Nancy Singleton Hachisu - Cookbook Author, Food Journalist

James Beard Award–winning food journalist, acclaimed cookbook author, and tireless champion of Japanese artisanal ingredients and traditional foodways, Nancy Singleton Hachisu has spent over three decades embedded in the Japanese countryside, not as an observer, but as a participant.

Her books Japanese Farm Food, Preserving the Japanese Way, Japan: The Cookbook, and Food Artisans of Japan form a body of work dedicated to advocating for Japan's disappearing food traditions, shining a light on the producers, craftspeople, and regional techniques that rarely make it into the mainstream conversation.

In her work, the chefs and artisans she champions are chosen not for Michelin stars or media exposure, but for soulful food, genuine connection to local ingredients, and an unwavering dedication to craft, values that translate just as readily to the knife makers and tool artisans of Japan as they do to its farmers and cooks.

Alice Waters has called her "a vital bridge between farmers in the United States and farmers in Japan."