the

nabek the size of the chunks is

calculated based on the time required

for cookie

no part of the chicken is wasted

[Music]

vegetables like taro carrot and daikon

radish are pre boiled to make them easy

to cook whether I join the stable all I

knew is what I'd learned in cooking

lessons when I was at schools the old

arresters taught is pretty much

everything as you can see their cooking

skills are impressive

[Music]

preparing now be together contributes to

camera dairy among the wrestlers care is

taken when putting in the ingredients

vegetables that take longer to cook go

at the bottom then the other vegetables

and chicken and finally the broth is

poured in and everything is left to cook

a meal of chanko nabe made possible by

the wits and dexterity of sumo wrestlers

a lot of thought goes into it a great

deal of consideration for each other to

the ones who make the meal consider the

timing of adding the ingredients they

consider the order for adding them to

the pot they consider how to adjust the

heat it requires attention to detail

once the nabhi is ready the wrestlers

eat in order of rank with the

highest-ranking eating first chanko nabe

is a lesson in the strict hierarchy that

prevails in sumo

[Music]

the lower ranked wrestlers don't get to

eat with everyone else

they act as waiters

[Music]

sometimes all the ingredients are

consumed before the most junior

wrestlers get to eat I may have to make

do with just the broth

[Music]

chanko nabe teaches the importance of

ingenuity research and making other

people happy

[Music]

this restaurant is right across the road

from the main arena where the sumo

tournaments are held in Tokyo and it

even features its own ring of the sort

where some more bouts are held and this

is a chunk owned of a a rather high

class one this is the seafood variety

and it's got squared salmon prawns crab

scallops pretty good now as for the kind

of pots that he used for making Navi

these earthenware ones are the most

common because they're thicker than

metal pots they conduct the heat more

gently and they allow the ingredients to

simmer slowly also once they've been

heated they retain the heat very well so

the food stays warm which of course is

what you want now it's time to delve

back into history and find out a little

bit about how now bear cooking developed

in Japan surrounded by the ocean and

with rivers tumbling down its many

mountains Japan has water in abundance

[Music]

plentiful fish and vegetables as well as

clean water everywhere led to the

development of a rich culture of hotpot

cuisine this is the hearth of a

traditional Japanese house a place like

this was for both warmth and cooking in

the old days a pot would be hung over

the fire filled with plenty of water it

would be used to cook fish and

vegetables and the family would gather

around and eat

[Music]

the history of hotpot cooking in Japan

is a long one

it stretches back six or seven thousand

years it's thought that clay pots were

already being made and used in the Jomon

period back then people mainly boiled

acorns and other nuts archaeological

sites have yielded many clay vessels

that are thought to have been used as

cooking pots

[Music]

this 14th century picture shows buddhist

monks at a temple they're gathered

around the hearth cooking a meal in a

pot

[Music]

according to Buddhist precepts eating

meat is forbidden so fish and vegetables

were the main ingredients in nabhi at

that time in the 17th century nab a pot

started to become widely available the

population at large began to use

brazzers making possible to cook hot pot

dishes anywhere

[Music]

these developments gave rise to a new

style of cuisine small hot pots for just

a few people

[Music]

all you had to do was boil vegetables

fish and tofu this simple cuisine became

very popular here is a poem from that

time about the popularity of Nelly

barely cooked the food just flies out of

that small body from the poem you get a

clear sense of the race for the tastiest

morsels

[Music]

when the modern era dawned in the mid

19th century now they underwent a great

transformation a dish very different

from boiled vegetables and fish appeared

it was called goon Abbott as Japan

adopted Western ways people began to eat

meat new restaurants open that served

beef in Nabby

guna may consists of cubed beef simmered

in miso sauce in an iron pot

unlike earlier forms of nabi stood in

plenty of water the meat was cooked in

the source alone with no water added

[Applause]

