Though I’ve lived in Seattle nearly my entire life, the early winter sunsets, which fall like a set of blackout curtains over the world, never fail to feel like a curse. This year, though, I wanted to challenge myself to find a better way to get through it. Could it be an opportunity to surrender to a slower, quieter pace? Or to tap into parts of myself that wouldn’t otherwise come out? 

To answer this I posed this question to locals from various walks of life, beginning with two chefs, Mutsuko Soma and Shota Nakajima, both of whom run Japanese restaurants in Seattle. As a fourth-generation Japanese-American on one side, I often feel pretty distant from the traditions of my culture. It was illuminating to speak to two people who embrace their cultural traditions to not only get through the winter, but also to thrive.

Soma, the owner and chef at Fremont restaurant Kamonegi and its sister bar, Hannyatou, is originally from Japan but has lived in Seattle for half of her forty years of life. In addition to running a business, she, like me, is a mother juggling parenting with work. Still, she knows a thing or two about chilling out. She was even featured on HBO Max’s A World of Calm, which was created with the specific goal of “transporting the viewer into tranquility,” according to the show’s description. 

 

Like many of us, Soma spends much less time outdoors in the winter and shares that the lifestyle adjustment can be challenging. What gets her through all that time at home? Kintsugi — a centuries-old Japanese tradition of repairing broken ceramics and beautifying the cracks with powdered gold. 

 

“I have so many broken plates from the restaurant,” she explains. “It’s easy to throw away, but in my Japanese culture, we don’t want to throw away.”

 

Piecing together the chipped parts feels very different from working in a kitchen to Soma. She describes it as more like doing a puzzle or playing a game. It can’t be completed in a single day, either. “You have to fill in the chipped part, let it dry, then go back to it the next week.”

To further dig into the relaxation element, she listens to music — classic rock like The Police are a favorite — or Japanese podcasts. 

The end result is unique and elegant. As a bonus, she doesn’t have to be mad at the dishwasher who broke a piece. (As someone who has broken my fair share of dishes both at work and at home, I would love knowing that some see my butterfingers as an opportunity to beautify their wares.) This winter, her goal is to fix about twenty-five dishes, which she’ll then repurpose at the restaurant.

Shota Nakajima, who owns the Capitol Hill restaurants Taku and Kōbo (a recently opened Detroit-style Japanese pizza joint), and who’s risen to international fame through his appearances on shows such as Top Chef, has a different but equally cheerful approach to winter. When he isn’t working, he can often be found soaking in a hot bath at places such as Yuan Spa.

“It’s my Japanese heritage,” he said of his penchant for soaking. “I grew up taking a bath every single day, and if there’s an opportunity on a day off to sit in the bath all day, I’m going to do that.”

 

 

Nakajima still loves getting outside, though, particularly foraging for fungi. He’ll drive up to three hours from Seattle just to gain access to prime spots (though he can’t disclose the exact locations, lest he want to earn the ire of his friends in the foraging community). Once there, the pair will spend hours hunting for chanterelles, milky caps, and other mushroom varieties. Sometimes, he parks in the middle of the woods and spends the entire night snuggled up in the back of the car with his beloved border collie.

“I really like that feeling because you feel very small when you wake up,” said Nakajima. “It’s just quiet. There’s nothing. Just me and the dog, and it’s really nice.”

Roaming the forest provides an opportunity for reflection and musing: “I’m a big manifester and dreamer.”

He thinks winter provides a different kind of beauty that makes bundling up worth it.

 

“People are so used to being comfortable now,” he says. “But if you put your jacket on, and you’re moving your body, it’s pretty out there.”

 

He described driving to an area near Blewett Pass that was rife with yellow yew trees.

“It’s one of the most marvelous things, and it’s only an hour and a half from Seattle,” he recalls wistfully. “You can take a wonderful walk. Things like that are completely underrated.”

Nakajima’s starry-eyed depictions of nature remind me that there’s a Japanese term for spending time in the woods: Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing.” Numerous studies have shown that the practice has measurable health benefits, including the alleviation of anxiety and depression as well as improved cardiovascular function.

What struck me about both chefs is how humble their hobbies are. Given their professional prestige, I half expected more glamorous answers. But driving out to the mountains takes nothing more than a working vehicle, while repairing dishes might actually save money. This was both good and bad news. Good, because that meant I could emulate them. Bad, because I had no excuse to fester on the couch whining to my husband about how his clutter is contributing to my claustrophobia when such potentially fulfilling activities are within reach. I may not schlep hours away for fungi, but I am inspired to at least venture into the woods of nearby Seward Park, take a steaming hot bath at home, and maybe even fix something I broke last year. 

This is the first in four part series.  To read the second article featuring Seattle Master Gardener, Ciscoe Morris, and Artists/Gallerist, Tariqa Waters please click here.

Annie Midori Atherton is a freelance writer covering culture, careers, parenting, and more. Her writing has appeared on The Atlantic, the BBC, Insider, and other places. She lives in south Seattle with her husband and toddler.