Ep. 76: Ohara and Yamaoka bridge cultural gaps through shared meals featuring pungent foods.

76

Ohara negotiates a partnership with French news executive Shovan, but their celebratory dinner nearly fails due to disagreements over Japanese and French culinary flavors. Yamaoka organizes a follow-up meal at Mr Chu’s Chinese restaurant to mend relations. The evening encounters friction when the presidents clash over the odors of fermented cheese and fish. Chu presents strong-smelling tofu, which initially repels them, though tasting it leads to an appreciation of microbial protein breakdown and cultural diversity. Yamaoka then introduces funazushi, a fermented fish dish stuffed with rice and salt. The group visits the production facility and finds the aroma pungent. However, consuming the dish with rice and hot tea reveals its flavor, leading the executives to enjoy the meal and praise Yamaoka’s diplomatic selection.