Gracefoods

Kerron Boothe landed in Japan with US$300, unsure of what he’d do after his funds dried up. No stranger to calamity, he concentrated on his IT studies being the first Jamaican to study at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. To stretch his wallet, he lived on campus, cooking for himself in the dorm kitchen. Smelling the aroma of Caribbean food, his floor mates were hypnotized. They quickly realized Boothe’s exotic culinary skill and invited him to cook with them.

“Actually I was cooking for them,” recalls Boothe, “but I didn’t mind cause I got to eat!”

That $300 was eroding quickly from Japan’s high cost of living, so Boothe tried to land a part-time job. With IT jobs scarce in that area,  he applied for an English teaching job. One little kink, though Japanese view Jamaicans as speaking “Jamaican,” not real English, so he was turned down.

Undeterred, Boothe delved into cooking at community centres and festivals. Confident he could profit from his great sense of taste, he entered several venture capital competitions, but lost out to IT focused ideas.

Finally, he got his big break when the city of Beppu launched an international street, with government sponsored shops, owned and operated by foreigners. Boothe won a bid, and with the cash renovated his location. BiG BAMBOO Restaurant, operated by Boothe’s flagship brand Caribbean Flava Japan, opened its doors October 8th, 2005 with a staff of four and seating 33.

Boothe credits Abe Mari, a Japanese national, who helped him understand the way of doing business in Japan. “I could not have done as much as fast as I had done given my restrictions as a student and as a foreigner in that country. I say thanks to Abe for opening her heart and mind to Jamaican culture,” Boothe said.

BiG BAMBOO remains a haven for locals, university students and internationals visiting the city. The restaurant serves 100% Jamaican food, including jerk chicken and limited quantities of jerk pork. Other celebrated dishes include ackeeⁱ and saltfish (Jamaica’s national dish), curried mutton, pumpkin soup and peppered shrimp.

When asked by Jerk Jamaica about his jerk seasoning, Boothe replies proudly, “I made this mixture myself and took pointers about cooking done at home . . . my dad is a great cook.”

Japan’s embrace of Jamaican culture is evident in their love of reggae and dancehall music. Young Japanese trek to Jamaica in droves, sidestepping the usual beach outings for more cultural, authentic experiences.

Boothe believes it is Jamaica’s “Out of Many, One People” creed that gives the culture international appeal. There are only a handful of Jamaicans in Beppu, Boothe remarks, but “a lot of Jamaican wannabe’s.”

BiG BAMBOO Restaurant
Abe Mari (General Manager)
8-4 Moto Machi, Beppu-City
Ono Ginza Building 2nd floor.
Oita Prefecture
Phone Number +81 977 246220
Website: www.caribbeanflava.net
Email: bamboo@caribbeanflava.net