(January 1977)

I was born in Kitaura, as a son of a fisherman.  My father often shared some of the fish with the neighbors and received vegetables in return.  My mother prepared the vegetable dishes and my father prepared the seafood.

I was brought up in an almost completely self-sufficient family.

 

(At 8 years old)

I was able to enjoy the delicious fresh oysters caught in the nearby sea, and bayberry and chocolate vine picked in the mountains.

 

(At 12 years old)

I experienced the joy my fish brought to people.

 

(At 18 years old)

I entered a cooking school in Osaka.  At that time, I was able to broaden my horizons and study English conversation.  Due to difficult circumstances back at home, I left cooking behind to help my family.  I returned to my hometown and decided to become a fisherman.

 

(At 20 years old)

After obtaining my vessel and radio operator licenses, my career as a fisherman finally began.  Around this time, I was impressed again by the taste of the rice ball while eating with fellow fisherman and enjoying the morning sunrise.  I realized then, the importance of living in harmony with nature.

 

(At 27 years old)

My family business started to settle down so I decided to give my cooking career another try and consulted my father.  Of course he was against it but said that since he was able to do what he wanted to, I should do the same.  I then left for Kansai.  I spent four years in Kyoto, Osaka, and Australia and was moved by the many valuable experiences these hardships brought.

 

 

(At 31 years old)

Without much experience, I knew what I needed to do so without hesitation,

I returned to Kitaura and opened the “Kitaura Zenryomaru” Restaurant.

 

(At 36 years old)

In addition to local customers, and customers from all over Japan, our aim was to attract people from around the world so that many more can enjoy the special cuisine of Zenryomaru.  To help us spread the word, we created and uploaded an original video to our home page.

 

(2014 - Now)

Although still inexperienced in some areas, my cooking philosophy is a reliable and devoted one.

 

Full of gratitude, growing up in such an environment, it is with pleasure that we at Zenryomaru work hard to pursue our fine cuisine.  We warmly welcome everyone and hope you enjoy your Zenryomaru experience.

 

MAFF "6th Ryori Masters" Award 【BRONZE】
・after Awards ceremony (weblog japanese_only) http://www.zenryomaru.jp/blog/?p=4553
・Awards ceremony (weblog japanese_only) http://www.zenryomaru.jp/blog/?p=4545
・RYORI MASTERS CLUB site http://ryori-masters.jp/

 

Sincerely,

Zenbei Yoshida

      Chef