Originally published: London : Jonathan Cape, 2009

Toshi -- Departure -- No broccoli -- Sumo-size me -- World famous in Japan -- Tempura master class -- A tale of two cooking schools : part 1 -- The mother of all fishmongers -- MSG : an apology -- The busiest fish in the ocean -- The campaign for real wasabi -- Kitchen Street -- Sushi for beginners -- The "special stuff" -- Crabs -- Seaweed -- Kyoto stories -- The Kyoto Cooking Circle -- The most beautiful meal in the world -- First take your crystal-clear, free-flowing mountain stream-- -- The sake crisis -- Beyond sushi -- The fastest food in the world -- Miraculous miso -- The Forest of Lost Souls -- The beef delusion -- Ama divers -- The greatest soy sauce in the world -- A tale of two cooking schools : part 2 -- Fukuoka -- Once upon a time in Shimonoseki -- Okinawa -- Who wants to live forever? -- The oldest village in the world -- Healthy salt -- The restaurant at the end of my universe

"Japan is arguably the preeminent food nation on earth, a Mecca for the world's greatest chefs, with more Michelin stars than any other country. The Japanese go to extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and exotic content. Their creativity, dedication, and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm and octopus ice cream is only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi and ramen-saturated West, as are the remarkable health benefits of the traditional Japanese diet. Food and travel writer Michael Booth takes the culinary pulse of contemporary Japan, learning fascinating tips and recipes that few westerners have been privy to before. Accompanied by two fussy eaters under the age of six, he and his wife travel the length of the country, from bear-infested, beer-loving Hokkaido to snake-infested, seaweed-loving Okinawa. Along the way, they dine with-and score a surprising victory over-sumo wrestlers; pamper the world's most expensive cows with massage and beer; share a seaside lunch with free-diving, female abalone hunters; and meet the greatest chefs working in Japan today. Less happily, they witness a mass fugu slaughter, are traumatized by an encounter with giant crabs, and attempt a calamitous cooking demonstration for the lunching ladies of Kyoto"--