Self-introduction? Profile?

I am a working Japanese cuisine chef. From my days as an apprentice to my current position, I have been wielding a knife for over 10 years. From Michelin-starred restaurants to casual eateries, I have experienced everything — from food prep and customer service to staff turnover, starting my own business, and even failure. I have witnessed firsthand the reality behind the scenes in this industry. To be honest, I was never the most efficient chef. I was diligent and faithfully carried out whatever I was told to do. But for some reason, the work always ended up being passed on to someone else. It was always my colleagues and juniors who were recognized and promoted. “The culinary world is merit-based.” Precisely because I believed those words so deeply, for a long time, I couldn’t understand why. What I’m writing here is not something I learned in a seminar, nor am I simply parroting the words of successful people. These are “realizations” that I’ve finally been able to put into words after struggling on the front lines and taking the long way around. This isn’t about recipes or techniques,

but rather:

Why do evaluations differ so drastically?

Why do the chefs who pour the most passion into their work often end up failing?

Why do so many who strike out on their own stumble along the way?

For the sake of my colleagues in the industry, I’ve tried to organize these “aspects that are hard to voice.” I’m writing this in the hope that my fellow chefs, who stand alongside me in the same kitchen, can continue working with a sense of fulfillment for as long as possible. That is my intention in writing this. Thank you for your support.