Iron Chef – Season 6, Episode 12 – Battle of Eggplant – Full Episode

How will Iron Chef Sakai fight in this battle against Shinichi Suematsu, a nature-loving challenger from Nara who’s known for his one-of-a-kind Italian dishes?

“Iron Chef” is an innovative cooking competition from Japan combining the excitement of a one-on-one sports competition with gourmet cooking.

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[MUSIC PLAYING] KENJI FUKUI: Nearly a decade ago, a man’s fantasy became reality in a form never seen before, Kitchen Stadium, a giant cooking arena. The motivation for spending his fortune to create Kitchen Stadium was to encounter new original cuisines which could be called true artistic creations. Allez cuisine!

KENJI FUKUI: To realize his dream, he started choosing the top chefs of various styles of cooking. And he named his men the Iron Chefs, the invincible men of culinary skills. Iron Chef Japanese is Rokusaburo Michiba. Iron Chef French is Hiroyuki Sakai. Iron Chef Chinese is Chen Kenichi.

And Masahiko Kobe is Iron Chef Italian. Kitchen Stadium is the arena where Iron Chefs await the challenges of master chefs from all over the world. Both the Iron Chef and challenger have one hour to tackle the theme ingredient of the day. Using all their senses, skills, creativity,

They’re to prepare artistic dishes never tasted before. And if ever a challenger wins over the Iron Chef, he or she will gain the people’s ovation and fame forever. Every battle, reputations are on the line in Kitchen stadium, where master chefs pit their artistic creations against each other. What inspiration will today’s challenger bring?

And how will the Iron Chef fight back? The heat will be on! TAKESHI KAGA: If memory serves me right, a talented young chef with a growing notoriety suddenly disappeared from Tokyo a while ago. After pounding the culinary brush, we finally tracked him down deep in the heart of Nara’s mountain

Country, running a very unique Italian restaurant, with a clientele so exclusive, he would only cook for one party a day. He cultivates and harvests his own farmland, growing his own vegetables to perfect his ideal cuisine. I’ve had a strong desire to meet this man, to savor his Italian dishes, and after persistent persuasion,

Finally convinced him to come down from the mountains and grace us with his presence in Tokyo. Today’s challenger, a chef who left a successful career in the city behind to pave his own path of cooking in the mountains of Nara, owner of L’OASI, Shinichi Nagamatsu. Nagamatsu started out as a chef by gaining

Intensive training at Al Porto, a top Italian restaurant in Downtown Tokyo. At the age of 28, he flew to Italy to further his studies and accumulate further experience. He returned to Tokyo when he was 30, but somehow was dissatisfied with his situation. When I was a chef in Tokyo, we got

Live crabs flown in from the northern island of Hokkaido. And in March, we could get broad beans grown in the southern island of Okinawa. It was easy to lose the sense of seasons working as a chef there. I saw limitation in cooking Italian food in Tokyo

Using the ingredients you can get from Tsukiji Market. TAKESHI KAGA: To pursue his convictions, he left for the natural environment of Nara, and opened L’OASI. Every morning, he turns into a fisherman and comes back to his kitchen to serve as a chef, cooking the catch of the day.

He also takes great pride in caring for his home-cultivated vegetables. He prepares and serves Italian food that is one with the land. And what’s more, to maintain the natural flavors of his beloved vegetables, he avoids using a knife as much as possible. Nagamatsu has truly created his own frontier,

And has immersed himself into furthering his dreams and convictions toward Italian food. A purist and a perfectionist. Oh, I’ve made up my mind that I’ll die in this town. I’m a first son. My family’s in the south, but I’ve made up my mind not to return there.

I’ve already told my father this. TAKESHI KAGA: Armed with dreams and determination, as well as skill, a pioneer of piquancy will now step into my Kitchen Stadium. So now, Nagamatsu, I long for the day to finally enjoy your dishes. Let us see if your convictions serve you well.

I’ve never cared about winning or losing to somebody when I’m cooking. Well, I just want to do what I do every day. [MUSIC PLAYING] KENJI FUKUI: The challenger coming in here is a man of vision, with the determination to pursue a more natural style of Italian food.

Up in the royal box are several Italian cuisine chefs who’ve all challenged here. They’ll be viewing today’s proceedings. Our guest is the actress, a natural beauty at that, Mayuko Takata. Welcome. Nice to have you here. It’s always a pleasure. Takata-san, today’s challenger, he’s a pretty deep guy.

Yeah, he sounds like a philosopher with strong beliefs of his own. And, well, I like natural approaches. You’re right. OK, good. I’m looking forward to this. OK, and our commentator, Dr. Yukio Hattori. Doc. Always a pleasure. All right, let’s bring on Chairman Kaga.

All right, a man who’s returning to the bright lights of the big city from deep in the mountains of Nara prefecture, and who’s gotten back to nature and in touch with the essence of Italian cuisine. Thank you, sir. Yes. Yes. Yes, because I’m a chef, too. Many chefs watch this show.

And fortunately, the local channel carries this program, and I can watch it in the mountains. Don’t worry. Yes. Thank you. Yes. KENJI FUKUI: Making their ascent into Kitchen Stadium, the nation’s culinary leaders, your iron chefs! Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi, and Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai. Even without Iron Chef Japanese Michiba,

Here they stand, the invincible men of culinary skills. Yes. Sakai-san, if I may. KENJI FUKUI: All right, Sakai it’ll be. Nagamatsu making it a battle of continental cuisines, taking on Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai, one of the first chefs to fuse Japanese techniques with French recipes.

