Seasoning the Seasons

The Tokaido was built around 400 years ago to link Tokyo, then known as Edo, to Kyoto. The route, which is closely tied to the shogunate and Japan's military history, includes 53 post towns, 11 of which are castle towns. Tokugawa Ieyasu established his government in Edo, after uniting Japan early in the 17th century. While he was born in Okazaki Castle, he was based in Hamamatsu Castle as he strove to unify Japan. This journey through the Tokaido's 11 castle towns takes us from east to west.

During the harsh northern winters in Japan, cod fishing reaches its high season, as the cod come to the coast to spawn. With its mild-flavored flesh and rich-tasting liver and milt, this fish delights the palate from head to tail, leaving nothing to waste. Cod is the star of this episode. We take a journey to fully savor every aspect of two types of cod, Pacific cod and Alaska pollock, that delight the Japanese, in a variety of forms.