Just One Cookbook
 Logo of ukiyo-e woman holding a Japanese cookbook and chopsticks | |
Screenshot  Main page of Just One Cookbook on April 24, 2026 | |
Type of site | Food blog |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Created by |
|
| URL | justonecookbook |
| Launched | January 1, 2011 |
| Current status | Active |
Just One Cookbook (JOC) is a Japanese recipe blog written in English and created by Namiko (Nami) Hirasawa Chen (Japanese: 平澤菜美子, Hirasawa Namiko).
Chen is a home cook who began the food blog on January 1, 2011[1] as a way to share recipes for simple Japanese dishes in English[2] with friends and to preserve family recipes for her children.[3]
Early life
[edit]Chen was born in Osaka, Japan and raised in Yokohama, Japan. She learned to cook from her mother.[4]
She moved to the United States at age 20 to attend college. After graduating, she worked as a digital map specialist and met Shen Wen Chen, her colleague at the company. They eventually married and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.[1]
She chose the blog's name because she "wanted to transfer all [her] Japanese recipes to English and store it in just one cookbook, on the website."[4]
Content
[edit]Chen develops, tests, and publishes traditional and modern Japanese cuisine recipes for home cooking.
The website also is a resource on Japanese pantry items and substitutions for hard-to-find Japanese ingredients.[4]
Just One Cookbook feature step-by-step photos for each recipe instruction in the preparation and cooking process.[1] This attention to detail and visual learning sets Just One Cookbook apart from other food blogs.[1]
Reception
[edit]In 2022, Just One Cookbook had 5 million visits per month.[4]
Meghan McCarron, senior correspondent at Eater, said that "Just One Cookbook is one of the most authoritative and complete and ever-updating sources" for Japanese cooking in English.[4]
Books
[edit]Chen has published three books of recipe collections, available in paperback and digital e-book:
JOC Goods
[edit]In 2024, Just One Cookbook launched JOC Goods.
The online store stocks tableware and kitchenware handcrafted by Japanese artisans in small workshops that generally do not ship outside of Japan.[8]
JOC Japan Travel
[edit]In 2025, Just One Cookbook launched JOC Japan Travel.
The website provides independent travelers with Japan travel guides, sample itineraries, accommodation and dining recommendations, transportation advice, and information on local customs.[9]
Recognition
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Song, Kristie (January 11, 2024). "The Quiet Star Behind Just One Cookbook, the Internet's Favorite Japanese Recipe Blog". www.kqed.org. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
- ↑ Ukai, Kei (March 30, 2021). "Strategies for delivering Japanese food recipes in English to reach the top 20 most viewed recipes in the US". www.asahi.com (in Japanese). Retrieved April 23, 2026.
- ↑ O-Donoghue, J.J. (July 1, 2017). "Blogger Namiko Chen satisfies an appetite for Japanese fare". www.japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "How a Bay Area home cook's Japanese food blog gained 5 million readers". www.sfgate.com. November 11, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
- ↑ Chen, Namiko Hirasawa (December 1, 2013). Just One Cookbook Essential Japanese Recipes. United States: Independently published. ISBN 979-8636640608.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ↑ Chen, Namiko Hirasawa (May 18, 2021). Just One Cookbook Essential Japanese Recipes. United States: Independently published (published May 1, 2021). ISBN 979-8706112172.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ↑ Chen, Namiko Hirasawa (November 19, 2021). Just One Cookbook Essential Japanese Recipes Vol 3: Osechi Japanese New Year Recipes. United States: Independently published. ISBN 979-8763650051.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ↑ Wartzman, Emma (October 16, 2024). "Now Open: A Shop Full of Hard-to-Find Kitchen Goods From Japan". The Strategist. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
- ↑ "GlobeNewswire". October 6, 2025. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Meet the 2017 SAVEUR Blog Awards Finalists: 6 Food Video Series to Watch Right Now". www.saveur.com. August 17, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
External links
[edit]- justonecookbook.com
- jocgoods.com
- jocjapantravel.com
- YouTube channel: Just One Cookbook