As a teenager growing up in the East Bay, Yuji Ishikata veered away from formal schooling. Instead, he gained his education by working at local restaurants and grocery stores, including Berkeley Bowl and Tokyo Fish Market. As a Yonsei — a fourth-generation Japanese American — that’s where he embraced his community of elders and peers while developing a love for culinary expression. Now a chef with over 15 years of experience in the food industry, Ishikata is inviting others to experience the tight-knit traditions he was raised around. For him, there’s nothing more representative of those traditions than Japanese New Year, which he’ll ring in with a one-day pop-up featuring dishes rooted in the childhood nostalgia and intergenerational joy inherent to the holiday. Head to the 🔗 in our bio for more. ✍🏼: @alan_chazaro/KQED 📷: Courtesy of J-Sei