The Japan Times Cube Co., Ltd. (representative director: Minako Suematsu) holds Roundtable by The Japan Times, a series of talk events that are broadcast in Japan.

The English-language events invite readers of The Japan Times to be guest speakers. Ross Rowbury (former representative of Edelman Japan), who has a deep knowledge of Japan and boasts a wide network both here and abroad, sits down in the role of host with Japanese and non-Japanese to discuss their lives in Japan. Held once a month, the format of the roundtable includes time for panel discussions with the participation of the audience.

The upcoming guest will be Marybeth Boller, who served as the exclusive chef for former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, stayed in Japan when the ambassador's tenure ended and now cooks combining Japanese and Western ingredients.

    • Date and time: Wednesday, March 3, 2020

    • 　10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Talk session

    • 　*Tuesday, March 2, 17:30-18:30 (Pacific Standard Time)

    • Location: Livestreaming

    • Registration at: https://peatix.com/event/1799734

    • Livestreaming participants: You will receive an URL after registration.

    • Registration fee: Livestreaming participants: free of charge

**Please note that due to safety considerations regarding COVID-19, the March 3 Roundtable by The Japan Times will hold without the participation of an audience.

The contents of Roundtable by The Japan Times will be published as an archive at a later date and will be run in the main paper of The Japan Times　and on the website of Sustainable Japan by The Japan Times.

Marybeth Boller

Marybeth was born to be a chef. By 11 she was accompanying her aunt to fine Manhattan restaurants.

After college, legendary chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten put her to work in the Lafayette restaurant in New York’s Drake Hotel. Next came the Michelin three-star L’auberge de L’ill in France, the Hotel Martinez in Cannes and the three-star La Gavroche in London, where she worked with Gordon Ramsay. Marybeth returned to New York as executive chef of Lafayette, then sous chef at the casual Nougatine. She ran her own company before being recruited by Bergdorf Goodman to head a modern social salon on the role of executive chef.

Marybeth was also executive chef of Great Performances Catering, which handled all of the important events in New York, and the private chef for Caroline Kennedy. After Kennedy was appointed ambassador to Japan, she asked Marybeth to take over the kitchen at the ambassador’s residence.

Marybeth fell in love with Japan and decided to stay after Kennedy returned to the U.S. “My style of cooking emphasizes seasonality, simplicity and freshness, so I feel at home here," she said. "I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many Japanese farmers and producers, and their respect and reverence for food is inspiring. I enjoy combining Western cooking techniques and flavor profiles with the superb ingredients and unique tastes available only in Japan."

Ross Rowbury

Ross Rowbury has been observing, living and working in Japan for four decades.  Originally commencing his career in finance in Tokyo in the early 1980s, he later moved into public relations and communications, holding senior positions at Gavin Anderson & Co. (now Kreab) and PRAP Japan.  Most recently he headed the Edelman business in Japan for 10 years until July 2020.  Ross is studying to become a traditional storyteller (kataribe) of Japanese legends while doing freelance consulting for a number of firms on their Japan business strategy. He is also visiting professor of Asian marketing at Doshisha University in Kyoto.

◾︎The Japan Times

Established in 1897, The Japan Times is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper, providing English-language news on Japan and the world. The Japan Times is “Japan’s Window to the World,” covering politics, economics, culture, society and sports to keep the world informed about Japan and its current situation. As the largest English-language news site in Japan, we offer a variety of unique content.

Website: www.japantimes.co.jp/

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Public relations: Ms. Kumano

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The press release may be downloaded in PDF format