Ｔhrough this
page I would like to introduce a man called Kitaoji Rosanjin.
Forty years have passed since his death, but his popularity
shows no signs of waning. TV dramas have been made about him
and every bookstore stocks some literature about him.
It takes more than a few words to explain just exactly what
this person did. He displayed great talents in numerous fields,
including pottery, calligraphy, seal engraving, cookery, painting,
lacquer ware and gardening, among others. Some people have declared
him to be "the only genius of modern times". Indeed,
his abilities far exceeded those of the average person, because
everything he did was of the highest quality.
However, there were also people in the shadows, who said that
he was "selfish", "boastful", "lustful"
and so on. There are various opinions about him, but it is dangerous
to judge any person by only one aspect. As for me, I am a chef,
and as such I regard him in high esteem, because Rosanjin was
the person who revolutionized Japanese cuisine.
Rosanjin and Kanazawa, in fact, were very deeply connected.
Some of the foundations of Rosanjin's style of cookery lay in
Kanazawa. Rosanjin may have been self-conceited, but if he had
not been such a talented man, his name would not have been so
well remembered.
Two men that Rosanjin met in Kanazawa had a great influence
on his views on cookery. One was Endai Hosono, who was in the
cement products business in Kanazawa and had an interest in antiques.
The other was Takichi Ota, the owner of Kanazawa's leading Kaiseki
restaurant, "Yama-no-o".
Next, I would like to tell you about Rosanjin's merits in
more detail.
