About

Namiko Hirasawa Chen (Nami), Co-Founder & Recipe Developer

Born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, and now based in San Francisco, Nami has spent the past 15 years sharing home-style Japanese recipes with a global audience. She is passionate about preserving culinary traditions and empowering home cooks with clear, step-by-step guidance. Inspired by her own experience with dyslexia and learning differences, she takes a visual-first approach that makes Japanese cooking more accessible to all types of learners.

Shen Chen (Mr. JOC), Co-Founder & Operations

Shen Chen, affectionately known as Mr. JOC, is the co-founder of Just One Cookbook and the behind-the-scenes force that keeps everything running smoothly. Beyond photographing and video-recording Nami as she creates her recipes, he proudly serves as her chief taste tester. Responsible for operations, he manages the business and technology behind the brand, allowing Nami to focus on developing and sharing authentic Japanese recipes.

With a deep passion for food, culture, and travel, Mr. JOC has expanded Just One Cookbook beyond recipes—running JOC Goods, an artisan Japanese tableware shop, and curating JOC’s travel content on JOC Japan Travel, offering an insider’s guide to their family’s adventures in Japan and beyond.

Naomi Kodo, Community Manager & Recipe Developer

Growing up in the Shikoku region, Naomi experienced firsthand the integral connection of the sea to Japanese cooking. She would join her mother and grandmother to gather seaweed at the beach, and then help in the drying process until the seaweed was ready for the kitchen and used in a variety of Japanese dishes.

Her childhood of observing her family’s enjoyment of cooking from scratch gave her a strong affection for healthy cooking and traditional Japanese cuisine. She carried that experience and knowledge to her current home in the San Francisco Bay area, where she loves cooking, photography, travel, and dancing.

Janet Otsuki, Copy Editor

Janet was born and raised in California, where she grew up watching her mom and aunties prepare traditional Japanese cuisine and the American classics with loving care. This sparked her deep appreciation for home cooking and delicious food.

Janet attended university in the San Francisco Bay Area and later worked in corporate communications and as a freelance writer. Now an empty nester, she resides with her husband and their senior dog in Southern California. She loves learning and writing about the intersection of history, culture, and food.

Jason Leung, Videographer & Editor

Jason is currently located in the Bay Area, where he enjoys the convenience of being within a 3-4 hour reach of almost any environment. He currently works as a freelance photographer and videographer, primarily focused on documenting non-profit stories in the Bay Area as well as filming and photographing food content for restaurants. Although he enjoys capturing a variety of subjects, Jason’s favorite subject to shoot is food, as it offers a unique opportunity to connect with others and tell compelling stories. Furthermore, he finds that there’s always a perk of being able to enjoy the food after a shoot!

While he has a strong passion for food photography, Jason remains open to exploring other genres to expand his skillset and find inspiration from other photographers. Ultimately, his goal is to make a positive difference in people’s lives through his photography.

Andy Cheng, Travel Photographer & Writer

Andy is a photographer, writer, and chef who grew up in the UK. His mother is Japanese, and his father is from Hong Kong, so he was exposed to various cultures and cuisines. His father, who was once a chef, taught him how to cook from a young age, which ignited his passion for food.

After graduating from the University of Nottingham in the UK with a bachelor’s in Architecture, he moved to Tokyo to seek new adventures. It was there that he realized he didn’t want to be an architect but wanted to cook. This led him to train in various restaurants across Japan, from Roppongi, Tokyo, to a Michelin Star restaurant in Sapporo, Hokkaido.

Now, while cooking his own menu at various pop-up events, Andy also writes about Japanese food, culture, and lifestyle. If he’s not cooking or writing, he’s probably on a drive, taking some photos, or eating at his local ramen shop.