Beyond sushi and sukiyaki, a taste of Japanese culture in Kathmandu

The Japanese greeting echoed through the venue as staff welcomed guests. Stepping inside felt like leaving the bustle of Kathmandu behind and entering Japan. Warm lighting and Japanese music filled the room, and words such as ‘ramen’, written in katakana, and ‘yakitori’, in hiragana, adorned the walls.

The space was decorated in such a way that one could be forgiven for mistaking it for a local Japanese restaurant. The Japanese Food Festival, currently being held at Radisson Hotel Premises Kathmandu, offers more than a buffet of Japanese dishes. It creates a space for cultural exchange bringing Japanese culinary traditions closer to Nepalis.

The festival marks the seventh anniversary of Hokkaido Group , a company specialising in Japanese cuisine and hospitality in Nepal. For the first edition of the food festival, it has brought a Japanese sushi chef, Kazunori Hayashi, to Nepal. The chef is introducing diners to authentic Japanese culinary practices through sushi preparation, matcha tea and calligraphy demonstrations.