His artistic use of color and presentations have earned him the moniker the Delacroix of French Cuisine. Today, he goes against a chef who celebrates nature in every dish. All right, a challenger who cherishes what the good Earth provides and when it provides. Taking on Iron Chef Sakai, he, the trendsetter,

While challenger Nagamatsu prepares dishes that stand the test of time. We are set! Let’s get it on! Allez cuisine! [GONG] KENJI FUKUI: Bang of gong. We are on. And Nagamatsu, respectful bow for the veteran Sakai. The Iron Chef, the big star in the city,

Against the humble man hidden away in the mountains of Nara. And, Doc. YUKIO HATTORI: Mhm. KENJI FUKUI: Three or four varieties of eggplants up there, right? YUKIO HATTORI: Uh, four. Right. KENJI FUKUI: OK. YUKIO HATTORI: They’re big round ones you can see front and center. KENJI FUKUI: OK, there.

YUKIO HATTORI: They’re the kamo eggplants. There’s some smaller ones right there we can see. And then if you move up, the ones with the green caps on, they’re originally from America. KENJI FUKUI: All right. YUKIO HATTORI: And then, of course, just the average garden variety ones as well.

KENJI FUKUI: OK, in the front there. MAYUKO TAKATA: Now, do they taste different? Uh, yes. And they also are used differently as well. MAYUKO TAKATA: Ah, OK. YUKIO HATTORI: Some are softer, some are more firm, things like that. So the key here is just going to be how does– SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san?

YUKIO HATTORI: –these chef use it. KENJI FUKUI: Shinichiro Ohta, go. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, so for the different kinds of eggplants, Iron Chef Sakai has picked the following, four kamo eggplants, seven regular, and eight American. On the other side, the challenger has chosen two American, 12 small, and 12 regulars.

KENJI FUKUI: All right, thanks, Ohta. YUKIO HATTORI: Interesting KENJI FUKUI: And we’re told that the challenger grows most varieties of vegetables and, of course, organic all the way. Doesn’t use any chemicals or pesticides. He’s adamant about using all natural ingredients. And I wonder what he thinks about the eggplants

We’ve got for today’s battle. YUKIO HATTORI: Well, the restaurant that he runs is called L’OASI, which is the Italian term for “oasis,” basically. MAYUKO TAKATA: Oh. YUKIO HATTORI: And it means, basically, when you’re walking through and you come across his place in the middle of nowhere,

You’re suddenly treated with a veritable oasis, great food. And he’s growing all these things himself there. He grows a lot of different things. KENJI FUKUI: Now Sakai quickly, got an American style egg plant in there, I believe, cut up into four long pieces. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, he’s frying them out.

KENJI FUKUI: Without any batter. YUKIO HATTORI: And I’ve also said many times too, the eggplants match perfectly with oil. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? MAYUKO TAKATA: Right. KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, I asked Iron Chef Sakai what he thinks about today’s theme. And he said, eggplants are in season right now,

And these that you’ve provided to me are wonderful. KENJI FUKUI: All right. Sakai there and peeling away, pairing. Close-quarters blade work pretty nifty. And Sakai, of course, recently appearing in the finale of a drama series, another network. I won’t say the name. He had one line, had to say “very good.”

You were in it too, Doc. Your line was wonderful. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, and I butchered that lots of times. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: I also ask challenger Nagamatsu what he thinks about the eggplants today. And his reply was, they’re no good. They’re not as fresh as they could be.

KENJI FUKUI: Well. MAYUKO TAKATA: Oh. KENJI FUKUI: Man knows his vegetables. MAYUKO TAKATA: Hey. KENJI FUKUI: Kind of half expected that. Every day, early AM, out on the farmland, checking the crops. Then, it’s off to go fishing or hunting for the day’s catch. So these eggplants don’t quite measure up for this proponent

Of natural foods. YUKIO HATTORI: All right, take a look at this. We’ve got those little mini bombs on the challenger’s side here, just waiting to go off. KENJI FUKUI: Yeah, make a couple cuts in, they’re liable to explode. YUKIO HATTORI: Exactly. MAYUKO TAKATA: I remember that that from before,

And the eggplants blew up, yes. KENJI FUKUI: Don’t want to detonate any today. Be careful over there. Now, here on the Iron Chef’s side. Whoa. What is in– YUKIO HATTORI: Is that wild rice? KENJI FUKUI: Nah, it can’t be. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, this is Japanese brown tea.

KENJI FUKUI: Oh, hojicha. YUKIO HATTORI: OK, it almost does look like wild rice, doesn’t it? KENJI FUKUI: But you don’t use that in French cooking, right? YUKIO HATTORI: No. MAYUKO TAKATA: No. KENJI FUKUI: All right. Sakai going off on a tangent with the hojicha, looking for something different to go

Against the natural approach of the challenger. Now on his side, and looks like he’s got some cheese right there. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, this one’s easy. It’s gorgonzola. KENJI FUKUI: OK. MAYUKO TAKATA: Mm. YUKIO HATTORI: And you notice the blue, green veins in there? That’s the mold.

KENJI FUKUI: OK, and that one’s got a rather strong smell, correct? YUKIO HATTORI: Well, kind of. A lot of people actually consider it quite mild. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Well, I love spaghetti with gorgonzola sauce. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, that’s great, isn’t it? KENJI FUKUI: Now, rice cooker here on the Iron Chef’s side.

MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, I was watching the tea he was making. The tea went into this. KENJI FUKUI: What? YUKIO HATTORI: Hmm. MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, I think he’s going to cook rice and tea. YUKIO HATTORI: Did you see any rice go in there? MAYUKO TAKATA: Uh, no, but what else do you

Expect in a rice cooker, eh? [LAUGHTER] YUKIO HATTORI: OK, good point. KENJI FUKUI: All right, chawanmushi, huh? MAYUKO TAKATA: Tea-flavored rice. YUKIO HATTORI: It could be. KENJI FUKUI: Japanese brown tea. MAYUKO TAKATA: Sounds unique. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, Iron Chef Sakai told us why he was doing that.

