known in kanazawa, gained widespread popularity in the late 18th century. wearing elaborate kimono costumes and makeup, geikos are paid to entertain by singing, dancing, drinking basically making older men, generally, feel good and welcome for an hour, maybe two. yaeko is the owner of the fujinoya teahouse, one of only 15 or so left in kanazawa. these teahouses, which at one time numbered in the hundreds, provide a stage for the geiko, of which there are only about 50 left working in the city. yaeko is a retired geiko and an old friend of masa whom he credits with teaching him many things about culture, life and, presumably, about women.
advisor haruo konishi has a family hideaway here. a beautiful 120-year-old traditional kominka style home built around an irori a sunken hearth in the middle of the living room. it s wild getting up here, the snow, the rocks in the road. masa: yeah, right? anthony: man, it s masa: yeah. anthony: ooh, pretty. not only does the irori heat the entire house, it becomes the gathering place on nights like these. masa: arigato, cheers. anthony: konbai. they get together cook, eat, drink large quantities of unfiltered, slightly chunky sake, and enjoy the country life. lookin good. the boys have laid out the makings of a pretty amazing feast iwana, or char, were caught today in a nearby mountain stream. enormous hokkaido scallops, pulled this morning from the sea of japan, sizzle and pucker in their shells over the fire in butter and lime juice and a touch of home-brewed soy sauce. wild japanese boar hangs above the coals, radiating its sweet aroma as it cooks. look at that
oh, awesome. masa: oh, man. so good, huh? anthony: yeah. i feel healthier already. masa: yeah. where s the beer? cheers. anthony: it is suntory time my friend. it s time to relax. masa: beautiful color, huh? anthony: looking good. masa: right? anthony: get together with some friends and cook up some al fresco, mountain style sukiyaki, bitches. maybe a little tempura made from foraged wild asparagus and fukinoto. yep. masa: beautiful. anthony: and when it s sukiyaki time, after a whole lot of, shall we say, home brewed sake you just kick back, stir in the maitakes and the shiitakes and some tochigi beef
with the spanish. big argument. is umami a flavor or a sensation? masa: umami is essence. strong essence. anthony: so it s a mysterious force. masa: yeah, much bigger than the universe. anthony: bigger than flavor? masa: of course. this vegetable is called fukinoto. under the ground, covered in snow. cold. then, little by little, it opens up like that. this is first sign of spring. we appreciate that. anthony: how do you cook this? masa: grill, fried, or braise it. i m gonna grill it, little bit of oil, then a little bit of salt. this is so happy, the phases. so happy. they re going to be cooked this way. their blood is bitterness, very bitter. you need bitterness to grow. anthony: this is italian.
masa: very tough. at that time, his grandfather was here too. very tough. anthony: young masa was first hired here as an apprentice by shokunin toshiaku sugiyama. this is his son, mamoru sugyiyama, who runs sushiko today. the fourth generation to uphold the standards and family tradition. sugyiyama: [ speaking japanese ] anthony: some things should stay the same. masa: exactly, yes. sugyiyama: [ speaking japanese ] masa: aji. sugyiyama: [ speaking japanese ] masa: mix. anthony: seared horse mackerel over green onion and ginger drizzled with house-made soy. masa: yeah, i love this kind of stuff. very simple, right? anthony: oh, that s fantastic. masa: [ speaking japanese ] anthony: love it. masa: [ speaking japanese ] see here s one that marinated in soy sauce. very old style. anthony: man, that looks good. masa: yeah.