Part 1: Chiaki Kotaro of Soto Recipe, Which Unites His Many Experiences, on His Dad’s “Specials” and the Allure of Camp Food

Chiaki Kotaro is the owner of Soto Recipe, an outdoor life platform that suggests a raft of camping meals with the tag line “Have a Delicious Camp”. We spoke with him about the experiences that led him to start Soto Recipe.

Crossing Japan on a granny bike in a bid to get a sense of accomplishment

Chiaki’s Soto Recipe is a project centered on a website specifically for camping cooking and recipes (sotorecipe.com), but it also extends to TV, publications, and other media channels. He launched the project in 2017 as a media channel dedicated to camp cooking, which didn’t exist at the time, out of his love for both camping and cooking. He is now highly sought after thanks to the unprecedented boom in camping and outdoor activities.

The first tent Chiaki ever bought for himself is this light mountain tent that he has used for nearly seven years

“I’ve been doing more and more ‘business camping’ thanks to all the work that has come in, so I haven’t been able to do much personal camping. But next week, I plan to go camping with my family for the first time in a while. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Chiaki is currently the father of three. The first memories he has that connect to his present-day activities are of camping trips with his family when he was in elementary school.

“We didn’t go on trips that often, but I can clearly remember traveling with my family of five and our dog by car from our home in Chiba to camp at Lake Biwa. I was amazed by how beautiful the stars were. I was so spellbound that I fell asleep outside while gazing at the sky, because I didn’t know anything about camping then. I remember ending up catching a cold. [laughs]”

Perhaps it was these memories of the fun of being in the great outdoors with his family as a child that triggered his daring and mad trip as a university student.

“When I was about to graduate from university, I suddenly realized I really hadn’t accomplished anything on my own. I wanted the confidence that comes with accomplishing something, so I decided to set out on a trip on a granny bike. The reason I chose a granny bike without any gears was simply a lack of money. My goal was to ride from my home in Chiba to Kagoshima at the bottom of Kyushu. I single-mindedly kept on pedaling toward Kagoshima without stopping at points along the way. I slept in the open air or scouted out local bathing and spa facilities.”

Chiaki radiates a calm, laid-back attitude

His plan to ride across the country on a granny bike may seem reckless, but even more surprising was how many days it took.

“I pedaled from first light until late at night, covering about 150 to 200 kilometers a day. At that pace, I reached Kagoshima in 12 days. It was incredibly hard to be sure, but it gave me a sense of accomplishment and the confidence that if I set my mind to something, I can do it. That’s why, more than anything, the trip was a lot of fun. Later on, I traveled by bicycle in Southeast Asia for my graduation trip, and after duly graduating from university, I found a job. When I quit working for that company, I decided to see northern Japan and again rode to Sapporo on a granny bike. That second journey took seven days to reach my goal. I think these trips paved the way for my current outdoor life projects.”

My dad’s “specials” were natto with miso and green onions and camp food

Chiaki’s childhood memories and experiences during university have played a big role in connecting his love of the outdoors and cooking.

“My dad served a natto dish every morning without fail. And when I say a dish, I mean natto seasoned with green onions, mirin rice wine, and miso. It was nothing extraordinary but it was so delicious. When I think now about my family’s cooking, I always remember natto with miso and green onions. And, of course, I’ll never forget the delicious experiences of eating outdoor meals with my family while camping. Those childhood memories are probably what inspired me to become a cook. I had a part-time job in university working in the kitchen of a Japanese izakaya pub, and I would be in there almost daily, way more than a part-timer should. [laughs]”

One of the charms of camping is having plenty of time, which is why I enjoy slow cooking

So what are the dad’s “specials” in Chiaki’s family today?

“Maybe it’s in their blood, but my kids absolutely adore natto. They also love mekabu [wakame seaweed roots], so I serve mekabu natto nearly every day. I think I’ll start making natto with miso and green onions for them soon. And like me, they like eating food while camping. Our family’s go-to camp meal is paella, though we often have it at home as well. I’m just delighted that they seem to enjoy the simple act of eating together completely surrounded by nature.”

My hope is people will cherish their time with family and friends while being outdoors

Soto Recipe is the culmination of Chiaki’s childhood memories and university experiences. What kind of endeavors is he planning next?

“I want to tell more people about the fun of outdoor living through our website and our Instagram, YouTube, and other media accounts. Along with demonstrating outdoor cooking, I want to showcase many people involved in various outdoor activities. And with all the media coverage we’ve received, I hope more people will find out about Soto Recipe.”

Chiaki is very particular about outdoor gear: in addition to functionality and design, storage capacity is a key point when selecting outdoor gear

Chiaki has also started developing original branded products as a way to help people have more fulfilling outdoor life experiences.

“When I cook outdoor meals, all kinds of ideas come to me, like ‘this thing would be better if it were like this.’ For example, Sierra cups are essential utensils for cooking outdoors. But I always imagined they could be used for even more purposes if the cups were a little deeper. So, I had a factory in Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata — known as the town of metalworking — produce a Sierra Donburi [a large bowl]. I also came up with the Okama Head, a round wooden cover for pots, to cook better tasting rice. For this product, we tried crowdfunding for the first time and successfully raised over 5 million yen. I want to continue manufacturing products, with the motto of Unforgettable Camp Meals, that make not just the time spent eating, but also the time spent cooking, more pleasant and fun experiences.”

The Sierra Donburi (left) and the Okama Head (right)
— the Okama Head is a multipurpose item that can be quickly transformed into a cutting board or a plate just by flipping it over
https://products.sotorecipe.com/products/018

In Part 2,Chiaki will present three simple camp recipes perfect for the cold season using the Sierra Donburi and Okama Head.