Q＆A ～no.1　動画に寄せられた質問にお答えします！

Q＆A ～no.1　動画に寄せられた質問にお答えします！

Today, we’ve gathered many questions from those who have been watching the Yoko Arimoto Official YouTube Channel. This video is a special opportunity to ask those questions directly to Yoko. I’ll do my best to answer as many as I can. First, about the sawtooth oak charcoal shown in Vol.1 – Breakfast on a Winter Morning… Someone asked, “Could you please share where you purchase it?” Well, sawtooth oak charcoal is available in many places, even online if you search for it. I sometimes buy it at tea ceremony shops, but moving forward… I’d like to purchase directly from the people who make the charcoal. Do you know someone who produces it? Yes, I looked for one. You looked? Well, someone helped me look, I should say. A charcoal craftsman? That’s right.
And they make sawtooth oak charcoal? Yes. When I heard they did, I thought I’d love to buy from them directly. So someone asked and confirmed it? Yes, I plan to purchase directly from them going forward. In that same Vol.1 video, there’s a scene where you make jam with apples. I heard… …you went to the orchard and requested apples from a specific tree. Why do you go meet the producers, or rather, why is it important to know them? Well, meeting the people who make the products changes how I feel about them. It brings trust and affection for the item itself. To me, the essence of something is in the hands that made it. So meeting the maker is very important. Even if two things are similar, depending on who made it… …there are people I’d prefer not to buy from, and people I’d love to buy from. This wasn’t in Japan—it was an experience abroad. That’s why I believe it’s important to meet the people who make things. I see. That makes sense. Another question: “How do you get rid of charcoal smoke?” But it doesn’t really produce smoke. No, it doesn’t. Charcoal smoke? Or firewood? They wrote charcoal. Then it’s about choosing the right kind of charcoal—ones that don’t produce smoke. You should try different kinds and choose based on your own experience. It’s more important than just relying on recommendations. Understood. Here’s a comment from the Winter Breakfast video: “Your presence, your way of speaking, your sense of style—I admire everything about you. I’d love to hear more about your clothing choices.” They also mention beauty. Beauty… I’m afraid I don’t do anything special. So I really don’t have any tips to offer. As for clothing… I buy something only if I feel it’s just right at the time. Otherwise, I continue wearing what I already have. It’s not a very helpful answer, I’m afraid. Someone also wrote, “Watching this video brought me a rare sense of peace… …and reminded me of the joy I want to rediscover later in life. Thank you.” Thank you very much. Several other messages also mention a feeling of peace… …saying, “Watching this makes me feel at peace.” Is that so? What does “peace” mean to you? Peace… I don’t consciously think about it, to be honest. What is it, I wonder… even I don’t quite know. We all live in this world… …and truthfully, this world is full of unrest—more unrest than peace, really. Both near us and far away, in other countries. That’s why, even for a little while, having time to quietly reflect inward… …is, I think, important. Perhaps that’s what people perceive as peaceful. It’s important to look inward as well as outward. Not just constantly looking outward. Yes, exactly. Now, let’s move on to Vol.2 – Kasujiru (Sake Lees Soup) on a Cold Day. Yes. A viewer from overseas wrote, “Watching this video really slows down my breathing.” I see. “I find myself watching it again and again. Does the author speak any other languages?” You mean besides Japanese? Yes, I do have books in other languages. Some of my books have been published in the U.S., so they’re available in English. And also in Taiwan. Are those cookbooks? Yes, they’re translated versions of books originally published in Japan. I see. That sensation of “slowed breathing” may relate to what we discussed earlier… …about looking inward.