He says it’s to welcome the challenger from Nara, which was once the ancient capital of Japan. KENJI FUKUI: A welcome, huh? More like a provocation. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, take a look at this. KENJI FUKUI: OK, Nagamatsu working a can of tomatoes there. Just what is he doing with that?

What’s the idea with this one, Doc? MAYUKO TAKATA: He’s just crushing them for a sauce? YUKIO HATTORI: Crushing them by hand, actually. KENJI FUKUI: OK. YUKIO HATTORI: Exactly, yeah. MAYUKO TAKATA: I’ve never seen this before. KENJI FUKUI: You can– no. I haven’t seen that either. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes?

SHINICHIRO OHTA: Getting back to the challenger’s complaints about the quality of the eggplants, I asked him if he could improve them through his cooking techniques. And he replied, well, I don’t have time to go back to my farm and get some, so we’ll just have to see. He’s still not happy.

KENJI FUKUI: Oh, going to have to get over it. Sakai saying earlier the eggplants were just fine. And now here, more eggplants being fried by the Iron Chef, doing a couple of deep-fry jobs in the early going. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, well, you probably

Have to expect that, considering the way it matches with oil. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? YUKIO HATTORI: That’s what he’s got in mind here. KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Hearing all the complaining from the challenger, Iron Chef Sakai made the comment, hey, if you can’t handle it, you can always

Grumble all the way back to the hills where nobody can hear you. KENJI FUKUI: Whoa! A little tongue lashing directed at the challenger. I didn’t say it that way. KENJI FUKUI: OK, setting the record straight now. You know, on its own, the line is funny.

I’m sure it wasn’t meant to be taken serious. PA: 15 minutes have elapsed. KENJI FUKUI: 15 minutes gone. Challenger’s side now. Deep-fried eggplant coming off. YUKIO HATTORI: Mhm. KENJI FUKUI: But so far, the most intriguing thing underway is the rice on Sakai’s side. MAYUKO TAKATA: Mm. YUKIO HATTORI: Very true.

KENJI FUKUI: Yes, brown tea leaves added to the rice. It’s cooking away over there. And we will definitely want to be keeping a close watch on that one. Brown tea leaves added to the rice, cooking away over there. We will definitely want to be keeping a close watch on that one.

YUKIO HATTORI: Now, check out Sakai here. KENJI FUKUI: OK, at the blender. YUKIO HATTORI: Now, I knew this was coming, but I don’t know the plan yet. KENJI FUKUI: He’s got milk. MAYUKO TAKATA: Milk? YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, please, not ice cream. KENJI FUKUI: Eggplant ice cream may be on the way.

MAYUKO TAKATA: Hey, you can make any kind of ice cream you want. YUKIO HATTORI: As we’ve seen many times. But, yeah, it could taste all right, actually. MAYUKO TAKATA: What’s this? YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, vodka. KENJI FUKUI: All right! MAYUKO TAKATA: Vodka. YUKIO HATTORI: OK, so that means– MAYUKO TAKATA: A dessert?

YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah. MAYUKO TAKATA: Here’s the sugar. YUKIO HATTORI: OK, yeah, yeah. KENJI FUKUI: Got the dessert now. MAYUKO TAKATA: Yep, a dessert. An ice cream. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, it’s what it looks like, doesn’t it? KENJI FUKUI: We’ll see. MAYUKO TAKATA: Mm. [LAUGHS] YUKIO HATTORI: OK.

Oh, now he’s peeling the skin off here. OK, quick quiz, guys. Do you peel from the cap, or do you peel from the bottom? MAYUKO TAKATA: Well, I recently found out that you get better results if you do it from the bottom. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, there you go.

And I think that assistant could use that tip, actually. KENJI FUKUI: Yeah. MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, from the end’s better. KENJI FUKUI: He is struggling. It’s better the other way. MAYUKO TAKATA: It comes off more easily. KENJI FUKUI: So for the folks at home, start peeling from opposite the cap. YUKIO HATTORI: Right, exactly.

MAYUKO TAKATA: That’s what I think. I don’t know. KENJI FUKUI: OK, challenger Nagamatsu here. Rapid-fire. Fine chopping action. And also the blender on their side filled with a green liquid, a vibrant green. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: The mix in the blender on the challenger’s side is a blend

Of basil, lemon, and granulated sugar. KENJI FUKUI: OK. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK. MAYUKO TAKATA: Basil? KENJI FUKUI: Lemon and sugar, what a mix that is. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, it’s quite a bright green, isn’t it? KENJI FUKUI: OK, with Nagamatsu being from Nara, I thought that might be green tea in there.

SHINICHIRO OHTA: And, Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, I asked challenger Nagamatsu how many dishes he has in mind to prepare today. And he said he was working on four. Now, I’m not sure if this is one of the four or if it’s a fifth dish, but he’s got a load

Of granulated sugar over here. His assistants are taking bets on whether it’ll be a sorbet or not. That’s the latest on this. KENJI FUKUI: All right, thanks. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK, a sorbet. That makes sense. KENJI FUKUI: I guess that would be a fourth or fifth dish, if he can manage

Making an eggplant sorbet. And how about that? YUKIO HATTORI: Hmm. MAYUKO TAKATA: Um. YUKIO HATTORI: [LAUGHS] MAYUKO TAKATA: Hmm. Eggplant versus eggplant ice cream. YUKIO HATTORI: Well, it’s going to be quite the contest here. MAYUKO TAKATA: (LAUGHING) Yeah. KENJI FUKUI: All right, now Sakai’s side. Hollowed out. Perhaps be used to serve?

YUKIO HATTORI: I imagine so, yeah. And he’s using the lids as well. KENJI FUKUI: Fired up eggplant bowls– SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: –as a set piece. Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: I asked challenging Nagamatsu, who usually cooks by himself up in the mountains, whether working with assistants was messing

Up his timing or his pace. And he said, nah, that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me. KENJI FUKUI: All right, and thanks. Look at this. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK, so a basil sorbet. It looks like basil only, doesn’t it? KENJI FUKUI: Here on the challenger’s side, throwing that down the ice cream machine.

YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, I couldn’t really see him adding eggplant to that. KENJI FUKUI: No eggplant in there. YUKIO HATTORI: I imagine what he’ll do is use a container made from eggplants or some sort of eggplant served in it. KENJI FUKUI: OK, a basil sorbet on the way with eggplants, somehow.

YUKIO HATTORI: It could be on top of the eggplant, actually. KENJI FUKUI: All right. Now here on Sakai’s side, Iron Chef breaking out the– SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: –sea urchin roe. Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Under the sea urchin of this item on Sakai-san’s side is sauteed omar lobster and eggplant.

YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK. Yeah, I thought I saw him doing that. KENJI FUKUI: Oh, lobster and eggplant, with spoonfuls of sea urchin roe melting on top. MAYUKO TAKATA: Sounds good to me. Yum. KENJI FUKUI: Looks like a done deal right there. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, it looks like it, with a little on top.

KENJI FUKUI: And how about the rice? Sakai’s rice cooked in tea, is that going to have– that’s going to have to get some eggplants somehow. MAYUKO TAKATA: Uh, I guess so. YUKIO HATTORI: Well, he was dicing some eggplants– oh, wait, that was the challenger that was doing that. Sorry.

KENJI FUKUI: All right, now the challenger’s swirling this one around. It looks like– SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: –it’s got some eggs in there. Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, this mixture going into the frying pan is eggs, strong flour, and Italian parsley. Back to you. KENJI FUKUI: All right.

YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK, so I see. This is going to be like a crepe, I guess, at least to start. KENJI FUKUI: OK, and making the skin with that right there. YUKIO HATTORI: Mhm. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Maybe for wrapping something up? YUKIO HATTORI: I imagine, yes.

KENJI FUKUI: OK, a wrap or a roll job. Challenger could do that. And now, here’s Sakai at it again. MAYUKO TAKATA: Frying again! YUKIO HATTORI: [LAUGHS] MAYUKO TAKATA: He hasn’t done anything but fry today, has he? YUKIO HATTORI: That’s true, that’s true.

But, you know, frying really is the best way to cook eggplants, so it’s understandable. KENJI FUKUI: OK. YUKIO HATTORI: But I know what you’re saying. He’s trying to condense the flavors here in a short period of time, but Takata-san, you really don’t want to wind up with a whole bunch of greasy food,

Right? MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, yeah, exactly. That’s what I’m saying, yeah. KENJI FUKUI: OK, now getting back to the challenger. And what might he roll up in the crepe skin that he’s got there? YUKIO HATTORI: Well, he could roll something, or he could actually slice some noodles and add them to something as well.

KENJI FUKUI: Mhm. MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, because he doesn’t seem too worried about the fact that it’s not a perfect circle. YUKIO HATTORI: No. No, that’s true. KENJI FUKUI: You know what? I don’t think he’s satisfied with how that one turned out. I think he’s going to have another go at it.

YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, really? KENJI FUKUI: Let’s see here. Yeah. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, that’s right. The challenger is not happy with the egg omelet type item out of the frying pan. And he says he’s going to do it again. KENJI FUKUI: All right, so some things

Not going according to plan. Challenger Nagamatsu breaking into a healthy sweat. PA: 30 minutes have elapsed. KENJI FUKUI: 30 minutes gone. 30 to go. Second half now of this eggplant battle. A cross cuisine clash of continental cooking. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, now check out the Iron Chef here.

KENJI FUKUI: OK, this is the rice. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, it almost looks like a risotto. MAYUKO TAKATA: Like a rice porridge or something. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah. KENJI FUKUI: A cha risotto, huh? [LAUGHTER] MAYUKO TAKATA: Tea risotto, maybe. KENJI FUKUI: Well, dare say there’s no recipe on the books for this one. Yes.

And that is hoji tea, Doc. It’s a roasted type, I believe. YUKIO HATTORI: Right. And I’m not sure how this is all going to come together, though. KENJI FUKUI: OK, now here, the challenger’s side. And the basil sorbet there looks to be done. They’re going to be keeping that one in the freezer.

And now over to where it’s warmer here at the stove. Crepe resting there at the cutting board. And he’s even made another one that he’s taken off the stove there, so he’ll have two of them. YUKIO HATTORI: Mhm. KENJI FUKUI: And now that last one, just about perfect, the shape of that.

Completely round. YUKIO HATTORI: Right. And you notice that he’s doing this all by himself. Like, the assistants aren’t allowed to touch anything on this one. KENJI FUKUI: Wants this part done just right. Do it himself. YUKIO HATTORI: I guess so, yeah. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes?

SHINICHIRO OHTA: The Italian chefs watching from up in the royal box are all talking about the challenger’s desert, saying they can’t wait to see how that ice cream will be combined and served with the eggplant. KENJI FUKUI: All right, and that will actually be a sorbet. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Right! Sorbet, sorry.

KENJI FUKUI: The guys upstairs, they’re interested in that, how it’s paired with the theme ingredient. Now here, the Iron Chef’s rice porridge and tea. And chilling it down, looks like, I think. Check that out. MAYUKO TAKATA: What? YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK. Oh, I see. This was the eggplant and zucchini

He was sauteing, right? KENJI FUKUI: He added that in there, and now mixing that up. YUKIO HATTORI: OK. MAYUKO TAKATA: So now wait, we’ve got a chilled risotto? YUKIO HATTORI: That’s what it’s beginning to look like. KENJI FUKUI: OK, a cold one on the way. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes?

SHINICHIRO OHTA: Just to confirm the ingredients that the Iron Chef is stirring together, some sauteed and shredded eggplant has been combined with consommé and salt. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, so that was the shredded ones. Oh, OK, I see. KENJI FUKUI: OK, and color-wise, very earthy there. And a taste test by the Iron Chef.

