Hi my name is Vanessa and I am the culinary instructor and founder of this project.
Nippon Viajero started in 2017 as an outlet and really just an idea in my kitchen table while having a chat with my husband. It was a conversation that quickly spun out into something more. At that time I needed to find myself in my new life in Japan. I knew that I felt lost and in need of a community.
This project started as a simple html website with a lot of ideas and not enough structure. I had millions of ways to develop Nippon Viajero in my head but I was not sure how and where to begin.
One day after many changes to that website (and many broken page links!) and discarded mind maps, there was a connection and it was strong. Cooking, I though… I love cooking.
I can teach cooking in Japan, what kind of food?…Well that was obvious Mexican… but I didn’t know where to find the ingredients, how to make tortillas, or even how to write a recipe. While cooking has always been a part of me. I sort of just took it for granted that I had un *buen sazón. *Spanish for a flair for cooking.
So what happened? A lot of self doubt, tears, laughter, long talks, and a lot of courage. I slowly confronted the barriers, studied, took many cooking and language classes, interviewed, asked for and accepted help.
It took the whole world coming to a stop so I could realize what I wanted. Nippon Viajero… I wanted it to grow and flourish.
So here I am today one year later with the past years of slowly putting ideas together to show for in the form of a seedling. I have been creating recipes, developing a community, making relationships with vendors and farmers in Japan. And very slowly but consistently been teaching and connecting people and communities through these cooking workshops.
So why I am I writing this? And why is it so looong…. Well yesterday was our official 1 year anniversary. And I feel emotional, happy, and honored to be here!
One year of cooking, testing, and shaping our events! Yesterday we celebrated the special occasion with Día de Muertos where it all started. But hey that’s another long story. Maybe next year I will share it for our 3rd annual Día de Muertos event.
See you on our next workshop!
Saludos,
Vanessa
English 
Japanese