Explore Japan — Season 1, Episode 5: Peru & Japan Fusion of Cuisine

Episode synopsis

Tokyo is a city where you can find cuisine from all over the world. Recently, Peruvian cuisine is becoming more and more popular. In fact, it actually has a deeply intertwined connection with Japanese culinary culture that stretches back to an era when many Japanese had emigrated to Peru. Dishes that mixed Japanese essentials such as soy sauce and miso were known as “Comida Nikkei” and very popular, leading to its incorporation into the local culture. On this program we follow Bruno Nakandakari, the chef at a Peruvian restaurant in Tokyo. Bruno takes advantage of Japan’s fresh seafood to make Peruvian cuisine unique to Japan. We’ll find out Bruno’s background and why he wanted to open a Peruvian restaurant in Japan, as well as explore the surprising connection between the two culinary cultures. Meanwhile, the world-famous Peruvian superfood Quinoa is beginning to be grown in Japan. Our reporter takes a closer look at the Quinoa farming industry.

About Explore Japan

Japan continues to thrive as it incorporates cultural elements of music, fashion, cuisine, sports, arts and science from around the world. People’s encounters trigger the fusion of Japan’s and the world’s diverse culture, unceasingly producing a myriad of new phenomena and events. This series will feature how various culture in modern Japan and overseas blend together and influence each other.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Koshu: The Miraculous Wine
• E2Japan-discovery, Self-discovery: Exchange Students in Tokyo
• E3My Life with Aikido
• E4Delivering to Space
• E6The Somin Naked Festival
• E7The World of Miniatures
• E8The Manufacturing Spirit and Sustainability
• E9Japanese Gardens, Aesthetic Encounters
• E10Going Beyond Tradition: The Challenge of Craftspeople in Kyoto
• E11Innovative Japanese Bread
• E12Capturing Masters’ Workmanship
• E13MUSIC TRUNK: Journey to Discover the Roots of Japanese Sound