Finding Comfort Through Food
Hi! My name is Jack, and I’ve been a server at Tenjin for over a year now. I’ve really enjoyed working here and getting to know many of you. Bittersweetly, I will be taking some time off to go on a months-long trip to Japan. I was asked if I could share some thoughts leading up to it, so here it goes!
As a fourth-generation Japanese American who grew up in Lincolnwood, I’ve experienced a constant struggle of never feeling “Japanese” enough. I don’t speak the language and observe only a few traditions. Yet, one way I’ve always felt grounded in my identity is through food. From learning to make traditional kinpira gobo (stir-fried burdock root) with my grandmother to introducing my college roommates to my mom’s Baked Sushi (a classic Hawaiian casserole), many of my fondest memories are around a dining table. My family has taught me that food can be a form of storytelling, showcasing where we are from and who we are.
This fondness for food is why I’ve found so much fulfillment working at Tenjin. While I came into this job with a familiarity with Japanese cuisine, I got a welcome crash course in many dishes and techniques I had never heard of. I know our customers also come in with a range of experiences, from never having sushi before to having lived in Japan themselves. It has been a pleasure learning more about Japanese cuisine alongside you all and, in many cases, learning from you!
Feeling inspired to explore more, I found myself planning a trip to Japan. It started with me skeptically entering the Tokyo Marathon lottery, which is notoriously hard to get into. But, somehow, I was able to secure a spot! Now, many miles of training later, I’m ready for the race on March 1st! While I am looking forward to running the course, I’m mostly excited to have a great excuse to go to Japan and explore the food scene. I’ll be traveling through Tokyo, Osaka, Beppu, Kumamoto, and Fukuoka (where the owners of Tenjin are from!). Through tastes, sips, and good conversations, I hope to learn more about Japan and myself.
If you have gotten this far, I appreciate you taking the time to read a bit of my story. This is not goodbye. I’ll be back in a few months and, when I return, hopefully I will have some good stories to tell and recommendations to give! And, perhaps, I’ll write another post of my travels when I’m in Japan. Until then!
