You aren’t going to find many female Beni-Hana chefs either: generally all the chefs are male, all the drink servers are female.
Let’s face it: it’s sexism. And, in particular in this case, a sexism particular to Japanese culture.
I heard a story on NPR some years back wherein some school for sushi chefs in Japan had actually graduated its first female student. It caused something of a ruckus at the time, and someone stated that a female sushi chef would be utterly unemployable in Japan because sushi connoisseurs would be able to tell the difference.
And those are working as tables, not chefs.
The other day I had a similar epiphany when my gas was pumped at the gas station by a woman attendant, for the first time ever. Never noticed they are usually all men before.
Wow, I don’t think I’ve seen a gas station attendant at all since I’ve been old enough to drive. I wouldn’t know where to find a full-service station.
There were female sushi chefs at the sushi bar I went to in Seattle last month. (I think it’s an occupational hazard, though; seemed like every lonely single guy was hitting on her–just like female bartenders.)
i’ll take one for the team…now let’s see those cute little icicles of yours…
It’s illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon (and New Jersey) so every station, even the tiniest ones in the smallest towns have attendants. I’ve been living here for two years and I’m still not entirely used to it and would prefer to do it myself.
What’s the reasoning behind self-serve being illegal? Too many people driving off without paying? Using unapproved containers? I’m officially out of theories.
A quick google search indicates it was passed in 1951 ostensibly for safety but more likely to create jobs and the people here seem to like it so it’s stayed.
While I would personally prefer to pump my own, it *does * come in handy when it’s cold and wet (which is often as it’s Oregon) so I tolerate it.
There’s a Korean place in town which serves, among other things, various types of sushi. The owner and sole chef is a woman. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any male employee there, in any capacity, but it’s a very small place, with perhaps 4 or 5 people total, so perhaps not a statistical sample.
Of course, that’s also coming from a somewhat different culture than Japan. Maybe the Koreans are more open to the notion of female sushi chefs. Or maybe, for that matter, the owner came to the US because she didn’t like the social climate of her homeland.
Correct. I live in Deleware now, but lived in Jersey for 6 years prior to that, and still work here in Jersey, where the gas lady in question was. (She also gave me a fortune cookie with my reciept, which is also odd.)
Reasons for OR and NJ’s gas pumping laws previously discussed here:
and here:
(nothing too conclusive, though)
Or Delaware even. Hey, I can’t be expected to spell my state correctly after only 8 months, can I?
I’ve held hands with 2 japanese girls. Their hands were even colder than european girls’ hands.
Also, a number of Safeway supermarkets prepare decent sushi daily. (Yes, I know the “decent” part is debatable. :rolleyes:, but I always liked it.) I know from watching that the chef at the Canton* area Safeway is female.
*A neighborhood in Baltimore named after the place in China.