A small group of chefs, restaurateurs, and retailers was invited to the Japan Society in New York City last month for a special tasting event. Sitting at well-spaced tables, they watched a demonstration on making soba noodles and heard a short talk on tenugui, or traditional printed cloths.
Each table setting had four small cups of sake and, among other goodies, a bento box with nigiri sushi—one somewhat unorthodox piece had a strip of seared A5 wagyu on top of the rice. The sake, rice, and beef had a notable distinction: They were from Japan’s Fukushima prefecture.