sushi chefs
Oona Tempest is a world-class sushi chef whose cuisine could satisfy the palate of even the pickiest sushi connoisseurs.
Sukibayashi Jiro is probably the most well-known sushi restaurant in the world, thanks to the popular documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. In it we see the passion and hard work of Jiro, the restaurant’s owner, in his constant quest to create the perfect sushi for his customers.
But Jiro isn’t the only one who is passionate about sushi. YouTube channel Munchies recently put out a great short documentary about a sushi chef closer to home for many of us: Toshio Oguma in New York City. Be forewarned though: after watching, you may feel an intense urge to immediately purchase a bus or plane ticket to get to Manhattan as quickly as possible for a taste of what he and his apprentices are serving up.
Women have been prohibited from doing certain things (entering places, using facilities, etc.) for as long as civilization has existed. Restrictions are still common, albeit usually in religious contexts only. While religions themselves evolve and change with the times and bans are lifted, it doesn’t mean all of them get an update.
As women, we all know the purported reasons behind these bans: women are “impure” because we menstruate (the same impure biological process that allows us to give life to men), we are the physically weaker sex, and we distract men with our beauty. Yada, yada, yada.
Today, in our Women in Japan Series, we take a look at four things women are still not allowed to do in Japan. I’ve divided them into bans and semi-bans. Bans allow no women; semi-bans allow women–but only sometimes.
Of course, it’s high time these restrictions were lifted. While much headway has been made in the past, such as the lifting of the rule preventing women from climbing Mount Fuji, other bans are proving more stubborn despite protests by Japanese women’s groups. Will these restrictions be lifted anytime soon? Only the Japanese people can decide.