Original subtitles

I'm Paul Hollywood, and, yes, I like my food.

[narrator] And that's lucky because food is why Paul has come to Japan

for the first time in his life.

-Oh, no. -[laughter]

[narrator] He wants to expose himself to all this country has to offer,

although, thankfully that's not his bottom.

Paul's time here is about flexing his culinary muscles.

That's an oyster, not a mussel.

Paul is in Japan to eat.

[Paul] I've never been to Japan before.

I mean, why, would I? I'm a baker.

It's all about rice and noodles, isn't it?

Ta-da!

[Paul] Anyway, I'm told it's now the number one destination

for food lovers, and that's why I'm here.

I'm on a bit of a mission, to learn why this country

is so obsessed with food...

That's mental.

...to see if the food here is as good as everyone tells me...

[man] We like this junk food.

[laughter]

[Paul] ...and learn why eating plays such a crucial role

in all aspects of Japanese life.

350 English pound

for that strawberry.

Just think about that for a minute.

[narrator] And, Paul being Paul,

he's bound to find a way to get bread involved somehow.

Ooh, yeah.

[man screams] Welcome to Japan, Paul Hollywood.

[narrator] Paul's now been in Japan for two weeks.

He's learned a bit about the etiquette of eating here.

-Please stop pointing with chopsticks. -Why?

-It's rude. -Okay.

[narrator] He's found some food he loves...

[in Japanese]

[narrator] ...a lot that's surprised him.

[Paul] I never expected to see that in Japan.

Bread is amazing.

I'm loving it, I'm in heaven.

[narrator] And some food he never wants to eat again.

Oh, jeez. It's rank.

[narrator] But crucially, he's discovered how important

all food is to the Japanese.

[Paul] This whole building is dedicated to pot noodles.

[narrator] And that they're even prepared to fight for the food they love.

[Paul] All of this for rice.

[narrator] Now Paul wants his final week in Japan

to be all about seeking out the most weird,

wonderful and astounding food stories this country has to offer.

And his first stop promises to be right up there

as one of the most astounding places he's visited.

Paul's heading deep into the Japanese countryside

for an extraordinarily fruity experience.

He's going strawberry picking.

It's pick your own in the UK, isn't it?

Spend a day in the field doing the farmer's work for him,

getting sunburnt and eating as many as you can.

One in the basket, one in your gob

and then you feel a little bit sick on your way home.

[narrator] In Gifu Prefecture, about 30 minutes' drive

northwest of the city of Nagoya, is the Okuda Strawberry Farm.

At first sight, it doesn't look that special, and Paul,

well, he doesn't look very impressed, does he?

[Paul] They were telling me this guy's got some amazing strawberries, you know?

I've seen better in the UK, if I'm honest.

£1.50 a punnet, I think they're about two quid

in the UK at the moment.

I mean, they look okay.

Oh, he's got a few down there, 8.50.

Hang on.

Let me just double check.

17 quid?

Can't be right?

You know, everyone's experienced strawberries before.

We're British for goodness' sake.

Apparently we make the best strawberries in the world.

And sometimes you might even pay £5 a punnet and you go,

"Oh, that's quite expensive, it's a bit of an extravagance."

[narrator] But as a slightly confused, yet intrigued,

Mr Hollywood heads inside the farm shop,

even 17 quid for a punnet starts to look like a bargain.

[Paul] So, 140 quid for that box of strawberries.

Has he made a mistake on-- has he made a mistake?

Hang on. I don't want to buy the place,

I just want to buy a strawberry.

£16 a strawberry.

[laughs]

I've got to find out about this.

[narrator] This is owner and founder, Mr Mikio Okuda...

-[Paul] Konnichi wa. -[narrator] ...who's been growing

strawberries for 45 years.

Um, I see your strawberries go up in value,

all the way up to 20,000 yen for this box.

The prices are very, very expensive.

What makes your strawberries the most expensive I've ever heard of?

[in Japanese]

[whimsical music playing]

He supplies these mega money places with these beautiful strawberries,

and I thought, "What's it going to taste like?"

Oh.

It's--it's incredible.

It's almost rose-like in its flavour.

-It's juicy. -Juicy. [in Japanese]

[Paul] It's definitely the most impressive strawberry

I've ever eaten in my life.

Then eventually he showed us where he grew the strawberries in these polytunnels.

Which was really hot, by the way.

I mean, humidity levels like 90%.

It's a bit warm in here.

[narrator] In Japan, almost all strawberries are grown like this,

under plastic through the winter months.