Perhaps so. It might be that the videos have a calm, unhurried feeling. There’s also a question: “Where can we buy the pot you used?” The pot? Was that used for the kasu-jiru? Yes, I used the larger size of that pot for the kasu-jiru. Someone asked, “Where can I buy the pot used to make the kasu-jiru?” Yes, that pot is made of copper. It’s crafted using tsuiki dōki (hand-hammered copperware) from Niigata. It was custom-made at the workshop there. It’s not something they usually produce for sale, so… …you probably won’t find the exact same one in stores, but if you place an order with the workshop, they may make it for you. What are the benefits of a copper pot? It conducts heat very quickly… …and retains warmth well. For example, when you sauté ingredients first… …and then simmer them, the way heat travels is completely different from stainless steel. It’s very pleasant to use. I can’t explain the scientific reason, but the feeling is quite different. So I tend to use copper pots at home. You also sauté in them, don’t you? Yes. And this one is used for soups and so on… Yes, it’s rather wide and shallow… …with a large diameter, so it holds quite a lot—perfect for soups or stews. This one here is deeper, so I use it mainly for stews. And in Winter Breakfast, you used this one to stew apples, right? Yes, that’s right. It’s great for making jam or stewing fruits. You can even use it for tabletop hot pot dishes. Oh, I see. The shape of this pot was actually inspired by a washbasin I saw at the workshop… It wasn’t made of copper, I’m not sure what material it was… …but when I saw that basin, I thought, “That shape would make a wonderful pot.” So I asked them to create a pot based on that shape. I see. It’s quite wide and shallow, and very easy to use. How do you care for a copper pot? It’s not particularly difficult. Just wash it with a scrubbing brush like any other pot. You can polish it with vinegar or salt if you want it to shine… …but personally, I prefer the way it looks once it’s been used. It takes on this look after just one use.
And I actually like it better this way, so I don’t do any special upkeep. People also commented on the pot’s roundness, saying it’s “cute.” Yes, it is round, isn’t it? I think… well, many pots have round forms… …but the key point is that the bottom and sides are connected with a curve, not a sharp 90° angle. Western pots often have that sharp angle, which makes stewing difficult. For things like making stock, it’s fine… …but when stewing, you want the ingredients to circulate evenly. A 90° angle makes that difficult. So having that soft curve—this pot too—makes it much more suitable. Japanese pots often have this feature, and I think that’s part of why they’re so easy to use. Just to confirm: this pot was made to order based on your request, wasn’t it? Yes, but the workshop would make it for anyone. It’s not because it was me. Understood. Some viewers have asked, “We’d love to know more sake lees recipes,” or “Could you share more ways to use it?” Sake lees can be used for more than just soups. Yes, I use it quite often. When you make kasuzuke (sake lees pickles) yourself, they’re truly delicious. For example, simple kasuzuke, or combining miso and sake lees for miso-kasuzuke… …commercially sold ones tend to be quite sweet. So when you use them with fish or meat, sometimes it feels a little disappointing. Making your own lets you adjust the sweetness and saltiness to your liking. You can also control the balance between the miso and sake lees. Sometimes I even make pickles using only sake lees. With vegetables? Yes, vegetables. It’s still a little early in the season, but green tomatoes… …white gourd (shiro uri), cucumbers… And myōga (Japanese ginger) is also delicious. …those kinds of vegetables, when pickled without sugar, using only the umami of sake lees, are wonderful. You don’t often see myōga kasuzuke, do you? I salt the myōga first, drain the moisture thoroughly, and then just submerge it in the sake lees. It’s incredibly tasty. So in any case, the process involves lightly salting the ingredients, drawing out moisture… …and from there, it’s all about the quality of the lees itself. The lees I use is made by someone who proudly claims it’s the best in Japan—and it really is delicious. Understood. You’ve even published a book on sake lees, haven’t you? Yes, it includes recipes and ways to use it, so I hope everyone will take a look. Another question: “Is it unnecessary to parboil the yellowtail (buri)?” It’s not that it’s unnecessary—just that the fish was especially fresh. That’s why I used it as is, without letting it sit in salt for long. But in general, salting it and letting it rest, then parboiling (shimo-furi) is the better method. So yes, please do parboil in most cases—it’s the preferred approach.
