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A little bit outside from the Kobe city center, there is a sushi restaurant called Tanaka Sushi. In this small relatively normal sushi restaurant, we have found something different from normal. The sushi chef, on the right in the picture, has come from Hong Kong, whose name is on condition of anonymity, because of his strong proposal. He speaks good Japanese and he has a good sense of Japanese manner. What is more, he looks like Japanese. His existence was quite natural in the restaurant.
The owner of this sushi restaurant, Kunimitsu Tanaka, has answered the question of our reporter and told us that the sushi chef from Hong Kong is doing all right. He also told us that serious attitude of the Hong Kong sushi chef toward the process of cooking one each sushi are remarkable. Japanese co-workers can be even influenced by his attitude a lot.
However, according to the global sushi lovers' report, these phenomenon are getting increasingly common these days. As one cause of this, we can think of the sushi's acquisition of the global food status in the current society. Sushi is not a Japanese food any more. Of course, it is originally Japanese, but the demand has expanded globally around the world. Because of this global phenomenon, the population of the sushi lovers have exponentially increased. And it leads to the growth of population who have been interested in cooking sushi in a Japanese restaurant. Unlike the increasing interest toward a sushi chef, in Japan it is declining on the contrary.
The Hong Kong Sushi chef has answered the question of our staff and told us that he loves to eat sushi. When he was young, he visited a Chinese restaurant with his parents and found a sushi in the memu. It was something new to him. After that, the special feeling motivated him getting interested in learning numerous aspects of Japan, not only food, but also language, history, customes, societies, media etc. He knows and loves Japan more than most of the Japanese people who inherently live there.
The owner, Mr. Tanaka also stated that he used to be very conservative, emphasizing that sushi cook is not only a commersial, but also social donation, preservation of the Japanese culture. At first, he was against the Hong Kong chef's employment. However, modern Japanese young's indifference to these traditional works and the Hong Kong chef's passion to the sushi cooking have gradually moved the owner's mind. And finally the owner has decided to allow the Hong Kong chef's employment. Mr. Tanaka also said, "Sushi is a great culture of Japan. But now, not only Japan, it is the thing of the world. Maybe we should open our eyes more and create our new tradition in the future."
The chef from Hong Kong is straightly grasping the current status of the Japanese sushi restaurant. He stated that, in this current stagnating economy, Japanese people are not willing to come to sushi restaurants for their luxirous enjoyment. He reiterated that it is his duty to catch an eye of the consumer and let them like come into this sushi restaurant. He also said that, in the next Olympic game, people from all over the world are going to swurm into sushi restaurant to enjoy the authentic taste of the Japanese sushi. It is the best chance for him to earn the biggest profit and make a saving to run the restaurant.
From Japan to the world, sushi have flown out. Globalization seems to be bringing about the destruction of international bounderies. And this sushi chef, I would call Mr. Sushi, is a great contributer to bring about the sense of globalization in this exclusive country with his own hands.
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