HIROYUKI SAKAI: Just great! KENJI FUKUI: And how about that? YUKIO HATTORI: He likes it, anyway. KENJI FUKUI: Sakai pleased by the initial results on his tea-flavored eggplant rice porridge. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, this just in from the challenger’s side.

I’m told that he’s taking the sorbet out of the freezer and now has added chopped eggplant to it. Back to you. KENJI FUKUI: All right, well, there’s your answer on that one. YUKIO HATTORI: OK. KENJI FUKUI: And now working on the crepes. MAYUKO TAKATA: Now he’s slicing them there.

KENJI FUKUI: Yes, and slicing them into rather thick strips. YUKIO HATTORI: So it’s not actually a crepe, per se. It’s almost like pasta in a way, isn’t it? MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, that could be nice. He did had a lot of flour to it. YUKIO HATTORI: Right, right. MAYUKO TAKATA: Hmm.

KENJI FUKUI: OK, so a pasta substitute. And now, oh, getting hot with Sakai. And getting cold at the ice cream machine on the Iron Chef’s side. And spinning there and with vodka in that one. Could get your head spinning, that ice cream. MAYUKO TAKATA: The eggplant ice cream. KENJI FUKUI: Right.

And that’ll be a first for sure by the Iron Chef. Eggplant ice cream going. And now, swinging back to the ice cream machine on the challenger’s side. YUKIO HATTORI: Hmm. KENJI FUKUI: The sorbet. And, Ohta, he mixed something into that. What was that again? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Yeah, as far as I

Know, the chopped eggplant pieces are all he’s added so far. KENJI FUKUI: Chopped eggplant, yes. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK. KENJI FUKUI: And now removing that one. YUKIO HATTORI: So the eggplant has been added to this already. KENJI FUKUI: Right in there. YUKIO HATTORI: And chopped eggplants, but I can’t really see it.

Can you? KENJI FUKUI: Well, they are hard to see, but he was chopping them very fine. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK. Oh, hang on. Yes, you can see them in there. MAYUKO TAKATA: Uh, yeah, real small bits. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, they’re very hard to see, but they’re definitely in there. KENJI FUKUI: OK.

YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, so I guess he added those to add some texture, I guess. KENJI FUKUI: Although it’s a frozen dish. YUKIO HATTORI: Sure, yeah. MAYUKO TAKATA: Oh, he’s using bread. KENJI FUKUI: OK, the challenger, still. YUKIO HATTORI: OK, that’s in, what, olive oil? MAYUKO TAKATA: Uh, no. I think consommé.

KENJI FUKUI: OK, the bread soaking it up. MAYUKO TAKATA: Uh, oil? I’m not sure. Sorry, I really don’t know. Sorry. KENJI FUKUI: OK, another– whoa! Flammable action, courtesy of the challenger. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: That pot with the bread and eggplant were added does contain consommé, yes.

YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK, consommé. KENJI FUKUI: All right, so no fry job, that one. YUKIO HATTORI: Good call, Takata-san. You called it. MAYUKO TAKATA: I guess so. YUKIO HATTORI: It’s almost like home-cooking, isn’t it, really? KENJI FUKUI: OK, home-style dish. Italian chefs tend to go for a lot of that.

PA: 15 minutes to go. KENJI FUKUI: Now, 15 minutes left. Sakai hunkered down. And, oh, the sauce, laying it on. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: This sauce the Iron Chef is spooning on to this is made from soy sauce, tomato ketchup, sesame seed paste, sesame seed oil, and sugar.

YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK. I thought that had to be sesame seeds, yeah. KENJI FUKUI: All right. YUKIO HATTORI: That would be a good match, wouldn’t it? KENJI FUKUI: A confluence of flavors, and more on the Japanese side, they are. YUKIO HATTORI: Very true. KENJI FUKUI: A dengaku-style sauce.

YUKIO HATTORI: Mm, right, but a very luxurious one. KENJI FUKUI: Another only in Kitchen Stadium. [LAUGHTER] YUKIO HATTORI: So true, so true. KENJI FUKUI: My mouth waters just looking at that. And now, back with Nagamatsu. YUKIO HATTORI: OK, now, what’s the white coating on there? KENJI FUKUI: Right there on the eggplants.

MAYUKO TAKATA: Uh, gorgonzola, isn’t it? YUKIO HATTORI: Oh! OK, you’re right. Right. Good job. KENJI FUKUI: OK, gorgonzola cheese sauce that they’ve been resting in. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, this could be a flavor that you’d really want to– KENJI FUKUI: It looked like they were pickled in sake.

SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? MAYUKO TAKATA: Yes, yes, yes. KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: The ingredients in the challenger’s bowl that you’re discussing are, as you said, gorgonzola cheese, fresh cream, olive oil, and eggplant, stewing in consommé. KENJI FUKUI: Man alive, what an incredible assortment of flavors in that thick sauce.

I’d like to wolf one of those right now. YUKIO HATTORI: Now, I think I saw some frying eggs happening there. MAYUKO TAKATA: Uh huh. KENJI FUKUI: OK, that one cooking up. Out of control, it looks like. [LAUGHTER] How is he frying these? MAYUKO TAKATA: Well, he just dropped the egg from the shell.

Plopped it in. YUKIO HATTORI: Right, just cracked it straight into the oil. KENJI FUKUI: Kerr plunk into the oil? MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, kind of like making a poached egg but in boiling water, yeah. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, except with oil this time. MAYUKO TAKATA: Oh, that’s right. KENJI FUKUI: Whoa! Right there.

MAYUKO TAKATA: It’s difficult, yeah? KENJI FUKUI: Hit the surface cooking. Haven’t seen that before. MAYUKO TAKATA: I think it probably takes some skill to do this to get the right shape. KENJI FUKUI: I would guess. MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, it’s difficult. But, you know, he’s had all these fried things today, hasn’t he?

