Hidehiko Ishizuka’s Admiration for His Food Report Master and the Skills of a Gourmet Reporter

This is a story about two masters whom I respect

Hello everyone. It has become quite cool, hasn’t it? Have you switched from short sleeves to thicker ones yet? This is Hidehiko Ishizuka. Today, I’ll be talking about food reports.

Recently, when watching TV, I’ve noticed that there are many shows focusing on gourmet topics. Among them, people who work as gourmet reporters include not only professionals but also talents, idols, and actors, each with their own unique style and perspective. I enjoy watching everyone’s reports because each one is entertaining.

Lately, I’ve been receiving requests to teach young talents how to do food reports. However, I must say clearly that there is nothing to teach. If I were to teach food reporting, it would erase their individuality and worldview.

While I can teach technical aspects like how to present a dish or where to stand in a restaurant, there are no fixed rules for expressing the appearance, taste, and texture of food. Each reporter has their own way of expressing these things, and I think that’s what makes it interesting. Within that context, I’d like to introduce two people I particularly admire.

The first is the late Mr. Kai Ato. I had the chance to work with him on travel shows several times before his passing. Mr. Ato was exceptionally quick at connecting with people. He would start by calling them “Mama” (meaning mother), and before I knew it, he was sitting right next to them.

Since Mr. Ato was tall, it was easier to fit in the camera frame by sitting next to people, considering the height difference between him and the locals. By sitting next to them, the locals would feel a sense of familiarity, and Mr. Ato would, in a positive sense, erase his actor aura and instantly become just another uncle from the neighborhood. I wish I could have learned more from him.

The second is my mentor, Mr. Yonesuke. You may know him from the segment “Knock, Knock! Neighbor’s Dinner.” I once competed with him in a show to see who could get to a stranger’s house and start eating their dinner faster. I went first.

I greeted them with “Good evening” at the door, explained the purpose of the show, and received their consent, which took about 3 minutes. I then went into the living room, asked about their family structure, the father’s work, and the kids’ activities, and after 20 minutes, I finally got to eat a bite of dinner from the mother in the kitchen.

Then came Mr. Yonesuke. As he greeted with “Good evening~ Neighbor’s dinner~,” he was already taking off his shoes. “Where’s your husband?” he asked as he walked to the kitchen. He saw that dinner was still being prepared, so he went straight to the table and ate a bite of pickled vegetables before finishing. All of this took only 1 minute and 30 seconds. It was truly a masterstroke. After the competition, he said to me:

“Stone-kun, the competition starts with choosing the house. I can tell if the house is breathing or not. A house that’s not breathing is either empty or won’t allow filming.”

How many experiences does it take to learn to understand the breathing of a house? Mr. Yonesuke’s back seemed incredibly big to me. I also really like people like Udo Suzuki, who uses polite language even with elementary school students he meets during shoots, and Shohei, who is known for his natural food reports.

I encourage you all to find your favorite reporters as well. Of course, don’t forget about me, Hidehiko Ishizuka!

From the November 22/29, 2024 issue of FRIDAY