My new cookbook, The Japanese Pantry, and where to celebrate with me

The Japanese Pantry is my seventh cookbook! It is officially out this October 28, 2025.

This is a book that I hope will inspire people to make the most of powerful pantry ingredients and feel confident in recreating Japanese flavours at home that are inherently simple and full of flavour.

After writing Gohan, one of the things I was asked most often about was the ingredients — what to buy, how to look for them, where to get them, possible substitutions, and whether you need many special ingredients to cook Japanese food.

My vision is for home cooks to see Japanese home cooking as approachable and as accessible as they do Italian food: something easy to whip up, family friendly, economical, nourishing and comforting. Some of the recipes I’m particularly excited about are the sesame “tofu” (just 3 ingredients and 10 minutes), the “refreshing” chicken in the vinegar chapter, the takikomigohan, the umeboshi chicken (4 ingredients!), and hoto noodle hot pot, which is the most comforting, warming dish and happens to be vegan.

It has been such an honour to be able to write another book about Japanese home cooking with Smith Street Books, with the support of Hannah Koelmeyer and her wonderful team, my team of recipe testers and the help of the talented Yuki Sugiura, who contributed to some of the photographs.

UK BOOK TOUR

Saturday October 25 – Miso cooking class at Divertimenti Cookery School where we will make hoto nabe noodle soup, grilled rice balls with walnut miso sauce and miso cookies! 11am – 1:45pm (227-229 Brompton Road London, SW3 2EP)

Monday October 27 — Koji workshop with Yuki Gomi & Emiko Davies at Honey & Co Studio; we will make homemade miso, and taste some recipes from my book! (47 Lambs Conduit Street, Bloomsbury, WC1N 3NG)

Tuesday October 28 – cooking demo and book signing at the most beautiful bookshop, Toppings & Co, Bath

ONLINE

Thursday, November 6 — Join me in conversation with Sonoko Sakai for Booklarder

Sunday, November 9 — Cook along with me (use EMIKO50 for 50% off for first 20 people, RICE15 for 15% off) for Milkstreet’s virtual masterclass

Where to pre-order the book:

UK/EU: 30 Oct 2025 | GBP £30 | Amazon, Bookshop.org UK

AUS/NZ: 04 Nov 2025 | AUD $55| Amazon, Booktopia, Readings, YourBookstore

US/CAN: 28 Oct 2025 | USD $40, CAN $55 | Amazon, Bookshop.org US, Rizzoli

But please consider the best place to order and purchase books is from your local independent book seller — they can pre-order books for you too!

Publisher: Smith Street Books, Melbourne
Designer: Michelle Mackintosh
Photography: Yuki Sugiura, Junichi Miyazaki and Emiko Davies