This is a Daikon…

How this Japanese Tuber Saved My Life

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a daikon (lit. “big root”). Known internationally among culinary circles in English as the “daikon radish,” this mild-flavored winter radish originally hails from China’s northern reaches. Though common to many Asian countries, the vegetable is regularly referred to around the world by its Japanese moniker. As you can likely surmise from the subtitle of this article, I have a bit of an odd connection to this Asian tuber.

How daikon ultimately saved my life is a bit of a long story. To follow the tale, you’ll need to first understand that I unequivocally love Japan. This should come as no surprise to regular readers but the ferocity with which I adore this country would shock even my most devoted fans. I’ll probably lose a fair amount of clout for putting this to paper but I actually get visibly distraught whenever others in the expat community start to criticize Japan.

For the longest time, I thought I was entirely alone in being a total weirdo when it comes to loving Japan this much. Frankly put, I could never resonate with the other foreigners who have had negative experiences here. Again, I’ll probably get a lot of flack online for saying this but I am of the mind that you find what you want to see in life. Sure, Japan has some minor flaws to fix if you actively look…