eating beef just like Westerners did was

considered a mark of progress and

sophistication you now they became very

popular

this technique for cooking beef to bring

out the flavor gave birth to a new form

of nabi cuisine as the seasoning used in

gonna be changed it evolved into ski aki

the nabi cuisine that developed from

ancient times was closely linked to

japan's climate incorporating influences

from Western cooking added a new twist

tune Abbas diversity this ski Aki

restaurant has been in business since

1871 and was a favorite haunt of

Japanese literary giants like Soseki

Natsume Hyun oh-seok Tagawa and Yasunori

Kurata the word ski Aki itself actually

goes back quite a long time ski is a

farming implement it's a kind of flat

Spade and yaki is a kind of

all-encompassing word that takes in

things like roasting toasting baking

broiling and grilling back in the old

days people used to heat the metal part

of the Spade over a fire and then cook

either tofu or fish over it much later

on when people started eating beef in

Japan and beef was cooked in shallow

pans the same term ski Aki was then

applied to that as well so when you eat

sukiyaki you have as you can see I've

got a raw egg here in my bowl you'll

have to eat the beef white it's still

fairly rare they cut their beef really

big here hmm Wow

I mean that just went straight down my

throat I intended to chew on it but it

would but it was so soft it just

literally melted in my mouth that's

really quite amazing actually we're

gonna move on now and take a look at how

nubbin was used very effectively to

bring some comfort to the victims of

earthquakes

January the 17th 1995 a massive

earthquake hit the Kansai region in

western Japan with devastating results

people were left homeless in the dead of

winter and struggled to get by at

evacuation sites

but victims of the disaster received a

boost from hot nabe

that volunteers came answered the warmth

of the nab a sustained bodies that were

chilled to the bone

[Music]

the takatori shopping district in coal

Bay's Nagata ward was reduced to ashes

by fires that broke out after the quake

95 people died in this area as a result

of the reconstruction efforts the

shopping district has a new look today

[Music]

among the shops along the street is a

small restaurant run by a woman her name

is Miyako Ikeda her own home burned down

in the disaster her husband takashi was

chairman of the local Neighborhood

Association and played a leading role in

their communities evacuation center

six months later exhausted from the hard

work he died of a heart attack

[Music]

Ikeda found herself on the verge of

despair but to honor her husband's

memory she kept going three years after

the earthquake

she opened the restaurant

the house speciality is or den Akira has

special memories concerning the cauldron

she uses to make for them it's a huge

pot 50 centimeters in diameter it was

used to cook the nabe that helped people

to make it through the toughest times of

the evacuation center

when Ikeda opened her restaurant she was

determined to obtain that giant pot she

wanted to repay people for their help

when the community was close to despair

I felt such gratitude for the feelings

of all the volunteers so many people

brought things to us and helped us to

make it through they brought us all

kinds of things and that kept us going

nikka des restaurant attracts people who

drew strength from the warm ingredients

in their pot in the dark days of the

evacuation center then in October 2004 a

major earthquake struck Niigata

in the middle of Japan Ikeda was unable

to regard it as somebody else's problem

I really feel for the victims in Kobe we

finally made it back this far so I know

those people in Niigata are facing 10 or

20 years of rebuilding

Aikido was deeply grateful for the help

she had once received from volunteers

so all on her own she headed to an

evacuation center in Niigata to

volunteer with the harsh winter Luna

and she started ladling out the same

kind of hearty nabbit that had sustained

her own community a decade earlier

[Music]

she infused her cooking with the hope

that the hot nabe would help lift the

spirits of the disaster victims

as the evacuees started eating the nabe

they began to cheer up

[Music]

and Ikeda went around to talk to them

I know how you feel it's tough not

having a house to go back to not having

a home was the hardest part for us too

[Music]

later

akivi received many thank-you letters

from people in need

[Music]

[Applause]

the year she had spent perfecting Navi

at her restaurant were put to good use

in her volunteer work

I'm glad I opened this place so glad I

really am I found a good line of

business I'm not alone anymore

one big pot serving a group of hungry

big that's the essence of na'vi culture

a japanese hotpot strengthens bonds and

even gives people the energy they need

to keep guide

[Music]

Japanese people have a big thing about

harmony it's not always easy to sense

that in 21st century Tokyo but when

you're sitting around a big hot pot with

a group of friends and you're all

digging into it

you do get a visceral feel for that

harmony the late lamented Lowell George

once saying that people say that rock

and roll is good for the body and good

for the soul I sometimes think the same

thing might apply to Nobby as well I'll

see you again next time

[Music]

next time we look at Japanese swords the

samurai symbol that cuts to the heart of

what it means to be Japanese