People Over Food

Given my line of work, I often travel to all sorts of regions, and one of my pleasures is, after work is done, to share a meal at an eatery frequented by the locals—one that would never be listed in any gourmet guide.

Exceedingly fresh seafood, vegetables and local delicacies I’ve never seen or tasted, local sake that never circulates in Tokyo, and so on—it’s thrilling.

Indeed, even doing flower work, a relaxed, unwinding moment that could be called “dumplings over flowers” is something special.

The talk, too, comes into bloom, and often, before I know it, the date has changed.

When I visit that place again, I gain the pleasure of dropping by the shop I was once taken to. And to rejoice together at the reunion with the owner and the proprietress—”Hey, long time no see”—is a joy beyond compare.

Perhaps the secret to success in the restaurant business lies, of course, in delicious food, but also in the human quality that makes people think, “I want to see that person.”