Nice to meet you. My name is Aya Sugisawa.

I was born in 1989 and raised in the beautiful, nature-rich prefecture of Tochigi, Japan. After getting married, I moved to Fukuoka, and in 2017. After that, my husband was assigned to the Netherlands as an expatriate, and our life in the Netherlands began. In the beginning, everything was unfamiliar — the language, the culture, the environment. I spent many anxious days feeling isolated and struggling to make friends. But gradually, I grew more comfortable with life here, made new friends, and now, to my surprise, it’s already been seven years.

During this time, I gave birth to two children in the Netherlands. Even without the support of my parents nearby, I’ve been able to raise my children thanks to the many kind people around me. I’ve been deeply touched by how family- and child-friendly Dutch society is, and I’ve grown to truly love this country.

Over the past few years, I’ve had more and more opportunities to invite mom friends and my husband’s colleagues to our home for dinner. I’ve been lucky to receive heartwarming compliments such as, “Your cooking is absolutely delicious,” and “I’d love to learn how to cook from you!” These kind words inspired me to take the leap and start a catering service.

The guests I’ve welcomed so far come from many different backgrounds — not only Japanese, but also Dutch, Brazilian, Mexican, Indian, Italian, Chinese, and more. Living in the Netherlands has shown me how wonderfully diverse this country truly is.

Through these multicultural experiences, I’ve come to cherish the warmth and kindness found in Japanese home cooking. I hope to share that with many people — meals made with care and heart, offering a taste of Japan you won’t often find in restaurants.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I look forward to meeting you soon!