The long, slow ripening is said to make them sweeter.

[Paul] Wow, look at the size of these fellas.

They're huge.

[in Japanese]

[Paul] I always thought the bigger the strawberry,

the more the water, less flavour.

Oh.

[in Japanese]

But I was so wrong.

Oh.

Thank you.

-Oh. -[in Japanese]

Yeah.

Oh, my word, that's fantastic.

Juicy. Juicy.

[Paul] What is it that makes your strawberries the best in the world?

[in Japanese]

[narrator] Now, Paul may think he's already had the best strawberries

he'll ever taste, but incredibly,

Okuda-san has kept the best till last.

Where he gone?

Ah, more strawberries.

[narrator] This is a new variety which Okuda-san has spent

the last few years perfecting.

[Paul] Remember the colour, looking at it going,

"Wow, they look really red."

Tell me about this.

What's this then?

[in Japanese]

Yeah.

[narrator] This strawberry is now thought to be the very best you can buy

in the whole world.

-[in Japanese] -The smell. Wow.

That's intense.

It's heavy.

How much is this strawberry then?

[in Japanese]

50,000 yen?

[in Japanese]

-I don't want all of these, just one. -One.

I didn't know what to say.

350 English pound for that strawberry.

Just think about that for a minute.

I mean, it's such a leap from 20 to 350 pound.

Do you drive a Ferrari?

[laughter]

You do, don't you? You have a set of Ferraris round the back there.

I have never drank or eaten any food

that's more expensive than that.

Would you mind holding that for me a second?

Thank you.

This is all my money.

Two, three...

I understand this guy.

His passion for strawberries is incredible.

He invented this. He grew this thing.

For a strawberry.

50,000 yen, my friend.

Thanks, Del.

I'll give it a go.

It's like, it makes you happy.

He's happy, he's got 50,000 yen.

But it actually makes you really happy.

It's like--it's like an apple meets a strawberry meets a grape

meets a whole bunch of red roses that you're smelling.

It's just beautiful.

He creates the best strawberries in the world,

without a shadow of a doubt.

-Wow. -Wow.

[narrator] Okuda-san's biggest ever single sale was for this variety.

There's about five, there.

[narrator] A man bought one strawberry for each of his 17 party guests.

And the price?

£6,033.

Even the stalk tasted good.

You're a master.

[narrator] It's going to be hard to top a £350 strawberry.

But Paul's certainly up for the challenge.

The Japanese love of cherry blossom,

or Sakura as it's known here,

puts British celebrations of spring firmly in the shade.

Celebrating spring in the UK.

Er, well there's a bluebell wood near us.

Loads of people stop and take selfies and park everywhere.

Er, we get May Day bank holidays.

Yeah, do people still dance round maypoles?

And Morris dancers?

Are they part of the spring celebrations?

I'm not a fan of Morris dancers.

[narrator] It's fair to say that the Japanese

go utterly bonkers for cherry blossom.

Throughout spring, the weather forecast ends

with a daily Sakura update,

predicting where the blossom will be best.

And right now, that's in the town of Kawazu, on the Izu Peninsula,

where the pink trees, and the crowds who've come to see them,

stretch for a couple of miles along the river bank.

Paul's come too, with Yuriko Kotani,

a UK-based Japanese comedian,

who's flown home specifically to show him the cherry blossom.

[Yuriko] Well, it's just gorgeous. Look at the colours.

It's beautiful.

-Pink just makes you content, isn't it? -I think happy.

-Yeah. -Yeah, it does, I must admit.

I'm a bit of a grump, to be honest,

but when you look down there and see this...

[Yuriko] Yeah, look, it's just a tunnel.

It's the beginning-of-the-year kind of feeling,

and also these beautiful flowers are...

-doesn't last too long. -[Paul] Yeah.

[Yuriko] So, we appreciate the moment as much as we can.

It's like sunshine in Britain, you know?

Well, yeah, that's true.

[narrator] Almost half of Japan's 126 million population

take part in blossom-themed hanami picnics every year.

And for those that don't bring a picnic, there's row after row of food stalls.

[Paul] They have a saying in Japan, which Yuriko taught me,

"Hana yori dango".

That means "food over flowers".

So, yeah, come and enjoy the pretty pink trees

and get stuck into your food.

[narrator] There's a street food feast on offer here.

But sugar is really the thing.

In times past, sugar was a luxury only enjoyed at festivals.

