Zen and the Art of the Better Noodle, interview with chef and Aikido teacher Shuji Ozeki Sensei
Shuji Ozeki is a Japanese master-chef with 30 years experience specialising in Wasuko (traditional Japanese cuisine). He runs a restaurant and a cooking school in the town of Seki, Gifu-ken, Japan (ozekicookingschool.com)
Ozeki Sensei is also a 5th Dan black-belt in the Kokikai style of Aikido, being a long-time student of master Maruyama Sensei. He regularly teaches both in Seki and Sydney, Australia. He founded the Aikido Kokikai Association of Australia (kokikai.org.au) and the UNSW Aikido Club.
Shuji's family had a long-standing relationship with Itsugai Roshi, teacher of Shinzan Roshi, who is, in turn, teacher of Daizan Roshi. In this interview, Daizan Roshi asks Shuji Sensei about his experiences of Zen and Aikido, and how that's changed his life.
The taste of Zen, Japanese vegetarian cooking workshop
A visiting married couple from Hamburg, Florian and Gianna drove down to Ozeki Cooking School from their soothing onsen-retreat of Gero-Onsen, hot spring in Gifu prefecture yesterday. They took up shojinryori, the taste of Zen cooking workshop offered by Chef Shuji Ozeki.
A senior student Aya from Seki High School also joined us. We all agreedy that goma-tofu, sesame tofu was voted the best of 6 dishes and one soup we made. We even added to miso soup the sesame grounds which was the leftover from making sesame tofu and it made the miso soup tastier. Nothing is wasted in Zen cooking!
sushi lesson with Shuji, L.H edition
Lufthansa cabin attendants enjoy learning how to mix cooked rice with sushi vinegar during their hands-on cooking class taught by a Japanese chef Shuji Ozeki at his Japanese restaurant, located in Seki 70km north of Chubu International Airport near Nagoya.
Suncraft Santoku Kitchen Knife
The Suncraft Dot Suntoku Knife is the latest product of Kawashima Industries (Suncraft) based in Seki, Gifu, Japan. This promotion video was played during this year's Frankfurt Ambiente Fair in February. In the video Chef Shuji Ozeki based also in Seki demonstrates his knife skills using the Suncraft's new product. This video was also played during the Chicago House Ware Show in March. In April this year Shuji's avatar will appear in Singapore and Tokyo's upmarket department stores.
Hands-on Cooking Class with Shuji, Lufthansa Edition
Landing on a small rural town 70km north of Chubu International Airport, the Lufthansa Captain Burger and his four cabin crews arrived in Seki by highway bus and met by their culinary host, Chef Shuji Ozeki. The German visitors have enjoyed Japanese cooking class/lunch/mattcha or green tea experience with Shuji and his Mum and have learned how to cook rice for sushi, and how to make and mix sushi vinegar with cooked rice, and how to prepare and make tempura,and beef & potato dish (nikujyaga) and other dishes on one winter day.
soba making cut 6_3.mov
I am showing how to make soba noodle, buck wheat noodle. Trained by Master Soba Noodle Chef Yoshi Shibazaki of Sydney's Shimbashi Soba in the mid-90's, I have been back in our family owned Japanese restaurant in Seki, Gifu, Japan and have been making healthy soba noodles and offering Japanese cooking classes for the locals and the visitors from all over the world.
Many thanks to Sean & Noriko Sakamoto for shooting and editing this video.
Flying Aikido instructor Shuji returns to Sydney!
On 27 September 1989, I began teaching Aikido Kokikai at University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. During my 10 years working as a Japanese chef, I taught Aikido once a week and the members had increased every year. In 1999 I returned to my hometown of Seki to take over my parents restaurant. Thanks to my fellow Aikido instructors and friends in Australia for inviting me to conduct our annual autumn Aikido camp each year since 2000. I am happy to find many school children are also enjoying Aikido in Brisbane and Perth.
I will keep coming back to Australia.
Fukuoka 2014 - Day 10 - 1st half highlights
**NEW SUMO t-shirt link below**
This is the first of two videos covering ALL the makuuchi action from Day 10 in Kyushu. Sekitori shown include Amuru, Kyokutenho, Tochinoshin, Okinoumi and Endou.
Enjoy!
-Jason
New Sumo t-shirt - available until November 27th: