Yamasaki is the only Croat with permanent residence in Osaka for the past 20 years, while three years ago at the initiative of former Japanese ambassador to Croatia she brought Japan and Osaka to Zadar. It was at the first Tuna, Sushi & Wine Festival. [...] She embodied the original idea of the festival on the economic, gastronomic and cultural exchange of Japan and Croatia, or Osaka and Zadar.

Traditional Japanese cuisine, known as washoku, is now an intangible cultural heritage, according to the United Nations. Tofu, mochi and miso are a few examples, but it's the buckwheat noodle, or soba, that many consider the humble jewel of Japanese cuisine. It's not easy to find in the U.S., but one Los Angeles woman is helping preserve the craft of making soba.

The vast Tsukiji Market in Tokyo is where the country's finest delicacies are sold and auctioned, not only fish -- for which the market is famous -- but also fruit and vegetable. Earlier this month, UNESCO, the U.N. cultural organization, added traditional Japanese cuisine, or "washoku," into its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. "'Wa' means Japanese, 'shoku' means 'to eat' or 'meal' or anything food-related," explains cooking instructor and "washoku" enthusiast Reiko Yoshikawa.