Hello Reader, It's Yukari!
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It was a last-minute decision, but I went to visit my dear friend in Japan for two weeks.
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(I talked about her in this email newsletter, too. Read ➡️ The Teacup that Broke Me)
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Now I’m back from Japan.
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Before the jet lag wears off and everything starts to feel normal again, I want to tell you about an embroidered T-shirt.
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It cost 5,900 yen, which is about 38 US dollars, at a souvenir store.

T-shirt had gorgeous embroidery on the back with Fujin and Raijin.
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(Fujin and Raijin are the traditional Japanese gods of wind and thunder who protect against evil and natural disasters.)
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I thought Aric would like that T-shirt.
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So I bought it.
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Nothing special, so I thought.
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I paid.

Instead of handling the bag across the counter, the woman who helped me said,
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​"I'll walk with you to the exit."
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​She carried my T-shirt — one T-shirt — all the way to the door.
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Then, she turned, held the bag out to me with both hands, and said,
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"Thank you for stopping by our store. We look forward to your next visit."
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​I've seen that type of service at Tiffany, or at Hermès.
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But not for a T-shirt at a souvenir store.

And it wasn't just that one store.

I grew up in Osaka, and I'd always assumed the warmth I remembered was an Osaka thing.
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It isn't.
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It was everywhere I went, even at a convenience store not in a touristy area, but near my friend's place.
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​"Irasshaimase" - Welcoming you with a smile when you walk into a store.
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​"Arigatou Gozaimashita" - Thanking you with a smile when you leave.
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Your change counted back to you out loud, down to a yen. (a penny)
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And the bills, which I noticed on the first day, come back so flat and clean they look like they just left the bank.

Is it just the culture, or the work ethic?

Most of these places - a souvenir store, a cafe, a restaurant, and a grocery store- didn't have many people working, either.
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Often one or two, quietly doing what looked like the work of five, and never once seeming rushed.
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The floors were clean.
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The counters and tables were nicely set up.
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And everyone seemed... I don't know how else to put it...
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proud of it.
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I've been trying to figure out what I was actually seeing.

"Omotenashi" spirit in Japan

I think it's this.
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Nobody asked them to count the change out loud.
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Nobody would complain about a wrinkled bill.
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Nobody expects to be walked to the door for a T-shirt.
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Those are the things you do when the job isn't the transaction.
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It's the person in front of you.
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It's called the "Omotenashi" spirit.
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It's the traditional Japanese spirit of hospitality, defined by selflessly anticipating a guest's needs before they even realize them.
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It made me look at our own work a little differently.
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​The parts nobody asks for are the parts people remember.

So I'm curious.

What's the smallest thing someone ever did for you?
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At a shop, a restaurant, anywhere that you still remember?
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Hit reply and tell me.
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I'd love to collect these moments.

Thanks for being at our Kitchen Table on this cozy little corner of the internet.
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We appreciate you following along and letting us share not just what we cook but why we cook. 🧡
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With gratitude and friendship,
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Aric & Yukari
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P.S. The chicken video from last time is now on our YouTube channel. If you missed it, it's thirty seconds, one angle.
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​[ ▶ Watch: The Thickness Rule ]​
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🐱 (P.S.S. Ka-En was present for the filming in the sense that he was asleep four feet away the entire time. Sous chef duties: declined.🤣 )

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