From Kitchen to Kingdom: Women Who Dare to Challenge the Norm

The so-called crown in the kitchen may be the happiness of cooking under the sun. ©Jade Kayo MIKI

I often reflect on how my mother dedicated most of her life to the kitchen. I had always assumed she loved cooking because I enjoyed her meals; however, the scars on her arms from hot oil, the sweat from the heat, and the sight of her scrubbing pots and pans suddenly flash through my mind, illuminating the limited culinary perspective I had while growing up. Yes, it was in that very kitchen where I kneaded buns alongside my mother, and it makes me ponder how much room there was for me to expand my narrow worldview as a woman raised in that environment.

I also realized that if I wanted to find the answer, I might need to delve deeper into the cave, seek the fire, experience the place where women's identities are transformed, and rediscover the courage to kneel in front of the stove.

This journey explores whether there exists another group of women in the world who share our path through the universal language of food and drink. It seeks to redefine our understanding of the not as a singular archetype, but as a community of women who have evolved in response to contemporary challenges and changes.

On this basis, my aim is not to reinforce feminism, and I even seek to prevent its misuse. You may ask, “Then why focus solely on women?” It is true that we can discuss the right to pursue happiness as human beings without regard to gender (and the act of creation may not always take place in the kitchen).

But I am focusing on women because they require a distinct voice in this world, and they have a long journey ahead if they wish to earn respect. Ultimately, I want to discover where the fire that symbolizes knowledge and curiosity resides, a fire that promotes the autonomy of civilization. I seek to understand how it burns so brightly that it simmers within our bones, rekindling our respect for others and reigniting our passion for life.