Lecture | Chefs to the Rescue! with Dr. C. Anne Claus

Presented by the Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan.

Once anchored by a deep reverence for the ocean, Japanese cuisine helped ignite a global appetite for seafood, with sushi as its most iconic ambassador. And yet, even as the world consumes more fish than ever, Japan is drifting away from the sea.

The nation’s fishing industry is in sharp decline, and the taste for seafood is ebbing fast. In kitchens across the country, chefs are confronting this quiet crisis. For many, the fading love for the ocean and its gifts is not just a culinary concern; it’s a cultural reckoning.

This talk traces the cultural and environmental forces that have reshaped Japanese gastronomy over the past two decades—and tells the stories of chefs and seafood advocates who have come together to fight the current and revive what is being lost.

Dr. C. Anne Claus is Associate Professor of Anthropology at American University in Washington, D.C. She earned a Ph.D. from Yale University in anthropology and environmental studies and previously worked as a cook and server in Japanese restaurants in Japan. Her research is supported by Fulbright, Mellon Foundation, National Science Foundation, and Wenner-Gren Foundation.

Claus has published numerous articles, book chapters, and a book (Drawing the Sea Near: Satoumi and Coral Reef Conservation in Okinawa) about Japan’s culture and environment. This talk presents research for her forthcoming book about sustainable seafood and Japanese cooking culture.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required for security purposes. Program begins at 6:30PM. Doors open 30 minutes prior. No admittance after 7:00 PM or once seating is full. Registered guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis. Please note that seating is limited and registration does not guarantee guests a seat

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan, 1150 18th Street Northwest, Washington, United States

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