So, this was and still is a chance to overdose on the sweet stuff.

Mm.

[narrator] And of course a lot of it comes in just one choice of colour,

pink.

Like taiyaki, fish-shaped pancakes stuffed with pink custard cream.

Do you know what? The custard inside is delicious.

It's the bubble-gum on the outside I don't get.

[narrator] And Sakura-flavoured mochi.

That's sweet pounded rice.

[Paul] Last time I had a texture like that, I was wallpapering a wall.

[laughs] Wallpaper?

-Is there a bin round here anywhere? -Shh.

It's not just at the festivals where everything turns pink.

You walk into a Japanese supermarket in spring

and there's a Sakura-flavoured version

of pretty much everything you can eat.

Look what I bought, a cherry blossom Kit Kat.

That classic British chocolate bar,

and it's a Japanese obsession.

Throughout Japan,

the Japanese love their chocolate fingers

as much as they love their cherry blossom.

So far, Nestle have launched over 400 different flavours

of Kit Kat in Japan, and every day,

the Japanese eat five million of these little chocolate bars.

That's almost two billion every year.

[narrator] Appropriately, on a very small picnic rug under the Sakura trees,

Yuriko has gathered together an impressive selection

of Japan's favourite chocolate bar for Paul to try.

I don't understand what a Japanese Kit Kat is.

This is a Kit Kat.

-Yeah. -[Yuriko] That's--

Milk chocolate, wafer.

That's the proper one.

[Yuriko] There are so many flavours.

-That's chestnut. -Chestnut?

-Yeah. -[Paul] So, what's that one?

[Yuriko] Can you guess?

Er... Nettle?

[Yuriko] It's wasabi.

-Wasabi Kit Kat? -Your favourite, yes.

-That's horrible. -[laughs]

[Paul] I mean, these sold all over the country, are they?

[Yuriko] Yes, and we do regional ones as well.

For example, this is, from Tokai area, my region.

It's an azuki red bean toast sandwich.

[narrator] Kit Kat's huge popularity here

is largely due to the fact that the Japanese

view this chocolate bar as being lucky.

In Japanese, we got a phrase.

-[Paul] Right? -Kitto katsu.

Kitto kato?

Means, like, a win for sure. Hopefully you win.

-So, it's a lucky thing? -Yeah, like a good luck charm.

[narrator] Capitalising on the fact that Kit Kat sounds like "kitto katsu",

Nestle marketed the bar as being lucky.

And they send out 300,000 every year to students at exam time.

Across Japan, Kit Kats have now become the chocolate equivalent

of a four-leaf clover.

[Paul] What's that one? Oh, that's matcha.

-Matcha green tea? That is revolting. -[Yuriko] Yeah.

I mean, how dare they do that to a Kit Kat?

[Yuriko] So I'm just wondering, like, why don't Britain do similar thing?

For example, doughnut flavour.

I suppose you could do a roast beef.

-Yeah. -Yorkshire pudding.

-Yeah. -Fish and chip Kit Kat.

Yeah, Cornish pasty.

If you come up with a Cornish pasty Kit Kat,

me and you are going to fall out.

Because I promise you, Cornish pasties stay in a rough puff pasty.

They do not, and I repeat,

do not, ever go in a Kit Kat.

[narrator] Paul has, of course, enjoyed a good few chocolate fingers

as he's travelled around Japan.

And as we've seen, he's also discovered that

the Japanese are dab hands at another of his favourites, baking.

I'd have a sandwich with that any day.

[narrator] But man cannot live by bread and chocolate alone.

Although that is an attractive thought.

While exploring this extraordinary country,

Mr Hollywood's also put away a fair number of bentos,

the traditional Japanese lunchbox.

Oh, that's good salmon.

[narrator] The Japanese eat their way through billions

of shop-bought bentos every year.

However, most parents still prepare bento boxes at home every day

for their kids to take to school.

And the care they take doing it puts us Brit parents to shame.

My mum never exactly lavished love on my packed lunch for school.

Cheese sandwich on sliced white, carton of orange juice,

ready salted crisps, chocolate bar.

And then she lobbed in an apple,

which spent most of the morning bouncing round in the Tupperware box

and was covered in bruises by lunchtime.

-Tomomi. -Hai.

Lovely to meet you. Nice to meet you too.

-How do you start? With the rice? -Yeah. [laughs]

[narrator] This is Tomomi Maruo.

She laughs a lot.

[laughing]

[narrator] But she's also a bit of a bento artist

and has become a YouTube sensation in Japan,

teaching parents how to make the most extraordinary bento boxes

for their children.