There’s a slightly unrelated question: “Do you use sunscreen?” I’ve been told I should, but I often forget. So, no—I don’t wear it. Now, let’s move on to Vol.3 – Ragù for Everyone. People commented on the pot again—how charming that round shape is. Also, someone mentioned they had previously read about the ragù recipe in a newspaper, and now that they’ve watched the video, they found it even more interesting. They said, “I realized the key to the sauce is the meat and the wine used.” What do you think? Yes, I’d say that’s absolutely true. When I make ragù, I prefer to use coarsely ground meat. At most supermarkets, the mince is very fine. Fine and smooth ragù is delicious too… …but I personally prefer a ragù with a chunkier texture, something with a bit of bite to it. Of course, that’s just personal preference. It doesn’t have to be coarse. But in Italy, the ones I’ve had were definitely meatier, and very good. So if you want an authentic “Italian-style” ragù, coarser meat might be the better choice. And as for the wine—yes, using a good wine definitely improves the flavor. There’s no getting around that. Someone wrote, “I don’t have the courage to use expensive wine, but I’ll try using a heavier, inexpensive one.” Yes, rather than a light-bodied wine, I think something with more depth and structure works well. They also said, “Since you recommended long pasta thicker than 2mm, I searched and bought some.” Yes, with ragù, thin pasta doesn’t really pair well. The sauce is so rich that it calls for pasta with a firmer, more substantial bite… …ideally something that takes a bit longer to boil. That’s all for ragù. Next, we move on to Vol.4 – Cabbage Spaghetti. Ah, but first, the fireplace. A viewer wrote, “That exposed fireplace up on the mountain really caught my attention. It’s so beautiful.” “And if possible, I’d love to see more of it in your videos. The snow-filled landscape through the wide windows is also breathtaking.” Could you tell us about that fireplace? Yes. Actually, the person who built it said they’d never made anything like it before. They told me, “This kind of design won’t burn properly.” But I had confidence that it would work. So I told them, “It’ll be fine,” and asked them to go ahead and build it. It’s a fireplace that’s open on all four sides—completely open. It’s certainly not easy to light. It takes some effort to get it going. But it’s not impossible. It’s a bit like having a campfire right in the middle of the house. So of course, fire safety is extremely important. You have to be careful about flying sparks. For that reason, it’s best not to use firewood that crackles too much. Woods with a lot of resin, like pine, tend to pop and send sparks flying. So I avoid those, even though they’re easy to light. I find nara (oak) is best—just like the charcoal we discussed earlier. What inspired you to build a fireplace like that? Well… I wanted to cook with it. Cooking with the fireplace… In central Italy, where I live, it’s common for households to cook using the fireplace. It’s a tradition there. Many homes are quite old, and people would heat the house and cook meals with the same fire. Even now, restaurants in that region have fireplaces and cook with them. So if you’d like to try that kind of food, I’d recommend visiting a restaurant in central Italy. We hope to show more fireplace cooking from your mountain home during the winter season. Yes. People often imagine cooking with a roaring flame when I mention using the fireplace… But actually, it’s not the flames—it’s the okibi (glowing embers) underneath. Once you burn enough firewood, those embers form at the bottom—almost like charcoal. You gather those embers and cook over them—grilling meat or vegetables, or making other dishes. To make embers like that, you need to keep the fire going for over an hour. At the very least, it takes an hour. So if you’re planning to cook, you should start the fire one or two hours beforehand. You really love tending fires, don’t you? I do—I enjoy it very much. It’s fascinating! Here’s another question: “May I ask what glassware you were using when you were drinking champagne?” That was Lobmeyr. And “Which brand of pasta do you use?” Which one was it? I believe it was Voiello. Yes, I think it was Voiello. It’s available online. Yes, you can purchase it through their website.
