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Love blossoms after mobile phone lost on Tokyo's subway
By Lu Xiaofeng and Xu Wei |
September 27, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ON the bustling Jiading Zhouqiao Old Street, it's hard to spot a small five-square-meter restaurant tucked among larger shops. But those who miss the Good Cook Shop Japanese-style pizzeria are missing out on one of the best-kept secrets in the neighborhood.
The shop is run by Zhu Xiangye and his Japanese wife Taraka Akiko. Their welcoming smiles provide an excellent prelude to a good meal. Although the restaurant has been open only two months, it's proving to be a popular spot to eat.
Even better than the food is the charming tale of how these two people met and came to open a restaurant.
After graduation from a technical school in China, Zhu, a native of Jiading District, worked as a computer technician for a supermarket. His cousin, who was studying in Japan at that time, advised him to come to Tokyo and continue his studies there. Zhu was indifferent to her suggestion at first, but in 2002, when he realized that his job didn't have good career prospects, he moved to Tokyo. However, one week after his arrival, his cousin finished her studies and left for New Zealand, leaving him clueless in a country where he couldn't speak the language.
"I was totally at a loss," Zhu says. "There was no one to communicate with. My only choice was to study Japanese hard at language schools."
One year later, Zhu found that he had almost run out of money. He didn't want to ask for more money from his family. On the recommendation of his roommate, he got a job at a bakery. Its salary covered his living costs. Later Zhu changed jobs several times and his income steadily increased. Two years later, Zhu was admitted to a college and he paid the tuition fee with his savings.
In the summer of 2006, Taraka Akiko appeared in his life. Their meeting was something out of a romance novel. It began with a missing mobile phone. On that day, Zhu took the metro to school as usual. Suddenly he noticed that there was a mobile phone on the floor. He picked it up and found the owner's contact number.
"Hello, have you lost your mobile phone?" he asked.
"Yes," came her reply. "I lost it this morning. I am looking for it."
"I found it," Zhu said. "How about meeting tomorrow so that I can return the mobile phone to you?" As you can probably guess, a romance blossomed.
"I knew he was a foreigner from his crappy Japanese on the phone," Akiko recalls with a chuckle. "But it was not until our meeting that I found out he was Chinese."
Although Zhu's Japanese was wanting, he impressed Akiko with his humor and charm. They frequently went out for dinner and to movies. Half a year later, the two officially became a couple. Just like all young people who fall in love, they used to share hugs at the foot of Mount Fuji and have snowball fights in Hokkaido's world of ice and snow. On Akiko's birthday, with the help of online video courses, Zhu made a cake for her. In return, Akiko, a baker, gave Zhu an exquisite chocolate gift to celebrate his birthday.
Back in China, his mother was fretting that her 30-year-old son still wasn't married and she spared no effort in trying to find a wife for him. To alleviate her anxiety, Zhu proposed to Akiko. To his surprise, she accepted without hesitation. Her parents were also happy about the match. On March 12, 2009, they got married.
Zhu lost his job due to the financial crisis, but soon he found another job at a noodle restaurant in Tokyo.
"I want to go back to my country, where our life together has better prospects," Zhu told Akiko.
She agreed and accompanied him to his hometown in Jiading District in May this year. It took Zhu less than two months to find a location and make preparations to open the Japanese-style pizzeria. Its initial success has given Zhu the confidence to open a Japanese-style noodle or rice restaurant soon.
The shop is run by Zhu Xiangye and his Japanese wife Taraka Akiko. Their welcoming smiles provide an excellent prelude to a good meal. Although the restaurant has been open only two months, it's proving to be a popular spot to eat.
Even better than the food is the charming tale of how these two people met and came to open a restaurant.
After graduation from a technical school in China, Zhu, a native of Jiading District, worked as a computer technician for a supermarket. His cousin, who was studying in Japan at that time, advised him to come to Tokyo and continue his studies there. Zhu was indifferent to her suggestion at first, but in 2002, when he realized that his job didn't have good career prospects, he moved to Tokyo. However, one week after his arrival, his cousin finished her studies and left for New Zealand, leaving him clueless in a country where he couldn't speak the language.
"I was totally at a loss," Zhu says. "There was no one to communicate with. My only choice was to study Japanese hard at language schools."
One year later, Zhu found that he had almost run out of money. He didn't want to ask for more money from his family. On the recommendation of his roommate, he got a job at a bakery. Its salary covered his living costs. Later Zhu changed jobs several times and his income steadily increased. Two years later, Zhu was admitted to a college and he paid the tuition fee with his savings.
In the summer of 2006, Taraka Akiko appeared in his life. Their meeting was something out of a romance novel. It began with a missing mobile phone. On that day, Zhu took the metro to school as usual. Suddenly he noticed that there was a mobile phone on the floor. He picked it up and found the owner's contact number.
"Hello, have you lost your mobile phone?" he asked.
"Yes," came her reply. "I lost it this morning. I am looking for it."
"I found it," Zhu said. "How about meeting tomorrow so that I can return the mobile phone to you?" As you can probably guess, a romance blossomed.
"I knew he was a foreigner from his crappy Japanese on the phone," Akiko recalls with a chuckle. "But it was not until our meeting that I found out he was Chinese."
Although Zhu's Japanese was wanting, he impressed Akiko with his humor and charm. They frequently went out for dinner and to movies. Half a year later, the two officially became a couple. Just like all young people who fall in love, they used to share hugs at the foot of Mount Fuji and have snowball fights in Hokkaido's world of ice and snow. On Akiko's birthday, with the help of online video courses, Zhu made a cake for her. In return, Akiko, a baker, gave Zhu an exquisite chocolate gift to celebrate his birthday.
Back in China, his mother was fretting that her 30-year-old son still wasn't married and she spared no effort in trying to find a wife for him. To alleviate her anxiety, Zhu proposed to Akiko. To his surprise, she accepted without hesitation. Her parents were also happy about the match. On March 12, 2009, they got married.
Zhu lost his job due to the financial crisis, but soon he found another job at a noodle restaurant in Tokyo.
"I want to go back to my country, where our life together has better prospects," Zhu told Akiko.
She agreed and accompanied him to his hometown in Jiading District in May this year. It took Zhu less than two months to find a location and make preparations to open the Japanese-style pizzeria. Its initial success has given Zhu the confidence to open a Japanese-style noodle or rice restaurant soon.
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