Chef Konno describes himself as a person that "gets bored very easily." Not to be rude or anything but I thought "that description might be accurate" as I was interviewing him.

Konno’s parents ran a slaughterhouse. After a while the heavy physical labor became too tiresome, so he quit working for his parents. With his connection to the meat industry, Konno started working for a meat packer instead. When he was with the meat packing company, he met a chef who recommended that Konno consider a culinary career. Konno followed his advice and began his apprenticeship as a chef. Due to his temperament, however, Konno did not ever stay in one place too long. His training took place at various establishments such as a kappo (a fancy restaurant serving traditional Japanese cuisine), a koryori-ya (a cookshop serving home-style dishes), and an izakaya (a Japanese style pub). Different workplaces but he kept in the same line of work as a “chef.” One of Konno’s high school teachers used to tell him to “have marketable skills.” His teacher’s words have always stayed in his mind. And that was why Konno kept his focus on one trade throughout all his different jobs.

Konno was 28 when he got the chance to come to the United States. While he was working at a kappo restaurant in Japan, he heard about the recruitment of contract employees for “Sakura Garden” in Mountain View, California. Konno decided to take the job and cross the Pacific Ocean. At Sakura Garden, there were only eight Japanese chefs to cook up to 500 meals daily. The work was tough and he had very little time to do anything else. Konno had trouble communicating in English and unreasonable bullying was going on from the senior chefs at the restaurant.

Again his former teacher’s words gave him enough encouragement to keep going until Konno fulfilled his contract. Upon meeting his contractual obligations Konno was originally planning to go back to Japan. It so happens that Konno met a Japanese person in Gardena who changed his mind and his life. Konno decided as a result of that encounter to stay in the Los Angeles area and to lead the life of a wandering chef.

“Learning is for life.” This is Konno’s motto. Konno has drawn numerous valuable lessons from the many restaurants he has worked for and the countless people he has met along the way. Just to cite a few examples of his training and accomplishments ... Konno opened his own restaurant called “Ikkyu.” He was also involved in launching many restaurants including “Sushi Go 55,” a popular restaurant in Little Tokyo. He functioned as a manager at “Inagiku” and as a supervisor for another Japanese restaurant. Although he has switched places many times, Konno has never stopped refining his culinary talents. That is perhaps the main reason he always found some restaurant that wanted his services. His education as a chef continues even today.

Asked about his vision for the future, Konno replied “I would like to start a school for Japanese cuisine.” However, a large scale profit-oriented commercial enterprise is not what Konno has in mind. He would like to be an instructor or a tutor himself and personally teach people how to cook Japanese food and sushi properly. Nowadays passing along Japanese culture to the younger generation is becoming quite difficult even inside Japan. Konno hopes to take part in helping assure the succession of authentic Japanese food culture to the next generation of both young Japanese and non-Japanese people here in Los Angeles. Let’s hope for his success.

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