I'll tell you what, the sticky rice is really proper sticky.

[narrator] And today she's teaching Paul.

-I mean, proper sticky rice. -[Tomomi] So, you shouldn't touch.

Well, I--you have to, don't you?

Tomomi makes kyaraben, which are character bentos,

food styled to look like celebrities and cartoon characters.

So, I thought I'd make a kyaraben based on the Bake Off team,

me, Pru, Sandi and Noel.

Let's face it, it's going to make the character bento box look amazing.

[Tomomi] Put soy sauce, put colour on the rice.

-I'm tending to be brown. -Me too.

Cos I've a perma-tan.

Noel's very white cos he's a vampire.

[laughs]

[narrator] Tomomi started out just making kyaraben for her kids.

-They requested me what to make, so -What did they want?

-First, cartoon characters. -Ah.

[narrator] But when other mums started asking for lessons...

Here's this fishcake.

[Paul] Right.

[narrator] ...she started making videos for the internet.

-You look angry. -[Paul] I do.

-I look like an angry sumo. -Yeah, right.

Some more?

-I didn't want you to agree with that. -[laughs]

[narrator] And now Tomomi has a large and loyal online following.

-[Tomomi] Vampire. -Noel.

-Because he's dead. -He died five years ago.

Sorry for him.

[narrator] Kyaraben has become massively popular

and parents now compete to make sure their kid has the best

and most stylish packed lunch.

Doesn't need to be competitive, right?

Yeah, but you always get competitive mums and competitive dads.

-I've been in a school sports day. -Mm.

[narrator] Forget fancy trainers.

If you want status in a Japanese playground,

you need to be revealing a brilliant kyaraben

every time you open your lunchbox.

-Sandi. She's got a little scarf on. -[Tomomi] Kawaii, cute.

[Paul] I'm going to try and work on Pru now.

Can I take some of that ham, please?

[narrator] It's all got so competitive

that some schools have now banned kyaraben

to try and restore peace in the playground

and at the school gate.

So, you've started a big problem now in schools.

The faces were basically rice balls with a bit of dressing.

But to finish off the bento boxes,

Tomomi had me making a whole load of other decorations

out of a whole variety of other food.

[Tomomi] Like a heart shape.

How clever is that?

You know in the UK, we say you should have your five a day?

-[Tomomi] Rose. -[Paul] Mm.

Kawaii, kawaii.

Ah, yeah.

Well, in Japan they say they should have 30

different types of food every day as part of a balanced diet.

[playful music playing]

[Paul] I'm really happy with that.

Noel's even got a broken nose.

[laughing]

-Arigatou. -Ditashimashite.

That is fantastic.

Although two and a half hours to make a lunchbox.

Back to Kit Kat and an apple for me.

I brought a gift for you.

You brought a gift for me?

Yeah. Ta-da.

Ah.

[laughter]

[Paul] That's fantastic.

-Arigatou. -Ditashimashite.

-I hope you like it. -That is fantastic.

I think I sit there quite well.

You've even given me dark hair. Bless you. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Food on TV in Britain.

Well, we've got lots of television chefs, haven't we?

And we've got a fair few competitive food shows.

The best of those is one called The Great British Bake Off.

You might've heard of it.

[speaks Japanese]

[narrator] Food dominates Japanese TV

and features in a massive number of programmes.

There are hundreds of food-based game shows,

thousands of food-based anime,

endless cookery shows and food documentaries.

And amongst the most popular shows on Japanese TV are

the huge number of what are called gourmet dramas,

which follow the main character as they go for dinner

and, well, that's it.

[slurping]

[narrator] The Japanese love food eating contests too,

many of which get broadcast live on national TV

and attract millions of viewers.

One of the most popular is the All Japan Wanko Soba contest,

held in the small town of Hanamaki in Iwate Prefecture.

Here, food fighters compete to eat the most bowls of noodles

against the clock.

[Paul] Now, the big competition is only for professional food fighters

and they train for months to take part.

But I've been told that anyone who comes to Hanamaki

can take on the eating challenge.

And, well, I love noodles.

[in Japanese]

[narrator] As Paul never likes eating alone,

today he'll be going head to head with a pair of famous big eaters,

as they shoot a video for their YouTube channel.

[in Japanese]

[all cheering]

[Paul speaks in Japanese]

[both speaking in Japanese]

[in Japanese]

[narrator] The Harapeko twins, Kako and Mako,

are part of a YouTube phenomenon...

