Dave Conklin
Dave earned an MA in Japanese history at Portland State University with specialities in modern Japanese, food history and food culture. He arrived in Japan in 2001, first living in the ancient capital of Nara before moving to the current nexus of Japan’s political, economic and cultural life, Tokyo. Dave lives in Nihonbashi, the old artisan and merchant quarter that has been at the heart of the city since the Edo period began in 1603. Here Dave pursues his interests in Japan’s history and culinary arts.
Dave’s MA thesis was on the integration of Japanese food into Oregon’s food culture. He has also collaborated as a translator and writer on several recently published books on subjects including tea and the toys and good luck charms of Edo, as Tokyo was originally known. He is currently working on other book projects related to Japanese food. Impressed by his knowledge of everything culinary; including shopping, cooking and dining, locals often ask him rhetorically if he is not really Japanese. The reality, though, is that Dave is a native of Oregon.
In addition to leading tours, Dave is an avid fan and student of Kabuki theatre and has performed Kyogen, a form of comic theatre, in English. He practises the tea ceremony and is a devoted cyclist, loving to cycle around Tokyo discovering the interesting nooks and crannies of the megalopolis.