Top Chef Eric Ripert Finds Something You Can Only Have in Japan

I'm Eric Ripert,

chef, TV personality,

and author living in New York City.

I've come to Yamanaka and Fukui

in a countryside of Japan

to experience the traditions,

crafts, and arts that make this area so unique.

Being outside in hot springs

was the view of the mountains

and the rain gently falling

really lets you just melt into your surroundings.

The beauty and the mystical aspect of nature,

it all becomes an exercise in mindfulness.

When I entered the woodturner workshop,

I saw all of these bowls piled up.

The work of a lifetime.

He said to me,

you look with your soul,

not with your eyes.

It's fascinating for me to watch

someone like the soba noodle chef at work.

Everything in asian cooking is different

from western cooking.

And it can be humbling to watch.

Those were the best soba noodles I ever had.

Gold leaf craftsmanship is an ancient art in Japan.

It was extraordinary to see it in person

and to hear from the artist how it works.

Testing the different sakes at Born Brewery

was an incredible experience.

The flavors are stricture like classic wine.

They're refined, complex, and harmonious.

(classic music)

The weight of a Takamura knives are perfectly balanced.

As a chef,

when you pick up a knife,

you know immediately if it's Japanese made.

Each piece is a work of art.

When you go to a place where there's a lot of spirituality,

that energy stays there,

and I felt it immediately.

When you meditate with someone who knows what he's doing,

the master or a monk,

it's like you levitate next to them.

I could feel the monk's energy lifting me.

There's a timeless quality to everything.

The natural beauty,

the sense of history,

and the rich craft.

It is something you can only find in Japan.

(light music)