Sushi in Kobe
Can you believe it?! Almost two weeks in Japan and today was our first sushi meal. Well, not so for my wife; she managed to sneak out for a sushi lunch with her girlfriend Noriko. Remember the day that Ross and I were lost throughout Osaka?
My wife, my giri no haha, and I caught the train to Kobe then a taxi to the Tai Den sushi restaurant. Their doors opened at 11:30AM for lunch. It was 11AM and there was already a line of people outside. This place is supposed to be excellent and since they only have a small counter folks are willing to wait for a seat.
Fortunately, we were near the front of the line so we got a seat at the end of the counter. There were three sushi chefs; our seemed to be the youngest (but middle aged) and the other two ascending in age. The chef furthest from us moved with a rhythm that was almost like an odd sort of dance as he made sushi. I have seen this before but it was never so fun as watching him move. And his face was almost cartoon-like.
My wife, who had been there many times before, sat us all down then told the chef to serve up everything from "here" to the end of the counter! I got the full two pieces of nigiri while my wife and her mother shared one piece each.
Well, it was all incredible. They served things like ika with uni on top. It was all good and a fear began to creep over me knowing that my wife would eat and eat and eat given how good everything was.
I escaped with a nominal bill and a full stomach. We grabbed a small coffee down the road then caught the train to the Osaka station. We went to the bank to exchange some U.S. dollars for Yen and Misato and her mother spoke with a banker about an estate planning service.
Throughout the trip we have been reminded how old her mother is getting and how alone Hayashi-sama is. I feel confident that I could re-enter the U.S. CG workforce if absent for a few years in Japan. Worst case is that I become fairly proficient in Japanese then transition to fulltime teaching if I cannot find work at a studio after a few years.
But I believe my wife should spend as much time as she can with her mother. Even if we are in Tokyo and her mother is in Osaka it would allow us to visit much more often. Also, my mother in law, like her daughter, is a very strong-willed woman. Her siblings have all but given up trying to tell her to do "this" or to do "that" for her safety and well-being. But her daughter has no such qualms. So over time we can help her out little by little, coaxing Hayashi-sama to change certain things and fixing her condo so that it is more efficient, safe and livable.
I am fairly confident I can get a job here in Japan. It will not pay as well but if we can both work then it will be fine. Lots of logistics to take care of; renting or eventually selling the house in Los Angeles. Taking care of three large dogs in a small apartment or condo in Tokyo. But nothing insurmountable if this is what we decide to do.
My wife, my giri no haha, and I caught the train to Kobe then a taxi to the Tai Den sushi restaurant. Their doors opened at 11:30AM for lunch. It was 11AM and there was already a line of people outside. This place is supposed to be excellent and since they only have a small counter folks are willing to wait for a seat.
Fortunately, we were near the front of the line so we got a seat at the end of the counter. There were three sushi chefs; our seemed to be the youngest (but middle aged) and the other two ascending in age. The chef furthest from us moved with a rhythm that was almost like an odd sort of dance as he made sushi. I have seen this before but it was never so fun as watching him move. And his face was almost cartoon-like.
My wife, who had been there many times before, sat us all down then told the chef to serve up everything from "here" to the end of the counter! I got the full two pieces of nigiri while my wife and her mother shared one piece each.
Well, it was all incredible. They served things like ika with uni on top. It was all good and a fear began to creep over me knowing that my wife would eat and eat and eat given how good everything was.
I escaped with a nominal bill and a full stomach. We grabbed a small coffee down the road then caught the train to the Osaka station. We went to the bank to exchange some U.S. dollars for Yen and Misato and her mother spoke with a banker about an estate planning service.
Throughout the trip we have been reminded how old her mother is getting and how alone Hayashi-sama is. I feel confident that I could re-enter the U.S. CG workforce if absent for a few years in Japan. Worst case is that I become fairly proficient in Japanese then transition to fulltime teaching if I cannot find work at a studio after a few years.
But I believe my wife should spend as much time as she can with her mother. Even if we are in Tokyo and her mother is in Osaka it would allow us to visit much more often. Also, my mother in law, like her daughter, is a very strong-willed woman. Her siblings have all but given up trying to tell her to do "this" or to do "that" for her safety and well-being. But her daughter has no such qualms. So over time we can help her out little by little, coaxing Hayashi-sama to change certain things and fixing her condo so that it is more efficient, safe and livable.
I am fairly confident I can get a job here in Japan. It will not pay as well but if we can both work then it will be fine. Lots of logistics to take care of; renting or eventually selling the house in Los Angeles. Taking care of three large dogs in a small apartment or condo in Tokyo. But nothing insurmountable if this is what we decide to do.
posted by Aaron at 8:33 AM
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