Through the Kitchen Window

Recipes are often developed over several lifetimes of work, lovingly crafted and passed on from generation to generation. These dishes represent much more than home cooking. This program delves into traditional recipes to shine a light on…

Sisters 69-year-old Akemi and 67-year-old Satsuki have embraced "shojin ryori," a kind of vegetarian cuisine practiced by Buddhist priests. What might seem a strict diet has evolved into a project of passion. The sisters have spent 2…

Akio Okamura (75) is a man who lives by the sea in the quaint town of Matsuzaki. He's master builder of the Okamura Marine Craft, known throughout the country for the boats it builds and repairs. Outside of work, his passion is cooking…

The town of Monzenmachi in Ishikawa Prefecture is surrounded by both the sea and mountains. Here, Sayaka Mori (38) has decided to open a guesthouse limited to one group per night. Although she originally hated cooking, through learning…

Something is always cooking in 92-year-old Misao Kuwata's kitchen. Every week she prepares 600 Sasa-mochi, a sweet steamed rice cake wrapped in bamboo leaves that is much-loved by locals. Drawing on the nature and traditions of Aomori…

Jiyu Gakuen is a unique school in the Tokyo suburbs that emphasizes "learning from daily life." Every day, the middle or high school students have to prepare the school lunch themselves. This time, 20 students in the girls' division are…

Lake Biwa is the largest body of fresh water in Japan. There's a town, Harie in Shiga Prefecture, on its northwestern shore, with a constant sound of water. Canals run throughout the town, as if to surround each house. Flowing there is…

Shimi-konnyaku is a unique, naturally freeze-dried Japanese food, that would be able to be kept for 50 years. It was developed as a form of preserved food in early Japan. Toshi Nakajima, 89 years old, has been making this local specialty…

Hayama, a seaside resort to the west of Tokyo, is known for its high-quality vegetables and beef ... but not its seafood. But it wasn't always this way. Hatakeyama Akira, born and raised in the town, is determined to restore the place of…

Deep in the countryside is the peaceful area of Maru-bashira in Iga in southern-central Japan. This tiny village of only about 650 people has long been known for a type of pottery called Iga ware. Even today, several potteries continue…

The clear waters of the Akigawa River course through a verdant gorge, just 90 minutes west of Tokyo. They are home to a treasured fish that has been enjoyed for centuries -- the Ayu or Sweetfish. We meet 2 men who cherish this fish, in…

Babies are about 6 months old when they gradually stop drinking breast milk or formula and start eating solids. It's a precious stage of our lives, but many mothers struggle to find the time to cook weaning food. It needs to be soft, and…

If you duck under tree branches, wade up a stream and climb over rocks, you will find a secret place of wasabi patches, tended by the Tsunoi brothers. Farmers have long cultivated wasabi over Okutama's stone terraces-stacked one rock at a…

Anda Yuko, owner-chef of a Tokyo restaurant, has a singular philosophy. On first glance her food looks like unfussy, prosaic home cooking. But fans become hooked on the way she extracts the maximum flavors of her ingredients through…

Ito Chimomo leads a wonderfully rustic life in the picturesque town of Hayama, close to the sea and surrounded by nature. Her garden is filled with all sorts of herbs and fruit, which she harvests all year round. Good food is central to…

Suzuki Kinue knows a thing or two about making delicious bento boxed meals. She's been operating a tiny store in Tokyo's trendy Jiyugaoka neighborhood for more than a quarter of a century. It's only open twice a month these days, but that…

Much of Japan's renowned Uji tea is produced in Minamiyamashiro, the last remaining village in Kyoto Prefecture. Headed by women for the past three generations, the Nakanishi family has been harvesting tea in this remote mountain area for…

The people of Tokunoshima live long, and well. But one woman on the small Japanese island stands out. At the sprightly age of 93, Mizumoto Mieko's passion for cooking local specialties shines brighter than ever. Many of the dishes at her…

Minamiaizu Town, Fukushima Prefecture. Here, Akutsu Yasuko runs a fish shop renowned for its "marinated herring with sansho Japanese pepper" dish. Starting in late July, her rural town holds a festival with an 800-year history. Locals and…

In a quiet Tokyo residential neighborhood is where you'll find the home of Norimatsu Sachiko. Open the door, and you're enveloped by the refreshing aroma of ume plums. Sachiko has dedicated much of her life to making umeboshi pickled…

Rie left Tokyo to get married in a rural village. Running a chestnut farm and welcoming people with her unique cooking, her life changed drastically.

Honda Sueyasu has spent a lifetime thatching roofs and making sure a delicious taro thrives in his community. The eternally jovial 96-year-old is now passing on those passions to the next generation.

For over 200 years, Yoshida Kiyoshi's family has been farming yukina, a rare vegetable cultivated in the snow.

Junko lives with her cat among the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. She runs a restaurant specializing in soybeans, and passes on her methods to the local children.

Junko lives with her cat among the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. She runs a restaurant specializing in soybeans, and passes on her methods to the local children.

Ishigashira Etsu runs a workshop specializing in saki-ori, a traditional fabric made of unwanted materials. And her cooking is just as resourceful.

Teshima in Kagawa Prefecture is one of the area's "art islands." Playing host to tourists, 89-year-old Akeda Hanae cooks with affection and smiles.

Traditional futomaki sushi rolls hold their true beauty within. Ando Kuni has been making them for years, and they taste as good as they look.

In a small mountain town of just five people, we visit the kitchen of Isogai Hamako, sharing in distinctive foodways and smiles along the way.