Riko Yamawagi is a Tokyo based food coordinator and culinary instructor. Born and raised to a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) family, Riko has always been aware of how the seasons and local fresh ingredients are critical to dining. She further cemented those ideals when she began studying French cuisine under 3-Star Michelin chef Alain Ducasse. While Riko still considers her mother to be her true cooking mentor, Riko has taken inspiration from a variety of cuisines from across the globe. In 2007 she spent a year in New York taking in the culture of food in America, before returning to Japan to open her cooking school in Tokyo's fashion trendy Daikanyama district and releasing her first… book through the iBookstore, Meals Tokyo@Summer. Author Residence: Tokyo, Japan