‘Satoyama’ Photography Exhibition at Union Station

Yoshihiro Narisawa’s soil soup is an unexpected combination of water, Japanese gobo and earth. (Photo courtesy Yoshihiro Narisawa)

Union Station, in partnership with the Los Angeles Times Food Bowl, is hosting the Satoyama Photography Exhibition, an exploration of acclaimed chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s food culture built on the richness of the Japanese environment, through May 31 at Union Station’s Historic Waiting Room.

The free exhibition, presented in association with Japan House Los Angeles, is open during operating hours, 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Yoshihiro Narisawa

Born from a collaboration between the Japanese chef and Brazilian photographer Sergio Combra, “Satoyama” highlights Narisawa’s dedication to sustainability, innovative technique and artistry through food.

Narisawa is internationally known for his dedication to sustainability and representing the natural environment in his dishes by using indigenous Japanese ingredients. The close relationship Narisawa has with his own territory is captured in “Satoyama.”

In Japanese, “sato” means “village” and “yama” means “hill” or “mountain,” and the phrase refers to humans living in harmony with the environment. Narisawa’s interpretation of satoyama is expressed through dishes created in the kitchen of his eponymous restaurant, in partnership with local farmers and suppliers.

Born in 1969 in Aichi Prefecture, Narisawa left home at 19 and spent eight years cutting his teeth in some of Europe’s most venerated kitchens, including those of Joël Robuchon and Paul Bocuse. In 1996, he returned to Japan and opened La Napoule in Kanagawa Prefecture. Seven years later in 2003, he moved to his current venue in Tokyo’s non-touristy district of Minami Aoyama and formed Les Créations de Narisawa, which has earned two Michelin stars and is featured in “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.” When the restaurant celebrated its eighth anniversary, it was renamed Narisawa.

Los Angeles Times Food Bowl is an annual, month-long festival celebrating the city’s dynamic food scene. Spanning the entire month of May, Food Bowl features many of the chefs and restaurants that have helped put Los Angeles on the map as a premier dining destination alongside world-renowned chefs in rare local appearances at hundreds of extraordinary events. For more information, visit http://lafoodbowl.com.

Go Metro to all events by taking the Red, Purple, Gold or Silver Line directly to Union Station L.A., which is located at 800 N. Alameda St. On the Web: www.unionstationla.com