Our Private Dining Experience With The Emperor's Master Chef!
Dinner for Dad, Sekiguchi San, Scott & Me, THAT'S ALL...Issue #25
ifOnlyi… I remembered sooner how honored I was to visit Japan and experience the Japanese culture. Respect for elders and a clear sense of hierarchy. Respecting and honoring parents and older relatives isn't just a custom—it's seen as a moral duty.
After the experience of my life in Hong Kong, we were off to Tokyo, Japan, for our next stop. How awesome it was to leave school behind for a few weeks, and I was already relaxing. Scott loved this trip, too, although the factory visits probably weren’t much fun for him.
Dad had a couple of big surprises planned for our stay in Tokyo, and after we landed, it was time to check into our next hotel.
Wow, was I a happy camper; time away and spending it with my Dad, whom I rarely saw growing up.
JAPAN
Climbing Mt Fuji in Japan was really special, and when you’re young, and your body and lungs are full of life, it’s easy.
Below are pictures to give you an understanding of the options on different trails and the beauty of Japan.
Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano located on the Japanese island of Honshu, with a summit elevation of 3,776.24 m. It is the tallest mountain in Japan, the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia, and seventh-highest peak of an island on Earth. Mount Fuji last erupted from 1707 to 1708. Wikipedia
When not hiking on the different trails, we were picked up at the hotel and driven there by a private chauffeur. We visited many of Dad’s Factories. Meals were served to all of us while Dad and his team continued to work. The hours of work he put in daily were unreal; he was relentless in his path to perfection.
Each factory we visited had a special way of treating and honouring Dad. I was in awe.
….. I became mesmerized by something called PACHINKO, and it not only taught me about gambling at a very young age but got me addicted to playing these machines that were everywhere.
Today, the market size of Pachinko parlors is roughly 7500, which is less than half of the 18,250 back in 1997 when the number of parlors was at its peak. The revenue at its prime was close to $300 billion US Dollars. That is bigger than Macau, Las Vegas NV, and Singapore combined. No wonder it is addiction at its worst.
I also got to go to the famous restaurant and Cabaret in Tokyo called The Copacabana.
I can’t ever forget the wonderful-looking ladies everywhere; I fell in and out of love every few seconds. We went with his friend Habbioka San—a great name.
His sister, a singer extraordinaire, was the headline act that night. What a performance! I kept my ears on the stage, but truthfully, my eyes and heart were focused everywhere on these Japanese beauties.
I did manage to get an afternoon date with one of my favorite-looking girls. She spoke as much English as our entire family and friends spoke Japanese—almost none.
The next afternoon, she showed up, but not alone; she had several lady friends who came along to chaperone and protect her, I guess. We all sat around the hotel poolside and enjoyed a few drinks and some strange, stilted conversation.
It was a memorable afternoon, though, and I was invited back to the Copacabana, this time as her guest. Dad had other plans, so I had to respect the person paying the bills and pass on the date.
Dinner plans were with one of Dad’s very good friends, a factory owner. We were guests of Sekiguchi San, which meant “be ready to be impressed.” Sure enough, he didn’t let us down.
We were ushered into a private room with the chef behind a bar-like table.
We sat up as if we were eating at a bar counter, but it was because the chef was doing all the cooking behind the bar with no alcohol bottles and only back tables for the chef to prepare and cook.
He was no ordinary chef; this fine man was, in fact, Emperor Showa’s private Master Chef.
Yes, he was arranged to cook our meal that night, and he came to this restaurant just for us. WOW……. What a treat!
Apart from his cooking, every movement this Chef made was an art. It was a show, something only a few can ever experience. Thank you for the memories.
The 7 Samurai rules are: Righteousness, Loyalty, Honor, Respect, Honesty, Courage, and Consistency.
ifOnlyi… short stories are published chronologically, and follow my life growing up in California from 4 years old. If you’ve just found me, the stories will come together when you start reading from….Issue #1
thx 🙃🙃🙃🤗🤗🤗😘😘😘😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