Get a taste of Japanese culture this week when the Consulate General of Japan presents a free screening of the 2013 Japanese feature film A Tale of Samurai Cooking – A True Love Story at the University of Victoria’s Cinecenta theatre Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m.
Adapted from the popular manga by Mari Yamazaki and winner of the 2010 Manga Grand Prix and the 14th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize - Short Story Award, the story revolves around Haru, an impetuous recent divorcee with superb culinary skills.
The samurai chef of the Kaga Clan tries to persuade her to marry his son, Yasunobu Funaki, who will inherit the role of “kitchen samurai” as chief cook for the clan lord.
For generations, the Funaki samurai have wielded the kitchen knife instead of the sword as the Kaga clan’s chefs or “kitchen samurai.” Regularly preparing food for the nobility, their skills have made Kaga cuisine legendary.
“Here on Canada’s West Coast, Japanese cuisine and sushi in particular have gained much popularity and so a film about traditional Japanese cuisine will be something many people can appreciate from first-hand experience eating Japanese food,” says Ikue Matsumoto, cultural section officer. “I hope that the film will be a light-hearted and entertaining way for people to increase their appreciation of the traditions of Japanese food with its unique nuances and also create greater understanding of the culture of Japan.”