Japan, our final stop before heading home for good! I've wanted to visit for a long time, since I realized several years ago that it's a place that's influenced my life a lot, in ways that weren't so obvious to me when I was a kid.
At the risk of overstepping what my dad would be willing for me to share...
My dad lived here before immigrating to the States. He moved to Tokyo to work after graduating high school (though he was accepted by Taiwan's best university, after secretly studying for the entrance exams while working in a steel factory, where he found out he was admitted by seeing his name in the newspaper!). From what he's shared with me over the years, I know that that period in his life wasn't easy. He got lower-rank kitchen jobs, and didn't have much money to spend, because he saved to send money to family. What he could spend, he spent on train tickets and food. On his days off, he'd take a train line as far as possible, and spend his money tasting the local food. He learned as much as he could at work, studying how the chefs conducted themselves and operated their restaurants, how clean and orderly they were. I've noticed that the chefs here wear ties. They're quiet and diligent, show each other respect, and have thoughtful and deliberate movements.
As a chef, my dad always seemed different from all of the countless chefs that he hired (and fired). It's become more clear to me over the years how my dad's experience and what he learned in Japan influenced him as a chef, and ultimately contributed to the success of the restaurants, which in turn provided a roof over my head, put food on the table, and paid for my college tuition.
So, I wanted to see this place myself, pay my respects in a way. Who knows if my time here will influence me and my future career like it did for my dad. Only time will tell. In the meantime, maybe I'll hop on a train and figure out what to eat next!