My first blogging experience was in the early 2000’s as part of my work, to promote the tableware brand. Back then, I didn’t want the blog to be too business oriented, not just another commercial blog which I personally though it was boring. I mixed in some of my personal experience to give depth in my opinions and also because a lot of our product reflects the spirit of the city of Yokohama, I blogged a lot about my experience living in this city.

And then I quit blogging. My environment had changed, the project I was working, abruptly came to an end. I deleted my 15yrs of my blogging. I didn’t want my personal thought floating somewhere in the internet anymore. Instagram emerged around that time and I shifted to shooting picture instead of writing. SNS was filled with trash. Everything came a go in a speed of light. There was no time for me to sit down to write.

Now I’m in the 50’s. The speed and amount of infos in the internet keeps picking up but at the sametime something precious is slipping out from my life. When I looked around my environment, a lot had change and some are eternally gone. The pandemic had done a great job to clearing the slate.

When I was blogging about Yokohama, I really loved taking picture of the small streets of the old neighborhood. The old, dirty, shabby, ugly things laying around the street. As I stroll around the city, I’ll play with the stray cats, wondered in to the old shophouses filled with treasures aka junks. Dropping by at a local cafes for some old school treats while watching the local debate never dissapointed me. Talking with the local grocers was also my favorite, asking about the seasonal veggies and for some cooking advise.

As time passed, the streets where cleared, the newcomers moved into the high rise apartments, old shops are replaced by large malls, supermarkets with imported goods, coffee shops are all making latte’s and the city is looking like any other city in the world.

Changing is a natural process. I accept the change. At the same time, I miss the old Yokohama. It’s unbearable to see the city in turning into a stereotypes, so called a metropolitan city. This facts sort of hit me like a hard rock on my head and while all the little precious things which I treasure still exists, I should start recording it again. Not just instagram it, but take some time to sit down and write about it. My experience as a foreigner living in Japan all my life might be interest someone. My love for this city and the cooking landscape might be unique to someone.

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横浜からの片隅から世界のとこかへ。

横浜に住み始めて、横浜らしさについて考え始めて30年以上。横浜らしさって何処となくファンタジー的で、実在しない事が多い。過去を振り返り、カッコよかった時代、伝説の人々、横浜らしいモノゴトがどんどん減って行く感じに危機感を感じます。街の中心を見渡すと、何処の街と変わらないチェーン店のオンパレード。巨大ショッピングモールに観光客が押し寄せ、片手に持っているドリンクも紙袋も何処にも横浜らしさは無い。それでも横濱は憧れだと人々は言う。港を見渡せ、異国を感じる景色に微かに残った横濱を感じながら。

私の横浜生活にて有難くも先人達に恵まれ多くの横浜文化を伝授されました。形あるもの、無いもの。些細な所に宿る横浜らしさ。形が有る様で無い物を記録し、横浜での物づくりを発信出来たらなと思いこのHPを立ち上げました。英語と日本語の二カ国で発信する事を目指しつつ、一先ず外国人に役立ちそうな情報は英語、日本人に役立ちそうな情報は日本語で発信して行く予定です。いずれは全記事をバイリンガルにして行くつもりです。インスタグラムでも引き続き英語・日本語で発信し続けますので、そちらも一緒にご覧いただけたら、全体像が掴めるのかと思います。よろしくお願い致します。