Trails to Oishii Tokyo

Featuring Katsuobushi, a necessity in Japanese cuisine.

Unveil the secrets of wasabi, a key item in sushi by visiting a wasabi store and an organic grower, exploring how it is grown and eaten in Japan.

Showing why tuna, maguro, which has always been the top choice for sushi, can go for over 100,000 dollars and is considered the king of fish in Tsukiji, Japan's largest food market.

This programme showcases Japanese food ingredients. Today's focus is the black paper-like seaweed for sushi called nori. The Japanese love it and eat ten billion sheets per year.

This programme features green tea, a popular Japanese drink with 1,000 years of history. Our reporter visits traditional tea stores, a tea field near Mt. Fuji and shares all about tea culture in Japan.

We focus on Aji, an extremely popular fish in Japan. Aji can be grilled, fried, and even eaten raw. Especially highlighted is a type of Aji called Donchitchi, recommended by fish specialists.

We focus on ume, the Japanese plum, a must for Japanese fruit culture. It is the raw material for the very sour umeboshi, an all-time favourite ingredient in Japan.

This episode is all about sweet potatoes. From salad to shochu liquor, they have various delicious uses. Farmers pursue sweeter potatoes with better textures.

We focus on squid, eaten more in Japan than in any other country in the world. From midnight fishing to an amazing squid delivery method to delicious squid dishes, learn all about this amazing food here.

Ise-ebi, or Japanese spiny lobster, is the king of lobster. One ise-ebi can cost up to $50 at Tsukiji. As a symbol of luck, longevity and vigor, ise-ebi is a must for times of celebration.

Though expensive, fugu is very popular in Japan, where it's used for sashimi, tempura, and hot pot. But there's a catch: fugu carries deadly poison. Find out why people love this poisonous fish.

We showcase the most traded mushroom in Tsukiji, shiitake, now hugely popular worldwide. Find out how shiitake, a must for Japanese cuisine, is cultivated and how to enjoy its outstanding flavour.

In Japan, bamboo is consumed as food. This programme features bamboo shoots, a Japanese springtime speciality. Find out how bamboo shoots, also known as takenoko, are dug, prepared and enjoyed.

The Japanese love to eat crab. Snow crab - a winter specialty - is a favourite. See how snow crabs are fished, their effect on local communities, and, of course, some delicious snow crab dishes.

The green onion is a must for Japanese foods like sukiyaki and ramen. Spicy raw, but sweet when cooked, negi contains as much sugar as mangoes. Discover the strange vegetable known as the negi.

Thanks to its symbolic colour, red sea bream, or tai, is a fish for celebration in Japan. Discover several delicious variations, including a new breed infused with the flavour of oranges.

Used in spring festivals, for games and arts, hamaguri is a shellfish deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Join us in discovering hamaguri, the most beloved shellfish in Japan.

Beneath Asia's beautiful lotus flowers lie renkon, one of Japan's favourite foods. Explore Japan's cultivation methods, cooking styles and even the spiritual meaning of this mysterious food.

Of all the produce sold in Tsukiji Market, tomatoes are the king. In this episode, we visit tomato farms, shops and restaurants to discover Japan's unique tomato culture.

Reasonably priced yet packed with umami flavour, katsuo or bonito in English is one of Japan's favourite fish. Dive in and discover why this bonito flake base has been popular in Japan for centuries!

Japan's muskmelon is regarded as an edible piece of art. Find out the secrets of this pricey yet popular melon that can sell for over $200 a piece.

Yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit, is so sour, only the skin and juice is used. The vivid colour peel and fresh aroma are essential to Japanese food. Japanese and French food using yuzu will be introduced.

Our focus today is spinach, of which Japan is the third-largest producer in the world. We visit specialists and producers to find out how the Japanese make this ubiquitous vegetable their own.

Edamame, a Japanese treat gaining popularity worldwide. These green beans are popular boiled, but can also be used in fine cuisine and delicious desserts.