________________ A viewer wrote, “I’m often clumsy and rushed. And in the quiet moments at night, I wonder—what was I in such a hurry for?” “Sometimes I dislike how impatient I am. I want to become an elegant, graceful woman like Arimoto-sensei.” That thought of “What am I rushing for?”—I really understand that feeling. How about you, Sensei? I feel rushed all the time. Do you?
Yes, but maybe my movements are just slow, so I appear calm. But your cooking always seems so quick and efficient. That’s because I prepare properly—so I don’t have to rush. Preparation is everything. Is that your approach to all things? Yes. For cooking, I make sure everything I’ll need is ready before I start. That way I don’t panic mid-way through. Because I know I’ll get flustered if I don’t. Even when going out, I usually finish getting ready about ten minutes in advance. Otherwise I’ll get frantic—so I plan ahead. That’s why I prepare. I know myself. Understood. I’m the same—I often feel rushed. Yes, I understand. Now, a question from Vol.5 – The Joy of the Suribachi:
“It seems you boil the spinach with salt. Is that because chijimi spinach has strong bitterness?” Not just for chijimi spinach—whenever I boil vegetables, I usually add a little salt.
It may help with bitterness, but I also think it raises the boiling point of the water. As for removing bitterness… …I wouldn’t say boiling alone gets rid of it completely. What really helps is soaking the vegetables in cold water afterwards. Spinach, more than most vegetables, should be left in cold water a little longer. If your goal is to remove bitterness, that soaking step is actually more important. Another point people noticed in this video was your plating.
One comment said:
“It showed how much care and attention you give to presentation.”
“Now, every time I plate a dish, I remember that sesame dressing scene.”
“Even just being slightly more mindful makes such a difference.” Yes, plating really isn’t something you can brush off.
If you’ve taken the time to cook something with love and want it to be truly enjoyed,
then thoughtful presentation is the final step. When plating, it helps to visualize the overall scene—what kind of dish you’re using,
what arrangement you want—and build that image in your mind. There were many questions about the dishware you used in that episode:
“Where is that piece from?” and “What kind of vessel is it?” Yes, that was a yakishime (unglazed, high-fired) piece. It’s by Takashi Nakazato from Karatsu. That particular piece has a lovely depth… …and a gently flared rim. It’s a yakishime piece, but not rough—it has a certain elegance. I love that dish. It’s very easy to plate with. A good dish doesn’t require much fussing. You can simply place something in it, and it already looks graceful. I think that’s how you know a dish is truly well made. How do you usually choose your dishware? Do you decide instantly? Yes, it’s often love at first sight. You don’t buy it thinking “this would look good with that particular dish”? Not really. That does happen sometimes, but… A dish isn’t only used for one food, right? So I don’t think, “What shall I serve in this?”—
rather, I imagine many possibilities all at once. And during plating, you were turning the dish, viewing it from all sides… Yes, especially during filming. I wanted the viewers to see something beautiful from every angle.
Like pairing green spinach with red carrots—balance matters. If you can only see spinach from one side, and only carrots from the other,
it doesn’t feel balanced. So I aimed for a composition that looks balanced from all directions. A viewer wrote:
“Watching you wash vegetables, grind sesame, clean tools—each task is done with such care.
It made me realize how rushed I am at work, always thinking about the next thing.” I believe that when doing something, you should focus on just that one thing.
Don’t let your mind wander to the next task. Don’t think about the next step while you’re still doing the current one. Give your full attention to each action. When the next comes, focus on that. If you concentrate on one thing at a time, that’s enough. So that’s your approach—one thing at a time? Yes, it’s the only way, really. If you start thinking too far ahead, you’ll neglect what’s in front of you. You once said, “When I cut a turnip, I become one with the turnip.” (laughs) Yes, it’s just a continuous flow of that kind of attention. Understood.
And after the turnip, maybe it’s the onion. That concludes the questions for now. Thank you very much.

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