I would like to thank all people who have always supported Kura Cooking.

I’m very happy Kura Cooking is becoming more and more well known to people overseas.

In 2023, we had so many new experiences.

We had a large group of people from the U.S. (twice), Germany, and Brunei. They enjoyed the experience of learning how to make Japanese dishes.

We also had individual guests from abroad every week.

We also did online lesson for 50 people in East Timor and ASEAN.

They were very interested in learning how to make Japanese dishes and were very enthusiastic about it. I was also happy to see that they asked many questions not only about food but also about Japanese culture.

Personally, I also met a new teacher who checks my English. She is well versed in Japanese culture, so she can correct me on exactly what I want to talk about and show me current English phrases. She is the best English teacher I have ever met. Preparing for my weekly lessons is now one of my favorite things to do. And this is also helping me to communicate smoothly with the international guests at this year’s Kura Cooking.

One more thing, I started going to a private gym this year, where I do one-on-one strength training for an hour.

This may be why I feel less tired after the cooking class.

It has been a year in which I keenly feel the importance of taking care of myself as I get older.

I will continue to work hard in 2024 with this momentum.

Please accept my best wishes for 2024.