Our focus this time is the sweet, slightly tangy orange fruit called the kaki, produced largely in Japan's ancient capital Nara. Kaki has many unique uses, including in tempura and dried as a snack.

Gobo, or burdock root, may look like a piece of wood, but it is actually one of the most popular vegetables in Japan. Rich in dietary fibre, this root is said to improve both health and appearance.

Shiso is a herb known for its refreshing aroma and is used to garnish sashimi. Its anti-bacterial properties have long made it an essential part of Japan's culinary culture.

Focusing on the ubiquitous rice. As the Japanese generally eat rice without seasonings, emphasis is placed on the flavour of rice itself. In autumn, people celebrate the delicious new rice crop.

Matcha sweets are loved globally, but matcha is originally green tea leaves ground to make tea. Visiting Uji, Kyoto, famous for matcha, and seeing how it's used in the tea ceremony, a symbol of Japan.

Salt has been a valued commodity in Japan for centuries used for cooking and even purification. Experience an ancient sea salt extraction process and savour some equally unique Japanese delights.

Eating refreshing, sweet watermelon is an excellent way to beat the scorching summer heat. Its use stretches far beyond dessert recipes. Providing a deep look into this insatiable heat treat.

Spotlighting maitake, also known as hen-of-the-wood mushrooms, indigenous to the northeastern part of Japan. Maitake in Japan can grow to more than 20 kilograms in size, earning this giant mushroom the title `King of Mushrooms'.

The host demonstrates how Japanese chestnuts can be featured in many dishes, including Mont Blanc, a European dessert that has become one of the most loved sweets in Japan.

Zack Bullish talks with the farmers who harvest ginkgo from over 10,000 trees and sees how they are used in many cuisines, including being paired with champagne in fine dining restaurants.

Explores figs, their versatility as an ingredient in cooking, and their cultivation. Includes a visit to a fig orchard in Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture which is endeavouring to grow new varieties with remarkable flavours.

Japan has a number of events that liven up the seasons, and food is an important part of that. Tour the country to discover symbolic delights that have warmed the hearts of generations.

Seri was once a key source of nutrition during harsh Japanese winters where produce was scarce. Kyle Card explores the cultivation and culinary uses of this traditional Japanese crop.

In Japan, there's a type of sugar for nearly any recipe. Among them, wasanbon is one of the most precious and interesting due to its exclusive production in just six refineries in Shikoku.

Here's a lot to like about Japanese cuisine other than sushi, including its core ingredient-rice. In this special episode, see how Japanese rice is taking the world by storm.

Somen are a type of Japanese noodle that are amazingly thin and white. Visits Miwa, Nara Prefecture to see how classic techniques stretch somen again and again over the course of two days.

Yomogi is used in both sweet and savoury dishes to add flavour. It is also an important part of traditional remedies and has been used to produce a healing substance called moxa for over 1,000 years.

Showcasing himono, traditional Japanese dried fish, evolved to perfection. Umami-packed himono is best when grilled over charcoal. Highlights the techniques that go into producing this unique Japanese soul food.

Yuba is the thin film that forms when soymilk is heated. It's rich in protein and nutrients and is essential in Buddhist cuisine. Pays a visit to temple-filled Kyoto, a place where yuba has long been a prized ingredient.

Janni Olsson takes a look at the aquaculture of hoya or sea pineapple, one of the ocean's hidden delicacies featured in French cuisine.

Explores the butter production in Hokkaido Prefecture, where cows are raised in a stress-free environment. Discovers how butter is used in traditional Japanese cuisine.

Japanese mustard (karashi) is a key condiment for pork cutlets, the stewed dish oden, and other everyday meals. The team visit a mountain village in Kyoto with karashi farms to see how it's made and used.

Wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets made with unique ingredients like bean paste and agar jelly, are little works of art that excite all five senses. Their beauty and flavours reflect the changing of the seasons.

Saskia Thoelen visits Hamada Fishing Port in Shimane to learn about nodoguro wholesale market and tries out juicy dishes at Japanese and French restaurant in Tokyo.