Jessy LeClair for JAPAN Forward

It does not get much better than regular deliveries of small-batch Japanese food. I should know. On the 18-hour-plus haul across the Pacific Ocean from New Jersey to Japan, the one question always weighing on my mind is, “What am I going to eat first?”

I never want anything fancy, just the simple, pure flavors of Japan that I miss from my time living in Kansai: a perfectly formed rice ball wrapped with seaweed, a comforting bowl of piping hot miso soup, a soothing cup of bitter green tea.

And as soon as I take that first bite, I am immediately reconnected to my memories of Japan. I remember my host mother preparing me a warm bowl of udon in hot dashi made from konbu and topped with scallions. I can taste the perfectly-formed rice balls flavored with hijiki and the gentle fragrance of shiso prepared by my colleagues for an afternoon picnic by Lake Biwa.

Star-Crossed Beginning

Now, thanks to the start-up Kokoro Care Packages, I do not have to fly all the way to Japan to enjoy the foods I miss. No matter where I live, I can enjoy a curated selection of Japanese tea, seasonings, snacks, and more delivered directly to my own door! At the same time, I’m helping to support Japan’s small farmers, who face a shrinking future.

When I am missing Japan, my monthly Kokoro Care Package always makes me smile. Seeing the Japan Post sticker and the carbon copy export form gives me a special thrill. When I open my box, I immediately feel reconnected to the country and to my memories in Japan.

Two enterprising women — Lillian Rowlatt and Aki Sugiyama — started Kokoro Care Packages just last year, in December 2018. Lillian, who now lives in Los Angeles, is half-Japanese and grew up in Toronto. Aki lives in central Tokyo. Although both women have different cultural backgrounds and native languages, they share a background in finance.

Amazingly, the two women also share a mutual friend. One of Aki’s colleagues in Tokyo is Lillian’s childhood friend from Canada. This mutual friend saw that Aki and Lillian shared a common interest in fitness and health, and introduced the two of them.

Recalling that first meeting, Lillian says she felt an instant connection. The two discovered they shared much in common, particularly their belief in the power of eating a Japanese-based diet and the values that can be learned from Japanese philosophies around food. The dinner lasted only a few hours, but, within that short time, Aki says they connected deeply, like they just understood each other completely. Their electric connection inspired Aki to travel to Los Angeles.

During their time together in Los Angeles, they hatched Kokoro Care Packages. Recognizing the challenge of finding high-quality Japanese food and ingredients outside Japan, they felt inspired to support local, small-scale producers who are increasingly threatened by Japan’s shrinking population.

In addition, Lillian and Aki wanted to share the many health benefits they had enjoyed from eating a Japanese diet. Since then, they bravely left their careers behind to pursue their dream of bringing authentic Japanese food products and the stories behind them to people around the world.

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