Whispers from Japan

Autumn has just arrived in Japan, and the mystical, other-worldly looking higanbana (red spider lily, Lycoris radiata) is in bloom. It's time for the Japanese to return to their family homes for … read more

Here is a low-calorie, gluten-free recipe for a pumpkin pie using kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) and kudzu root powder instead of flour, which you can make in about 20 minutes. An average kab … read more

In Japan, salmon caught in high-season (from September to November) is called aki-sake (autumn salmon). Here is one of my favorite autumn recipes for baked salmon garnished with  yuzu-kosho (yuzu … read more

The Japanese almanac divides the year into 24 season-like periods, each lasting about two weeks. These periods are markers of significant celestial events (such as equinoxes and solstices), weather c … read more