I tell you, I don’t know about this. KENJI FUKUI: Cholesterol quotiont– SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: –high and rising. Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: The Iron Chef is now adding whitebait and pine nuts to the tea and rice dish that he’s working on. KENJI FUKUI: All right, thanks, Ohta. Looking good right there.

YUKIO HATTORI: Mm. KENJI FUKUI: And for Sakai, the appearance of this one not what we normally associate with him. YUKIO HATTORI: No, the way it’s being finished up looks almost Korean in style. KENJI FUKUI: Right? MAYUKO TAKATA: I agree. KENJI FUKUI: And with Iron Chef Michiba basically on the DL,

It’s been tough on Sakai and Iron Chef Chen. Like an ace starting pitcher going down, the pressure’s been on the other pitchers to pick up the slack. It’s been tough, but they’ve answered the bell. And there, Nagamatsu kneeling down, wiping off. The heat is on for both sides here in Kitchen Stadium,

And it’s getting even hotter. YUKIO HATTORI: Me too. Have some pasta there. KENJI FUKUI: Bringing it to boil. YUKIO HATTORI: Is that spaghetti? PA: 10 minutes to go. KENJI FUKUI: He’ll have spaghetti and a pasta substitute. MAYUKO TAKATA: Well, I personally prefer thin pasta, so I think it’s a great choice.

KENJI FUKUI: OK, down to 10 minutes left in this one. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: I asked challenger Nagamatsu if he was doing OK on time. I thought perhaps he was used to a slower pace. But he said, hey, I used to work in Tokyo. Now, go away!

KENJI FUKUI: Sense of humor remaining intact. But that is true. He serves just one party, one group of diners per day. They get his undivided attention. And now, look at this one on the Iron Chef’s side. MAYUKO TAKATA: It looks like a torn apart eggplant that’s put back together. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san?

KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: The brown sauce alongside the eggplant is balsamic vinegar and olive oil. KENJI FUKUI: All right. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK. KENJI FUKUI: A combo of those two in the sauce by the Iron Chef French. YUKIO HATTORI: So almost Italian in flavor. KENJI FUKUI: Right. MAYUKO TAKATA: Mm, yes.

YUKIO HATTORI: Not looking French at all. KENJI FUKUI: Just a combo of those two in the sauce by the Iron Chef French. YUKIO HATTORI: So it’s almost Italian in flavor. KENJI FUKUI: Uh huh. MAYUKO TAKATA: Mm, yes. YUKIO HATTORI: Not French at all. KENJI FUKUI: All right, that should go in the books.

Done with one. The Iron Chef, he’s been working at a pretty good pace today, I’d say. YUKIO HATTORI: Mhm, yeah. Oh, look at this. KENJI FUKUI: OK, now we’re over on the challenger’s side. YUKIO HATTORI: That was his pasta he boiled there. KENJI FUKUI: The pasta substitute. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, yeah.

It was one he made quite a while ago, yeah. MAYUKO TAKATA: The egg pasta? KENJI FUKUI: Mhm. YUKIO HATTORI: Right. It looked like a crepe at first, and then he chopped them up. KENJI FUKUI: Yeah, I didn’t think he’d end up boiling this one, but he has. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes?

SHINICHIRO OHTA: The chefs up in the royal box are all impressed with the challenger’s egg pasta, saying, he sure has originality, probably because he’s out in the woods where he has to make pasta from scratch. We’re not pressured to be creative in Tokyo. Now, I’m not sure, but I think that’s a compliment.

KENJI FUKUI: All right, well, take it as a compliment. All those fellows up there are excellent chefs in their own right. No doubt that Nagamatsu’s creativity has made an impression on them. Maybe there’s even a hint of envy that perhaps they wouldn’t mind themselves if they were–

YUKIO HATTORI: Oh! MAYUKO TAKATA: Look at this. KENJI FUKUI: Oh, wow. YUKIO HATTORI: It’s got the sauce involved. KENJI FUKUI: Boiled crepe pasta now being mixed with the sauce. And this effort drawing interest from the Italian chefs upstairs. And how about the sauce, Doc? Can you make out any of the elements?

YUKIO HATTORI: There seems to be an awfully large amount of cheese in there. MAYUKO TAKATA: Yeah, it looks like it. YUKIO HATTORI: Is it Parmesan, perhaps? KENJI FUKUI: OK. YUKIO HATTORI: Or it’s a grated cheese of some sort. KENJI FUKUI: A dash of salt there. And now back with Sakai.

And the deep-fried eggs are coming this way. Look at that. MAYUKO TAKATA: Ah! Just like a little lid on top. KENJI FUKUI: There’s your lid right there. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, all right. MAYUKO TAKATA: OK, now this is the one with the sea urchin, yes. KENJI FUKUI: OK.

YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK. right, right, right. KENJI FUKUI: Deep fried egg topping it off. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: The Iron Chef was mumbling to himself a moment ago saying, the ice cream may not be finished in time, but if it isn’t, it isn’t.

KENJI FUKUI: All right, having a little trouble over there. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, that’s too bad. KENJI FUKUI: Sakai’s ice cream with vodka may not make it. MAYUKO TAKATA: Oh, no! Come on, Sakai-san. [LAUGHTER] KENJI FUKUI: Well, they’re going to try and get that ice cream in if they can.

And now, Nagamatsu adding olive oil to this one here, I believe. YUKIO HATTORI: Mhm. And I think this is when he was stewing it in consommé, right? KENJI FUKUI: OK, with pieces of French bread. YUKIO HATTORI: So a soup here. MAYUKO TAKATA: Soup, yes.