[both speaking in Japanese]

[narrator] ...which has swept across Japan in the last few years.

[both speaking in Japanese]

[Paul] They video themselves eating ridiculously huge plates of food

and then post it online

and millions, and I mean millions of people watch them.

I found it fascinating with those twins,

because literally, I could put my arms round them

and slap my own face, probably both of them at the same time.

What's the most amount of food you've ever eaten in one sitting?

[in Japanese]

Eight kilos of pasta?

[in Japanese]

Wow!

Obviously, I'm a big lad,

so what I wanna know is how do you stay so slim?

[in Japanese]

[in Japanese]

[in Japanese]

[laughing]

[narrator] And then, once everything is in place,

it's time to eat.

[Paul] Right, let's bring it on.

[in Japanese]

[dramatic music playing]

[narrator] The challenge lasts 20 minutes,

and every time they finish a bowl, it gets refilled by the ladies in kimonos.

Give me a minute, yeah?

[narrator] The empty bowls are piled up to show how much you've eaten.

And before you ask, 'wanko' means bowl in the local dialect.

That's mental!

I'm struggling, to be honest.

How far in, are we?

-[woman] Fifteen more minutes.

-[man] Fifteen more minutes. -Fifteen more minutes?

[laughter]

[narrator] Having managed only 14 bowls,

Paul's wanko soba challenge comes to an early and abrupt end.

I can't.

-[man] Come on, Paul. -I can't, mate.

I can't have any more. That's mental.

Like machines.

[narrator] But while Paul is beaten,

the twins are only just hitting their stride.

[upbeat music playing]

That's, I've never seen anything like it.

I mean, look at the size, that's what baffles you, they're miniature.

It's extraordinary, innit?

[narrator] This eating challenge apparently dates from the 17th century,

when a high-ranking local landowner visited Hanamaki.

It was a poor town and the people were embarrassed that all

they had to offer him was simple soba noodles.

Can you hear the belching, Ben? Can you? [laughs]

[narrator] To try and make the meal appear more sophisticated for their posh

guest, they served the noodles in a small, delicate bowl.

The landowner loved the noodles and asked for another bowl

and then another and then another.

And thus the wanko soba noodle eating challenge was born.

Apparently.

[speaks Japanese]

Nine, eight, seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

That's it.

[applause]

Bravo!

How are you feeling? I've never seen anything like that.

That is crazy.

[Kako in Japanese]

[narrator] These days, people travel from right across Japan to take

the challenge, and most of them manage a lot more than Paul.

You see, I did this.

That's mine.

I'm very proud.

But when you look at that, it is staggering.

Absolutely staggering.

You must be quite an expensive date.

[laughter]

[narrator] As the bowls are counted,

the twins are keen to show Paul how hard they've worked.

[Mako in Japanese]

[Paul] Oh, sweat. Yeah, yeah.

[in Japanese]

[narrator] And so to the result.

In, third place is me.

Thank you.

I ate 14.

Kako, you had 301.

Three hundred one.

Mako, 310.

[cheering]

Over 300 bowls each.

And I managed to eat 14.

Wow!

And afterwards, they actually sat and ate lunch with us, too.

You're gonna be paying for this in about an hour or two.

[speaking Japanese]

[Paul] Plop, plop, plop, plop, plop, plop, plop, plop!

[narrator] And I think it's best to leave it there.

Despite their weird love of watching people eat ridiculously huge

amounts of food, the Japanese are of course famous for having a very

healthy diet, and the lowest obesity rates of any nation on Earth.

However, if you head to the east side of Tokyo,

to Ryogoku District, you'd be excused for doubting that fact.

This is the home of Japan's national sport, sumo.

And while sumo wrestlers are still amongst the most admired

sports stars in Japan, their diet is a million miles

from that of pretty much any other elite athlete.

I'm not exactly the best person to consult on the diet of an elite

athlete, but it's probably good complex carbs, lean protein

after training, probably chicken or fish, no alcohol, no burgers.

Oh, and those horrible energy drinks.

[narrator] Paul's been given special permission to visit a sumo stable

to watch a training session and eat a sumo brunch.

And he's excited because he's going to the famous Musashigawa stable,

where the trainer is a bit of a hero of his.

[man speaking Japanese]

[Paul] I used to be a big fan of sumo when it was on Channel 4,

and my favourite fighter was the massive Hawaiian called Konishiki.

