Hello everyone! This is Sushi Hatake.
Today, I’d like to share something personal with you.
“You Never Stick With Anything”
“You never stick with anything. You always quit. You have no grit.”
These are words I heard from friends back home for years.
Sometimes said to my face. And every time, I’d think, “Yeah, they’re probably right…”
Looking back at my life — office worker → organic farmer → sushi chef — I suppose it doesn’t fit the traditional path of “mastering one thing.”
“The Times Have Caught Up With You”
Recently, I met up with an old friend from my hometown. He said something unexpected:
“The times have finally caught up with you.”
Honestly, it made me happy.
With AI advancing, work styles changing, and lifetime employment becoming a thing of the past, he said my “flexible way of living” might actually be a strength in this new era.
Hearing that from the same friend who used to call me a quitter — that meant a lot.
My Life Journey
- Until age 32: Office worker (left due to marriage and job transfer issues)
- 32–38: Ran “Hirai Farm” in Gifu Prefecture, growing over 50 types of vegetables
- 38–41: Closed the farm during COVID. Traveled domestically and abroad, studying English
- 41–present: Began training as a sushi chef. Currently working at “Sushikawa” in Sasazuka
- Age 43: Graduated from The Open University of Japan
It might look scattered.
But now, I feel like it all connects.
What Farming Taught Me
For six years, I worked the soil and grew vegetables.
Cultivating over 50 different crops, I learned firsthand how ingredients grow and how they change.
Now, as a sushi chef, that experience matters.
It’s not just about fish. It’s about handling vegetables and garnishes. Understanding seasonal changes. Appreciating what producers go through.
If I hadn’t been a farmer, I wouldn’t approach ingredients the way I do now.
What Travel Gave Me
After closing the farm, I traveled for three years.
Southeast Asia. Europe. All over Japan.
Along the way, I studied English and shared meals with people from different cultures.
Now, more and more of my catering clients are international guests.
Being able to explain sushi in English. Understanding cultural differences when serving guests.
Without those three years, I couldn’t do this.
Is “Lack of Persistence” Really a Weakness?
For a long time, I saw my “short attention span” as a flaw.
Not anymore.
“Lack of persistence” is just another way of saying “curiosity for new things.”
I’ve decided to keep challenging myself with new things until the day I die. People have criticized me for it my whole life, but I won’t change. I can’t change.
It’s just who I am.
Being a “Slightly Different Sushi Chef” Is Fine
In the sushi world, there are many chefs who started training in their teens and have spent decades mastering a single path.
Honestly, in pure technique, I may not match some of them.
But I have my own strengths.
- Six years of facing ingredients as a farmer
- English skills and cross-cultural understanding from traveling
- Business sense from my office worker days
- A commitment to lifelong learning — graduating university at 43
There probably aren’t many sushi chefs with this combination.
“A slightly different sushi chef.” That’s my strength.
Sushi Hatake’s Mobile Catering
Currently, I work at “Sushikawa” in Sasazuka on Tuesday and Wednesday dinner shifts, while also running my own mobile sushi catering service.
- Home parties
- Corporate gatherings and client entertainment
- Birthday parties and anniversary celebrations
- Hosting international guests (English available)
I travel anywhere within Tokyo’s 23 wards to prepare authentic Edomae sushi right before your eyes.
Sushi from a “slightly different chef” — shaped by a diverse range of experiences.
If that sounds interesting, I’d love to hear from you.
Learn more about our sushi catering service
Contact us / Make a reservation
Embracing new challenges. Not fearing change.
A life once called “scattered” now feels completely connected.
That’s how I see it now.