KENJI FUKUI: OK, a lid on. And away she goes. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, it is really down home-style cooking, isn’t it? KENJI FUKUI: Just the way you’d like it for sit-down family meal at the dinner table. Soup done on that side. And now, the spaghetti coming off and directly

Into the frying pan to be finished here. MAYUKO TAKATA: Ooh, yum. Now that looks so good. KENJI FUKUI: Finishing treatment. Another offering from Nagamatsu. Al dente, you guess? YUKIO HATTORI: I imagine, yes. KENJI FUKUI: OK, it wasn’t on that long, so probably a bit hard on the inside. YUKIO HATTORI: Mhm.

Eggplant and tomato sauce, oh, it’s just a classic dish, isn’t it? KENJI FUKUI: Yes, more home-style cooking. And– [SNIFFS] mm! Smelling good over here, too. YUKIO HATTORI: Right. And you know the eggplant dish is very popular in the Sicilian area. MAYUKO TAKATA: Oh, really? YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah. KENJI FUKUI: OK, three minutes left.

It’s crunch-time for Nagamatsu. YUKIO HATTORI: Yeah, it’s a basic classic from that part of the world. SHINICHIRO OHTA: Fukui-san? KENJI FUKUI: And that is great to see. Yes? SHINICHIRO OHTA: Challenger Nagamatsu seems to be happy with how his sorbet turned out. I caught him smiling and pumping his fist in the air

To the chefs in the royal box. KENJI FUKUI: All right, getting their support and working hard coming down the stretch. YUKIO HATTORI: OK, but on the other side, what happened to Sakai’s ice cream? KENJI FUKUI: No word yet. Is this it? Huh? MAYUKO TAKATA: Uh, no, no. What’s this? KENJI FUKUI: Oh, OK.

YUKIO HATTORI: I hope this isn’t ice cream. MAYUKO TAKATA: No way, no way, no way. YUKIO HATTORI: No, this is definitely an appetizer. KENJI FUKUI: All right, and eggplants are in this one, I believe, perhaps in the sauce, topping it. YUKIO HATTORI: Right. KENJI FUKUI: Would that possibly be the case here?

YUKIO HATTORI: Uh, boy, well, where are we? What’s our clock say we’re at now? KENJI FUKUI: We’re getting close to done. Sakai scurrying to the rear. We got about a buck twenty left on the clock. YUKIO HATTORI: So just a little over a minute, yeah?

KENJI FUKUI: Yeah, coming down to the end of this one. As now they get the ice cream pulled out of there. YUKIO HATTORI: OK, so the ice cream is done. KENJI FUKUI: Eggplant ice cream, looks like they’ve made it just in time. YUKIO HATTORI: OK. MAYUKO TAKATA: Ah, but–

YUKIO HATTORI: Not a lot of volume, is there? MAYUKO TAKATA: A bit soft, no? KENJI FUKUI: Let’s see here. PA: One minute to go. KENJI FUKUI: All right, a minute to go. Final 60 seconds. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, OK, I see. KENJI FUKUI: They’re taking the ice cream and laying it on.

It’s the finish for this one. YUKIO HATTORI: Oh, I see. Oh, that makes sense. KENJI FUKUI: OK, kind of like a mousse, it is. YUKIO HATTORI: Yes, yes. KENJI FUKUI: All right. And in the last minute here, the challenger getting his basil sorbet into the small bowls. Actually, a basil eggplant sorbet.

And up close on that one. His will strictly be a dessert, while the Iron Chef’s having ice cream, which will go as a component for one of his dishes. And what a workout this young man’s gotten today, coming down out of the mountains of Nara

To pitch his natural no frills style of Italian cooking against the artistic French cooking of Iron Chef Sakai. 10 seconds left. A wonderful array of French and Italian dishes revolving around eggplant await the panel of tasters. The final seconds tick down. And that’s it! The cooking’s done. The eggplant battle is over!

So how do you feel after that hour? Um, before I started cooking, I told myself I have five guests at my place today. Uh huh? I just tried to pull off work that I normally do in my kitchen. That was my only goal. – I see.

I wasn’t nervous at all. Oh? I think I was able to be myself. All right. Do you think you beat the Iron Chef? I’m not interested in that. No? Win, lose, I don’t care. OK. How’d your dishes turn out?

Um, eggplant is very easy to handle, so, you know, well, I’d say I can give myself 96 points, um, maybe. 96, including the ice cream? Ice cream? Yeah. Oh, it didn’t harden up quite well, so I shifted gears on that at the end. A new direction?

Yes, but I don’t call that a failure. Oh? Well, it would have been nice if it did harden up, but I guess I should have worked on it earlier. So I used it as a mousse. Oh? KENJI FUKUI: Challenger Nagamatsu is offering six dishes.

First, a marvelous starter, egg pasta, made from thin crepe skins that he got right after a botched attempt. The appetizer harmonizes the aroma of eggplant and the flavor of eggs with ricotta cheese. Second, eggplant with gorgonzola dressing. Eschewing a knife, the hand-torn pieces of eggplant

Were boiled, then chilled before being finished in a gorgonzola cheese dressing. Third is bread and eggplant soup. The challenger offers up a typical Italian homemade soup. Plain, yet profound. The tasters should find it’s down-to-earth flavor most pleasing. Eggplant spaghetti. Nagamatsu chose not to do anything to remove the bitterness from the eggplant

Before incorporating it in the tomato sauce, which results in the sauce having a wild touch. Fifth, stewed summer vegetables, a dish he’d normally make by leaving it out overnight. Still, the flavors of the zucchini and yellow bell pepper have penetrated well enough into the pieces of the eggplant.

Last, eggplant and basil sorbet, a delightful finish. The basil dominates color-wise, but plays second fiddle flavor-wise to the lemon, with the eggplant adding texture. Iron Chef Sakai is offering five dishes. First, fried eggplant with scallops. The eggplants were peeled while still hot after cooking, and are served with scallops.

The balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing is a superb match with the softened eggplant. Second, eggplant bell pepper and pork, a hybrid offering with elements of Japanese and French cuisine. The texture of long onions and the flavor of the sesame seed oil and vinegar sauce suggest new ways of enjoying eggplant.

Rice in Japanese tea, eggplant flavor. A chilled rice soup is what Sakai offers here, designed to give the tasters a break before moving on. The bitterness of roasted Japanese tea and the sweetness of eggplant blend nicely. Fourth is stuffed eggplant. This one is packaged to bid on the sweet and sour side

By the use of blue cheese and truffles, which also help boost the profile of the eggplant in this one. Last is eggplant mousse, vodka flavor. Another sophisticated offering. The roughly chopped tomatoes and zucchini add a refreshing touch, while the sweetness of sesame seeds draws out the aroma of eggplant.

Nestled deep in the mountains of Nara, one can find an oasis of quality Italian fare. This refugee from Tokyo farms, fishes, and hunts for the ingredients he uses to serve one party at a time. Today’s challenger, Shinichi Nagamatsu. He’s been enticed back to the big city for a Kitchen Stadium duel with Iron

Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai. Chairman Kaga unveils the theme ingredient, a purple vegetable associated with the Nara era, in season as well, eggplant. Challenger Nagamatsu, in perpetual motion, whips up a set of six dishes. Iron Chef Sakai, all over the culinary map, finishes with a set of five.

And now, the moment of truth, tasting and judgment. On the panel today for the eggplant battle are novelist Tamio Kageyama, actress Mayuko Takata, and culinary critic Asako Kishi. First, the dishes of challenger Nagamatsu. Mm, eggplant is certainly the center of this dish. SHINICHI NAGAMATSU: Thank you.

The pleasant presence of the eggplant blends very well with the egg and fills my mouth with flavor. There is a nice firm texture to this. And I thought, wow, this is profound. There’s a Chinese noodle called ifumen using eggs and flowers. SHINICHI NAGAMATSU: Yes, yes.

This is an Italian version of that. It’s well done, but I had to look for the eggplant. Where’s the eggplant? What there is of it, you cooked it to a nice texture. A good balance of flavors overall. KENJI FUKUI: And now, Nagamatsu serving the bread and eggplant soup.

ASAKO KISHI: You can get hooked on this soup, I think. I might even charter a helicopter to go to your place for this soup. Thanks, ma’am. It doesn’t look special, but you wouldn’t mind having it every day. Just like miso soup to us Japanese, this is something in that line.

I’d like to have it again tomorrow, actually. It’s good, very good. Thank you very much. Mama’s spaghetti. Mama putting together whatever ingredients on hand. A gentle homemade feel to this pasta. We don’t particularly recognize eggplants as sweet, but in this dish, the tomatoes are saying eggplants are indeed sweet.

ASAKO KISHI: Caponata? SHINICHI NAGAMATSU: Yes, caponata. TAMIO KAGEYAMA: Oh. SHINICHI NAGAMATSU: Vegetable stew. MAYUKO TAKATA: Very nice. This eggplant is alive. Yes, it’s very vivid, very good. The eggplant, indeed, has absorbed all the flavors of the vegetables in this dish. The eggplant’s really the winner in this one.

Thank you very much. This menu is not at all easy to put together. I have to ask you to keep that in mind. Oh, I feel the seeds of the eggplant. I like this! SHINICHI NAGAMATSU: Good? Yes. SHINICHI NAGAMATSU: Thank you very much.

You know, how do you say, it’s like it’s frozen eggplant. No, well, it is frozen eggplant, I guess, but when I put it into my mouth, the eggplant immediately started to melt. I don’t know really know how to describe this, but, uh– You are so bold. SHINICHI NAGAMATSU: Yeah?

It’s like someone opened my mouth and stuck a fistful of herbs in it. KENJI FUKUI: And now up, the dishes of Iron Chef Sakai. Mm. This is refreshing and very good. Eggplant is a star in this dish. Well, the eggplant is in the center, and scallops.

Or it could have been prawns, or even raw ham, after all. This is a dish to enjoy eggplant. The matching between sesame seeds and eggplant is so great. The sesame seed sauce is very good. Sesame seeds and miso, mm. The pork, eggplant, and sesame seeds go together perfectly.

KENJI FUKUI: All right, here it comes, the much anticipated rice in Japanese tea. Mm, this one, well, this is another profound dish. I’m not sure about the anchovy in this. The Japanese tea has a strong savory aroma, so when– Yes?

–you add the anchovies to it, it’s a bit of a mismatch tasting tea with salt in it. I do feel that way. Sea urchin and eggs make a good match. The soft yolk is like a sauce with sea urchin underneath and below it, the eggplant. A taste of luxury.

By using the eggplant as a bowl, you’ve created a great vessel to enjoy the lobster and sea urchin. Tasting them together is so luxurious, and not just because of the luxuriousness and richness of the lobster and the urchin. It’s because of the multitude of layers and flavors

You have put into this dish. I’m very impressed with what you’ve done here. HIROYUKI SAKAI: I have vegetables underneath. This is good. Mm, the sweetness of the eggplant is condensed in this. Um, the impact of the vodka is nicely softened in the desert. KENJI FUKUI: Eggplant battle.

We’ll find out which man can cap it off with a win. [APPLAUSE] Today, a chef coming down from the sacred mountains of Nara, where he leads the life he believes in, cooking in harmony with nature. Challenger Nagamatsu, his cooking philosophy is a winner. How about the taste of today’s dishes?

Iron Chef Sakai again tested on high. Who takes it? Whose cuisine reigns supreme? It’s the Iron Chef! Sakai coming through and capturing the eggplant battle. What a showing today, though, by Nagamatsu, making this one a very competitive affair and also showing the deep devotion he has to his cooking philosophy, his craft.

But in the end, capping this one off with the victory, Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai. [MUSIC PLAYING]