This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Kumiko Jitsukawa, the founder of Ki-Chu New York, a traditional Japanese tableware company dedicated to enhancing appreciation of the Japanese dining experience.

Jitsukawa was born in Yokohama, Japan. She studied space design at Musashino Art University in Tokyo, moved to New York in 2001, and studied at New York School of Interior Design. She worked at the renowned lighting design firm, L’Observatoire International. She specialized in hospitality design and has overseen various high-profile projects such as Jean-George Vongerichten's restaurant Jean-Georges.