Yet, outside of Japan, she remains relatively unknown. We celebrate the male samurai and the male sushi masters, but we forget the woman who saved the recipes when the world was changing too fast.
Her name was (also known historically as Nene or Nei, depending on the period source).
If you have ever wondered why Japanese cuisine places such a heavy emphasis on seasonality ( shun ), presentation, or the delicate balance of flavors, you are witnessing the echo of Azami’s life’s work. Born in the late 19th century during the turbulent Meiji Restoration—a time when Japan was violently swinging from feudal isolation to rapid Westernization—Nene Azami saw a crisis on the horizon. Young Japanese women were abandoning traditional katei ryouri (home cooking) in favor of imported, convenient foods. Western meat dishes were becoming status symbols, while the subtle art of making proper dashi (broth) was being forgotten.