He was incredible, just enormous, and I've been looking forward

to meeting him since we arrived in Japan.

We stepped off a, a pretty minor street, and then as soon as

we slid the doors open and walked in the dojo, you went back 300 years.

[classical music playing]

[Paul] Everybody was listening to the masters and there was respect.

You were in a very special place.

And then I got to meet Konishiki.

I'm a big fan.

I'm a big fan of you. Lovely to meet you.

I remember watching you when you came out and it was--

it was your size.

cos even the Japanese guys were nowhere near your size.

[Konishiki] Yeah, I was the biggest, heaviest in sumo history.

You were.

[narrator] At his biggest, Konishiki weighed an incredible 46 stone.

And look, he even makes Paul look tiny.

There are 19 sumo wrestlers in this stable,

and the small building is a lot more than just a gym for them.

They live here, cooking, eating, sleeping and training

under the watchful eye of stable boss

and former sumo champion, Musashimaru.

[Paul] I got to the stable at 7:00 a.m., and by that time the guys had

already been training for an hour, and they were still on warm-up.

[narrator] They train for a minimum of four hours every day,

but if the stable boss doesn't think they're working hard enough,

it can go on a lot longer.

[Konishiki] He has to see you practice good

to make the day finish early.

You can sit here, like, 12, one o'clock

if you're not practising the way he says you should...

[Paul] It's just full-on, full-on.

[Konishiki] Full-on and then, like, if you're not doing good,

the boss gonna have to keep on going.

[narrator] Training hard though is only half the story of becoming a great sumo.

The other half is all about eating.

[Paul] What about your diet?

It's two meals a day. We only eat two meals a day.

-[Paul] Just two meals a day? -[Konishiki] Two meals a day.

[Paul] And your calorie intake? What sort of levels are you looking at?

I think average for one meal, probably, these boys over here,

probably anything between four, four to six maybe.

Thousand?

-Thousand per meal. -Calories. Wow.

Four to six thousand calories per meal.

That's up to 12,000 calories per day.

To put that into context, in the UK, the average bloke, like me,

is recommended to eat 2,500 calories per day.

They're eating five times that.

[Konishiki] Like, there's no breakfast.

These guys, we practice on an empty stomach.

We're not allowed to drink anything too.

Well, surely you, you need to put the weight on.

[Konishiki] Yeah, but when you go to hard practice,

it's hours of practice, so you can tell we--

our first meal's after practice, you know, brunch, lunch.

-[Paul] And what sort of food? -[Konishiki] It's like a stew.

It contains a lot of protein and a lot of vegetables at the same time.

Is there any chance, would you allow me to go

and make something for you guys to eat?

I think the boss, you gotta ask the boss.

Is it okay if I go and bake something for you guys to eat?

-Thank you. -[Konishiki] Are you a cook too?

Oh, yeah, that's what my job is!

[narrator] As the training continues, Paul tucks himself into the tiny kitchen

and does what he does best, he makes bread.

[Paul] Making a flatbread, a very quick flatbread.

[man speaking Japanese]

[narrator] Professional sumo dates back almost 400 years,

and many of the original fighters were out of work samurai.

As the years passed, it became clear that size mattered

when trying to win a bout, so sumo wrestlers got bigger and bigger.

[Paul] The reason why this dough has moved so quick is cos

the heat in here from the sumo guys in there,

it's very humid.

And you expect it to be a bit sweaty smelling.

It isn't at all.

Cleanliness in the whole body is a really important part

of sumo as well.

Oh, yeah.

[narrator] With training finally over, Paul's quickly joined in the kitchen

by some very hungry and very scantily clad young men.

I found it a little bit disconcerting when

one of the sumo guys came in.

I sort of went...

[narrator] One of the first things that new recruits to a sumo stable

are taught is to cook the main dish that has been eaten

by generations of sumo wrestlers to build bulk.

Look at that.

[narrator] A massive pot of protein-rich stew called chankonabe.

And what's in that?

[in Japanese]

[Paul] Incredible. It does smell amazing.

A lot of these sumo guys, when they leave,

will actually open up a restaurant and serve just that.

I mean, it's such a specialist food.

Do you enjoy cooking?

[in Japanese]

Yeah?

[man in Japanese]

Don't we all?

[narrator] The chankonabe is eaten in vast quantities by the sumo trainees,

with up to six bowls of rice each, and a fair few side dishes,

which today include Paul's flatbreads.

[Paul] Try it, see what you think.

[in Japanese]

It's good.

