In New York City on February 1, a Food Forum Lecture & Tasting was hosted by the Japan Society, with Kikkoman Corporation as a co-sponsor. The theme for this event was Food Culture in the Meiji Era: Japanese & Western Harmony 2005, which focused on how the Japanese incorporated Western foods into their own cuisine from the late nineteenth century. Speakers included Noriko Yanagihara, Japanese food specialist focusing on the preservation of Japanese culinary tradition, and Dr. Katarzyna Cwiertka of Leiden Universitys Centre for Japanese and Korean Studies. The forum was moderated by Elizabeth Andoh, lecturer and writer specializing in Japanese foodways. Following the lectures, a panel discussion and Q&A were held, and visitors also enjoyed a tasting session involving sukiyaki, tonkatsu (deep-fried breaded pork) and curry rice.

In New York, where new trends are constantly born, Japanese-Western fusion cuisine is quite popular. This Food Forum event, which examined the spirit of fusion that lies at the foundation of Japanese food culture, proved to be a hit with its standing room-only audience.