Our guest is Michael Magers, a documentary photographer and journalist who splits his time between New York City and Austin, Texas. He joined us in episode #307 and discussed his affection for Japanese culture and how he captures it through his lens, including works of Japanese “shokunin” artisans. Mike is a frequent collaborator with the highly acclaimed publisher Roads & Kingdoms, and served as the lead photographer on their award-winning books "Rice Noodle Fish” and "Grape Olive Pig." (The legendary author and television host Anthony Bourdain was a partner and investor in Roads & Kingdoms). Mike’s images are exhibited globally and have appeared in a wide range of digital and print publications, including TIME, Smithsonian, Vogue Italia, CNN’s Explore Parts Unknown, and The New York Times, to name a few. He is joining us today to discuss his recent trip to the Hokkaido Island of Japan, which is the home of kombu and other treasured seafood. We will talk about how different Hokkaido’s food culture is from the mainland of Japan, a story of a 96-year-old artisan who hand-processes kombu, unique dishes you should absolutely try in Hokkaido, and much, much more!!!