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Sushi restaurant owner's hometown obliterated by Japanese catastrophe

They may be 1,000 metres above sea level, but the team from Sushi-Mon on Mount Washington has never felt closer to Japan.
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KYOCHI TANIGUCHI'S Sushi-Mon restaurant on Mount Washington is taking Japan-bound donations to give to the Canadian Red Cross.

They may be 1,000 metres above sea level, but the team from Sushi-Mon on Mount Washington has never felt closer to Japan.At the helm of the eatery is sushi sensei Kyochi Taniguchi, whose hometown of Rikuzen-Takata was obliterated by the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan earlier this month.The city of 24,000 people was even closer to the epicentre of the quake than Sendai, and Taniguchi has been unable to contact friends in the area due to the loss of power and communication lines."The town just doesn't exist anymore," said Crystal Harrietha, manager of the restaurant. "(Taniguchi) can't figure out how to contact friends."The sushi master, who has been rolling sushi for more than 30 years, came to Canada in 1989.Harrietha describes Taniguchi as "an incredible chef" who is the former co-owner of Sushi Mon Sushi Bar and Grill in Qualicum Beach.She adds the chef has returned to Japan to visit family and friends over the years.The restaurant is collecting donations for the Canadian Red Cross Relief Fund, with all funds going to the agency. For more information, visit www.sushimon.ca.photos@comoxvalleyrecord.com



Erin Haluschak

About the Author: Erin Haluschak

Erin Haluschak is a journalist with the Comox Valley Record since 2008. She is also the editor of Trio Magazine...
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