Teriyaki Chicken Maki

In addition to my love for chicken wings, I also have an-almost-addiction to sushi. I mean, who doesn't? Sushi is awesome. But I must admit, when I started eating sushi, I wasn't all 'gung ho' about it. I started with the cooked kind of sushi - teriyaki chicken which was basically a piece of breaded chicken breast in a sushi roll with teriyaki sauce; dynamite roll which was cooked shrimp with mayo and some fish roe.

I was super influenced by a Japanese friend who I was roommates with in dorm at Prov College in 2005. He taught me a lot about his culture and in turn, I taught him the difference between the words 'light' and 'right' because the Japanese language does not have 'l' sounds.

I chose Tomohito Ogasawara as the subject of my personality profile assignment for my journalism course. I thought Tom was particularly interesting to write about because of the challenges he had to overcome in order to fully integrate himself into North American living. His sense of humour was something that everyone remembered about him on top of his humility and determination.

I wish to honour him on my blog my posting his story here :) He is living proof that hard work and determination will get you where you want to be.

(photo taken from Access Winnipeg accesswinnipeg.com)



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Tomohito Ogasawara


He sleeps in a t-shirt, a sweater, and jeans over his sweat pants. He also sets the room’s baseboard heater thermostat to the maximum 30 degrees Celsius before encasing himself in a cocoon of blanket. That is how Tom feels about Winnipeg weather. Few know him by his real name, Tomohito Ogasawara, as a lot of people are intimidated by its pronunciation and spelling, but the opposite can be said about Tom’s personality.

“He is friendly and good to everybody,” says Nikki Sung, one of the owners of Sushi Train At The Forks where Tom has worked as a Sushi Chef for the last three and a half years.

Tom moved from Nagoya City, Japan in January 2005 to pursue Biblical and Theological Studies at Providence College and Seminary in Otterburne, Manitoba to become a pastor. After a year and a half of college, Tom realizes the good life Canada has to offer and puts his studies on hold. He wants to get Canadian Immigration but first needs to work for a minimum of two years according to the standard requirements for his specific condition.

For Tom, hard work and dedication is engrained in his life. At 41 years old, he still likes to be challenged and to try different things. Learning english has been one of the toughest things he ever had to do.

“I hardly used English when I lived in Japan. Still, it takes time what I really want to say,” says Tom, correcting himself twice in mid-sentence before finishing.
Tom admits that not being able to put into words what he wants to say can be stressful at times. He keeps a pocket-sized, electronic translator that gives him word definitions, synonyms, and even their pronunciations.

Tom’s current challenge is undertaking piano lessons. He walks 20 blocks one way to get to his lessons every Tuesday because his bike was stolen.

He smiles as he says, “Most people take piano lessons when they’re kids. I want to try everything.”

When asked about Tom as a beginner piano student, piano teacher Don Kissick says, “He’s a very intense person. He likes to know exactly how things work in and out.” Kissick says he has to be careful how he words his sentences as Tom takes what he says very seriously.

Kissick continues, “Having worked for a Japanese company in the past, I know that his personality is unique for us, but it’s not that unique for Japanese people. When they do something, they do it, and Tom is like that.”

Tom left early October to visit Japan and said he would pick up on his lessons after one month of being gone. Kissick thought he would never see Tom again. Shortly after he arrives in Winnipeg, Tom calls Kissick and says he is ready to start again.

Jenny La is a waitress at Sushi Train At The Forks. She has known Tom for a year and a half. “He is a loyal friend,” says La. “Every time his friends come in, he always makes a special dish for them.”

When asked to describe Tom in one sentence, his roommate Aaron Griffiths says “Tom is a fastidious Christian gentleman of the Orient.” The two men met through a mutual friend and have shared a Roslyn Road apartment for the last two years.

Since moving to Canada, Tom has made numerous friendships. He never married and has had no children. During Christmas last year, Tom met his now girlfriend Miyako when she visited Winnipeg for the first time. 36-year-old Miyako Inoue is Tom’s first girlfriend. Since Inoue lives in Japan, they keep in contact through e-mail and internet chat.

“She’s not hot at all,” chuckles Tom with the revelation. “But I like her personality.” He has plans to bring Inoue to Canada if they marry.

Eventually, Tom would like to get his Canadian Citizenship, buy a car, and open a restaurant business in Winnipeg. For now, he will continue to walk to his piano lessons and finish the beginner level while staying warm the best he can.

Tom’s piano teacher summarizes him the best: “What you see is what you get.”