Frozen food exists all over the world, but Japan is at the cutting edge of research and development. Modern products are almost identical to fresh goods both in texture and nutritional value. This time on Japanology Plus, our theme is frozen food. Our guest is university professor Toru Suzuki, who discusses the challenges involved in frozen food research. And in Plus One, Matt Alt tries cooking with frozen ingredients. His teacher is Takashi Nishikawa, a man some call the Freezer King.

Kyogen is a traditional form of Japanese theater. It's comedy, performed on a bare stage with imaginative movements and dialogue. When Ondrej Hybl, from the Czech Republic, first saw a performance at the age of 21, he found it so appealing that he came to Japan to study it. In a Japanophiles interview with Peter Barakan, Hybl explains why he fell in love with Kyogen, and the challenges he faced when learning it. We also meet his teacher, veteran performer Shigeyama Shime.