Japan House: MA in Contemporary Japanese Cuisine

Wednesday October 27, 2021 @ 5:00PM – 6:15PM (PST)

The third webinar in the Rethinking of MA Webinar Series will examine conceptions of MA in contemporary Japanese cuisine. Our guest will be Prairie Stuart-Wolff, a writer, photographer and producer of the Japanese food and culture website www.cultivateddays.co. Since moving to Karatsu in Kyushu with her ceramicist partner in 2007, Stuart-Wolff has been exploring Japanese cooking and food presentation in her writing, photography and at her own family table. Living and learning in rural Japan, among a community of ceramic artists, she has developed a unique perspective on Japanese food cultivation, preparation, and presentation, both traditional and contemporary.

Professors Hitoshi Abe and Ken Tadashi Oshima, hosts of the Rethinking of MA series, will moderate the conversation with Stuart-Wolff, discussing the importance of MA/seasonality in the choice of ingredients, MA/the symbiotic relationship between food and the dishes in which it is served, and the rituals of the table that guide how food is received. The webinar will conclude with an audience Q&A.

Guest Speaker

Prairie Stuart-Wolff
Prairie Stuart-Wolff is a writer, photographer, and guide based in Kyushu, Japan. Upon moving to Japan in 2007, she immediately recognized the great depth and beauty of Japanese culinary traditions. Eating at her mother-in-law’s table kindled a desire to know more about the fascinating ingredients she used and the techniques that daily transformed them into such exquisite dishes. Thus began an enduring journey deep into Japan’s food culture, exploring the origin of ingredients, the craft of the cook, and the rituals of the table. Prairie produces Cultivated Days, and online and in-person platform that offers seasonal stories and recipes, culinary immersion programs, and hosted travel focused on the people, principles and practices shaping Japan’s cuisine and culinary culture. www.cultivateddays.co

Panelists

Hitoshi Abe
Hitoshi Abe is Principal at AHA (Atelier Hitoshi Abe), an architectural design firm based in the U.S. and Japan. He is also a professor in the department of Architecture and Urban Design and Director of the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, both at UCLA.

Ken Tadashi Oshima
Ken Tadashi Oshima is a Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington, where he teaches in the areas of trans-national architectural history, theory, and design. He has also been a visiting professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and taught at Columbia University and the University of British Columbia.

The webinar recording will be available a few days after the program.

Please find more information on the website of Japan House.