Dr. John is a postharvest and food scientist who currently teaches at the University of Tokyo. He first came to Japan to pursue his Ph.D. degree as a scholar of MEXT (Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) specializing in food safety with his research focusing on the functional properties of food to promote human health and well-being. For him, Tsukiji – the world’s biggest seafood market – is a must-see to further appreciate Japanese food culture. His scholarship and exposure makes him an interesting docent – satisfying both the hunger for that authentic Japanese treat, and the inquisitive mind with cultural and science-based facts.

Aquiles has been living and working in Tokyo since 2009, when he arrived on a MEXT scholarship to develop his art practice at Tokyo University of the Arts, where he completed his MFA and PhD degrees in Fine Arts. His artistic work and research focus on the links between free improvisation, experimental music and visual arts. He has performed and shown his work in many countries including the US, Japan, Germany, Venezuela, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Aquiles’ relationship to Japan predates his arrival to the country, as he has been studying Japanese Art and culture since the late 90’s. He has focused on the study and practice of Kendo (Japanese fencing) and Zen Buddhism of the Soto school, integrating the philosophical core of both disciplines into his artwork. During his time in Tokyo, Aquiles has lived in the Yanesen neighborhood, an area that has been gaining popularity the past few years for its unique combination of old temples and ancient buildings with many curious shops and cafés in which independent designers have channeled the area’s historical background through ingenious renovations.

Maciej, a professional photographer, was born in Warsaw, Poland in a family with many Japanese connections, thus the idea of traveling to the Far East was his dream since childhood. Fascinated by Japanese literature and classic cinema, he received a Master’s degree from the University of Warsaw with a specialization in Japanese Studies. Before graduation, he spent one year at Kobe University and one year in Tokyo where he was an intern at the Embassy of Poland. Married for several years to Tokyo-born Japanese, a daughter of a sushi-making family, he lives and continues to discover an old part of the capital, the so-called 'Low City', which he admires for its amazing history and preserved unique atmosphere. A gourmet and Nihonshu (rice sake) lover, and author of articles for the Polish press about Japanese cuisine.