Australia is now one of the most cosmopolitan countries in the world; you can’t walk down a street in a major city without going past a variety of restaurants representing the cuisine of several diff erent countries. And you’d have to be blinkered not to notice the number of Japanese restaurants that have sprung up, from Japanese-style cafes off ering delicious home-style Japanese food, to sushi restaurants and take-away outlets, to sophisticated restaurants off ering Japanese high cuisine or a fusion of east and west.

The restaurant business is an attractive proposition for many Japanese people in Australia.

Th e language barrier is not so great as in other industries – a menu with pictures and wait staff who can speak basic English is enough to get by to start with. Many Japanese people can cook homestyle food to a very high standard, and it’s still exotic enough for Australians to go out for. The competition for Japanese restaurants isn’t as fi erce
as in Japan, either.

However, it’s not all plain sailing. Shingo Suzuki of the widely successful Kobe Jones group says, ‘Running a restaurant is never easy. You have to be fully committed and willing to work long hours.’ He describes the business as ‘masochistic’, but worth it. ‘Australian diners are fantastic. ? ey drive the kitchen and fl oor staff to new levels.’

Our busy lifestyles often make it more economical to
eat out than at home. ‘Look at the amount of choice we
have. ? e food is good and the value is there too. We
might as well eat out rather than slave in front of the
stove ourselves. And guess what... no dirty dishes to
do!’ says Suzuki. Despite the hard work, it’s no wonder
that the Japanese restaurant business is taking off in Australia.