[Paul] Loads of flavour, lots of flavour.

But this is, like, the, the main dish, chankonabe.

[Paul] It tasted beautiful, intense, lots of flavour.

And the volume those guys eat is just incredible.

The other guys, when do they get to eat?

After we all finish.

We, we are served.

Until we're done,

-none of them allowed to eat. -Right.

[Konishiki] So, they serve, they clean up,

when the guests is leaving, then they all come and eat.

So, you see that too, they, they're working on an empty stomach,

-remember that. -[Paul] Yeah, yeah.

But their heads, they, they already understand that system

is what's gonna take them a long way, right?

[Paul] Yeah, absolutely.

Carry on, so I can eat all the bread, carry on.

You've gotta leave 'em something.

Keep on going. Keeping busy.

I'm working, I'm working.

Gentlemen, thank you very, very much

for allowing me into your place today, cos I've loved it.

-Hope you enjoyed your trip. -Yeah, thank you.

It's a big honour to be invited in to sit there

and watch these guys train.

Being allowed to bake for the sumo guys was a real pleasure as well.

I think just to be there,

I, I'm gonna buzz off that for the rest of my life.

[narrator] Appropriately, Paul's finishing his trip in a city which many

leading food critics believe to be the food capital of the world,

Osaka.

Osaka is a shopper's heaven, with over 40,000 retail outlets.

And it has a reputation as Japan's party city.

But Paul is, of course, here for the food,

so he's signed up for a lovely lady called Ayako

to take him on the kuidaore food tour.

In Osaka, kuidaore literally means

"eat until you ruin yourself, financially and physically."

-Financially and physically? -Financially and physically.

[narrator] Also joining Paul for the evening is Saku Yanagawa,

a comedian who's a big fan of the city.

-Saku's from this area as well. -Oh, yes, he is.

You're familiar with this philosophy of just eat till you drop?

Yeah, exactly, yeah.

[narrator] Osaka boasts almost 100 Michelin-starred restaurants,

but what draws people here from all over is its celebrated street food.

And it's street food on a whole different level

to what Paul's used to back home.

We have a lot of those trendy pop-up street food places in the UK,

selling speciality sausages or falafel wraps.

But traditional British street food is a burger van,

or a caravan doing doner kebabs after you've left the pub.

I like a hot dog.

[woman speaks Japanese]

-Would you like some? -Oh, yeah.

-Here's the beer. -Arigato.

When you're out doing a food tour, you're on the pop as well, are you?

Yes.

This is the beauty of being a tour guide.

[Paul] Yeah, absolutely, yeah.

First up, we tried gyoza.

[narrator] Gyoza are thin, half steamed,

half fried pancakes, stuffed with minced pork and veg.

[Paul] Now, I've had gyoza before, I was familiar with them, and I love them.

But these? Wow.

I mean, that is absolutely delicious.

Now, I know that, generally, round Japan,

eating and drinking on the streets is frowned upon.

But in Osaka, it's actually encouraged.

Right, where we going to next?

-Let's go to Takoyaki. -[Saku] Oh!

Octopus dumplings.

-Is it cooked? -It's cooked.

It's not raw.

I've had a lot of raw fish.

[laughter]

[Paul] Takoyaki is apparently Osaka's famous food.

What it is, is basically fish balls,

which are filled with octopus tentacles.

I love watching the way they form these balls

just with the wooden skewer.

They were so fast and so deft at it.

[Ayako] Ah, one of the most popular Japanese people snack.

[Saku] People say it's Osaka people's soul food.

[Ayako] Thank you.

It can be very hot, so please be careful.

-Really? -Be careful.

Oh, wow.

Yeah, yeah.

-[Ayako] You're very brave. -[Paul] Ah.

Ooh, ooh!

This is typical Osaka style, enjoy the heat.

It's literally lava.

[Saku] You saw they cooked, right?

[Paul] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I dunno why, I just thought it'd be cool by then.

[Saku] I'm real Osakan, so when I eat it, I'll never be like, "Ah" any more.

I'm used to it. Eat properly.

Yeah!

Yup, don't give me that.

They taste amazing.

I mean, the batter's very light on that side

and the octopus inside is delicious.

Go ahead. I think I've lost the roof of my mouth.

It's now hanging in tatters.

-I think beer will heal you. -I should've got a beer.

Yeah, beer will heal you.

[cheering]

[narrator] Next stop, Showa Taishu Horumon,

for another Osakan delicacy.

So, what are we gonna eat here then? What's the next dish?

