Traveling abroad is not only about showcasing cuisine.
It is about eating, drinking,
and immersing oneself in the rhythm of an unfamiliar place —
the energy of a restaurant,
the quiet of a city at night,
the culture reflected beyond the glass.
Working behind the scenes,
supporting rather than leading,
sharpens a chef’s senses in a different way.
A glass of wine tasted far from home,
the air drifting through a harbor at night —
they do not become dishes immediately.
But they are carried back, quietly,
into the kitchen in Japan.
To know the world
is to understand one’s own position within it.
This journey is part of that process.