Japan/California Update

Nearly five years ago California Heartland traveled to Japan to ask, "What does the future hold for California products in the Japanese marketplace?" Now we revisit this question to see what has changed...and some of the newest trends may surprise you.

We'll discover what the Japanese want from California and how those products get there. But Pat wanted to find out more about one little, red, ripe juicy item on sale at a Tokyo supermarket.

The pace of life for people in Japan is increasing so rapidly that there is a new demand for a style of fast food that relies heavily on the Golden State. Pat keeps pace with this fast-moving trend.

California's climate is just right for making sake because of cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Pat tours the Gekkeikan state-of-the-art facility in Folsom to see how the sake brewing process has changed since it was invented more than 360 years ago in Fushimi, Japan.

Pat traveled to Los Angeles to try her hand at becoming a sushi chef. Did you know there's a school for that? There is and California Heartland takes you there.

In the town of Marysville, one Japanese firm, Shoei Foods, is not only feeding the body, but through its cross-cultural outreach, it's also feeding the soul.