To say there was a time when Anthony Bourdain wasn’t the adventurous traveller and writer we knew, feels almost unthinkable. Even in the beginning of his television career, Bourdain was daring, charismatic and always seemed willing to try new things. However, throughout his various shows, we do see the chef learning and growing as the places he visited mark him. Nowhere is this clearer than in Japan, a place Anthony Bourdain has described as: “Just like taking acid for the first time. Meaning, what do I do now? I see the whole world in a different way.”
Today, we dive into the various TV shows hosted by Anthony Bourdain to explore his relationship with Japan. From strangers to lovers, the story about Bourdain and the land of the rising sun is exciting, compelling, entertaining, and overall a fantastic guide for those eager to know Japan beyond the surface level.
A Cook’s Tour: Bourdain’s first Japan episodes in 2002
Anthony Bourdain’s first travel-centric television show was A Cook’s Tour, where he began his world-discovery endeavour. The series grew out of his book of the same name, when Food Network offered to film his travels for a TV audience. The rest, as we now know, is history.
In this show, it’s clear Bourdain has just started, as he still knows quite little about the places he visits. This is hinted at in the show’s intro, where Bourdain tells us he is looking for epiphanies. Or, in his own words: “I’ll try anything, I’ll risk anything, I got nothing to lose.”
Part of the charm of A Cook’s Tour is how, despite his inexperience, Bourdain can get the best out of a situation with his sense of humour and charisma. Japan, of course, is a great showcase of this quality. In the three episodes he dedicated to the country, Bourdain showed a deep interest in learning more. And it was precisely this aspect, this desire to learn, that allowed Bourdain to begin falling in love with Japan.
A Taste of Tokyo: Tsukiji, Edomae sushi and chanko nabe
The first episode where Japan is featured is also the first episode of the entire show, A Taste of Tokyo. As the title lets us know, Bourdain travels to the capital city of Japan in search of a taste of it. A single bite that could, with the right mindset, leave him wanting more.
As he arrives in the city, he describes it as a place obviously Japanese, but somehow familiar to him. The city gives him a science-fiction impression, with a somewhat alien atmosphere; and yet, Tokyo has the big-city flow he is used to as a New Yorker. As his mind wanders in awe as Tokyo presents itself, Bourdain is immediately reminded of the presentation of Japanese food. The contrasting textures, colours, and portion size inevitably leave him wanting some seafood.
Bourdain’s first stop was Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji fish market, the wholesale market where the city’s sushi chefs bought their fish. That wholesale market moved to Toyosu Market in October 2018, so Toyosu is the place to go for this experience today. The shops and food stalls around the old site stayed put, and still trade as the Tsukiji Outer Market. At Tsukiji, the traders tell him about the fish on sale and their cultural significance, and the eel catches Bourdain’s attention as “the Viagra of the sea.”
Photo: Neil Daftary on Unsplash
Right after the market, Bourdain visits the sushi establishment Karaku, where he gets his first taste of Tokyo. The sushi served in Karaku is special for its traditional method, as they follow the Edomae way. This means that they prepare sushi just like it was back in the Edo Period.
As he tries sushi done by masters who trained their whole life for it, he utters the words “I’m ready to die”, because the food was simply that incredible. He then let the sushi master pour sake into his cup, with him doing the same soon after. This, as it’s later explained to him, is a display of friendship and hospitality. His first real taste of Tokyo.
As the episode reaches its halfway mark, Bourdain switches from the delicacy of sushi to the roughness of sumo. However, as he visits a sumo stable, he learns that sumo wrestling has plenty of delicacy too. In classic Bourdain fashion, this is shown through food, courtesy of Chanko Edosawa Restaurant. Chanko refers to the food sumo wrestlers eat to gain weight, which often takes the form of a hotpot. As Bourdain learns in the restaurant, the real point of chanko is balance. That balance comes from good food in the right proportions, and from the fun of sharing the pot. In Bourdain’s words, chanko “is sort of like a living dish, as the conversation persists and the subject matters changes, the character of the dish can change as well”.
Finally, once the episode reaches its end, Bourdain tells us a quality both chanko and sushi share: they’re exciting. And, as the first episode in a show about epiphanies, eating and experiencing something this exciting was the perfect start.
Bourdain’s way of travelling in Japan: curious, open and respectful
What Bourdain’s Japan episodes teach is a way of travelling: when visiting a place, go with an open mind and the capacity to fall in love with it. Search for new experiences, ideas and flavours. Meet people, talk, listen, and be willing to learn from them too. Japan is a place with a lot to teach, but one must have the right mind to listen to the lessons. So be like Bourdain. Be opinionated, outspoken, curious and, above all, respectful, as that’s the key to loving a place the way he did.
