Author Archives: UM Guest


June 12, 2012

Kinpou Sake from Fukushima

by UM Guest

By Shizuka Wakashita One day I had to run errands near a local wine shop and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe this shop has some jizake (sake produced by smaller breweries, or as with beer, “micro breweries”). If they are passionate about wines they must be for sake as well, at least to […]

January 26, 2012

Ika no Shiokara (Fermented Squid)

by UM Guest

By Kenji Miura Shiokara is a fantastic savory condiment to your favorite glass of shochu. This particular shiokara is made with surume ika (Japanese Common Squid or Pacific Flying Squid). INGREDIENTS 5 fresh squid 2 tbsp salt METHOD 1. Clean the squid. (Here’s how via Kyoto Foodie) 2. Cut the legs and ears (the triangular portion […]

January 20, 2012

Tokyo Nights: Bikes + Bottles

by UM Guest

Photo by Kelly Ishikawa, a San Francisco-based photographer and the co-owner of The Perish Trust. 

December 25, 2011

Merry Xmas Wagashi (Sweets)

by UM Guest

By Kenji Miura I celebrated Christmas in Japan by making wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets. Santa is shaped out of shiro-an (white bean paste). The holly is made out of ogura tsubu-an (red beans boiled with sugar, skin-on). The tree is comprised of shiro-an and kanten (agar agar). The kinton (mashed substance, in this case the […]

December 2, 2011

Nagano Road Trip

by UM Guest

By Sasha Wizansky On October 27, a crew from OPENharvest woke up at 5am and headed up into the mountains, into Nagano prefecture, for a series of farm and producer visits. As usual we made a few pitstops along the way. Tal, head roaster of Four Barrel Coffee, experienced his first highway rest stop breakfast: […]

November 17, 2011

Persimmon Tree

by UM Guest

Photo by Kelly Ishikawa, a San Francisco-based photographer and the co-owner of The Perish Trust.

November 9, 2011

Hanging Onions

by UM Guest

Frostopia Farm. Saitama, Japan. Photo by Kelly Ishikawa, a San Francisco-based photographer and the co-owner of The Perish Trust.

November 2, 2011

Radiation + Japan: Testing Report and Thoughts

by UM Guest

By Howie Correa Within half a day of arrival from Ireland, I was excited to be heading out of endless Tokyo to visit a radiation testing facility at Natural Harmony, a produce distribution site in Chiba. It was a trip that seemed to be at the heart of understanding the dilemma within this year’s Japanese […]

November 1, 2011

Hokutei Suisan Fish Market (Saitama)

by UM Guest

By Sasha Wizansky On October 21st, chef Kanji Nakatani took a small group of the OPENharvest crew on a trip to the Hokutei Fish Market to visit fish purveyor, Katsuhiro Sato. Apparently, Sato was kicked out of the main local fish market many years back and started his own small, maverick fish market, Hokutei Suisan. […]

August 30, 2011

What the Highball?

by UM Guest

By Neyah White Photos by Travis LoDolce Well, there is no drink more quintessentially ‘Japanese’ right now than the highball. From crowded, stand-up after-work bars in Tokyo to elegant and sedate members-bars in Kyoto, the simple (but exact!) mix of whisky and water, has become the national drink of choice. There are a few factors […]