We're going to have the horumon.

-The what? -Horumon.

-Offals. Intestines of the cow. -Exactly.

[narrator] In the local dialect, horumon means "what's to be thrown away."

Made from beef or pork offal, it was invented in 1940s Osaka,

at a time of widespread food shortages.

[Ayako] The first one here, this is the small intestines.

And the other one is cartilage of the throat.

Ooh. Ooh. Ooh. Yeah.

Yes, typical cartilage.

So, I'm guessing you know what wagyu beef is, right?

It's famous globally as being the best beef in the world.

And Osaka is slap bang in the middle of wagyu country.

But this is part of the cow I didn't think I was ever gonna eat.

[narrator] First up for Paul, intestines.

Sinking.

[Saku] No, I know he likes it.

The flavour is good.

The texture's a bit rubbery.

That's what we enjoy, chewing, chewing, chewing.

Can't wait to try the throat?

-You're trying it first? -Mm.

You've not had this before, have you?

Chewing on the cartilage.

It's really unique, actually.

Oh, that's not a good word.

[Ayako chuckles]

[laughter]

You can't eat that.

-It's like chewing on a bit of rubber. -Mm.

Now, can we please try and find some...beef?

-[Ayako] Beef, yes, definitely. -[Saku] Yeah.

[Paul] Finally, we were heading for Wagyu.

Hallelujah.

-Kobe beef. -Kobe beef.

[narrator] Outside of Japan, the most famous type of wagyu is Kobe beef.

And in Osaka, if you've got deep pockets,

you can buy the very best Kobe beef from a street stall.

Oh, yeah, look at that. That's marvellous.

I mean, it's that marbley, it looks like salmon.

And how much is that piece?

10,000 yen.

-Ooh. -[Paul] What? 70 quid?

Ooh, 70 quid on street food.

[Saku] You know how good it is, right?

[Paul] It's very, very expensive, I know that.

But, wow.

I mean, when you're in Japan, you've gotta have it.

All wagyu meats are graded by experts.

A to C is the yield and one to five is the quality.

And there, in the street stall in the middle of Osaka,

is the best wagyu in the world, A5.

I'm dribbling.

This is gonna be amazing.

[Ayako] Arigato [speaks Japanese]

Arigato [speaks Japanese]

Wow. Look at that.

[Saku] Don't drop it.

Back away. Back away.

-Okay, tuck in, guys. -Yeah.

Ha-ha, oh!

-[Saku] Yeah. -[Paul] Wow, wow, wow.

That is stunning.

[Saku] Exactly.

More than anything.

One of my favourite cameramen here, honestly, when he eats this,

I know he's never had anything like this before...

-[man] No, yup. -This is for you now.

There you go, mate. Try that.

Honestly.

Now, tell me that's not the best meat you've ever had.

Er, I'll be honest, yes.

-By a long way. -[Paul] Isn't it?

Yeah. It's Incredible.

You don't chew it, do you? It falls to pieces.

Do you know what? It's one of the best meals I've had in Japan.

-Yeah. -Best one.

-That. On the street in Osaka, -Really?

-with a beer, with my friends. -Yeah, yeah.

[Paul] Oh, thank you for bringing me here. Thank you.

-[Saku] Kanpai. To Osaka. -Kanpai.

-Kanpai. -Thank you. To Osaka!

-Yeah. -And Kobe beef.

[narrator] Well, that certainly ended Paul's Japanese food adventure

on a happy note, didn't it?

Right, I'm gonna get another one.

[narrator] All things considered,

it's been a fantastic three weeks in a whole host of ways.

And it appears that Mr Hollywood has caught a serious bout

of Japanophilia.

I love Japan.

Whatever they do, they strive to be the best.

Do you know what? They actually achieve it.

Even down to growing strawberries...

Oh!

...or making a simple ramen.

The guy's got a Michelin star.

The tempura I had in Tokyo,

it was the best fish I've ever had in my life.

Oishi.

-I'm a happy man. -Mm!

-Thank you for bringing me here. -Yeah.

[Paul] And their bread...

I'm going back to the UK to try and replicate it.

I had a cheese and ham sandwich in Kyoto, away from the crew.

Let me tell you this,

it was the best cheese and ham sandwich I've ever had in my life,

in Japan!

Wherever we went, there was this constant striving

to become the best.

Not the richest, not the most famous, not to be celebrities,

but to be the best in their field.

I'm so impressed with Japanese food.

I would definitely come back.

[rock music playing]