Ken's Story: Finding your life's calling

When coming to Japan, I was blessed with the honor of already knowing people who live in my area. This comes with a lot of perks. One of them being family connections. My friends kindly took me to Ken Yamamoto's sushi restaurant in the Kitashinchi night district in the Osaka region.

He buys his fish from the market every morning.

Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed a clean, simple set-up with
some calming jazz playing in the background. The restaurant booth is where we sat, while the other seating areas were in separate rooms so guests can have their privacy.

When I met Ken, he greeted us with a friendly smile and asked how hungry we were. I asked him why, and he told me that he determined what he would serve by judging how hungry we were and by the expressions on our faces when we ate each dish. From there, I got to witness culinary art in action.

His hands were in autopilot while he talked with us.

Each dish was made with the utmost care and swiftness. His technique was clean and fast, but gentle and filled with the customer's care in mind. When I asked Ken how long he had trained for, he said it took him 10 years before he obtained his restaurant. When he started out, he said he was only paid 100 yen an hour, which meant he was basically poor and was only doing it because he knew he wanted to be a sushi chef no matter what.

Fatty tuna that had been slightly seared with a torch.

To put into perspective why it took 10 years to get to his level, he was talking and laughing with us all while cutting, preparing, setting up, and handing-out our dishes. For some dishes, he was also baking and searing with his intuition as his timer while doing everything else. He was in the zone the entire time while completely relaxed. Watching him work was amazing and I can see why his place requires a reservation in order to eat there. Not to mention the taste. It was by far the best sushi I've had. Each bite melted in my mouth.

Baked swordfish with lime and minced daikon radish on the side.

Now 10 years is a long ass time to dedicate to one job, so I asked him what made him want to be a sushi chef, especially when he was paid so little starting out. He told me his story, and I knew I had to share it.

When Ken was a child, he helped as a bus-boy at a sushi restaurant for a part-time job, and he remembered the smiling faces of his customers and how it made him feel good, respected, and happy that he was able to help others. Ever since that moment, he knew what his life's calling was and decided to dedicate his life to it. He told me that he decides what our menu is because he creates an intimate connection with the customer and can feel what he should serve next based on intuition. It sounds crazy, but not once did I think that I wasn't going to enjoy what he brought out. Sure enough, it was all delicious. Even tarako, which is the roe (the ovaries and the eggs inside) of Alaskan polluck. Normally, I can't stand it. When he prepared it, it wasn't that bad (never having it again though).

Hearing his story made me think of the idea of committing to something and seeing how far you can go. At the same time, it reminded me that we should be doing what we love, not sticking to something we despise just so we can make money, obtain fame, etc. What I liked about Ken's story was his motivation. He does this because he loves it and that's it. Ken found something that made him happy and gave him a way to make a living/ give back to the community. I thought his genuine love for his art was beautiful, and I too, hope that we can all find our calling like he did.

Peace