A lot of people think Japanese food is difficult, a lot of work. But you don’t have to buy the knife I have. You don’t have to train as long as I have. You can do my cooking in your kitchen.

Masaharu Morimoto, a classically trained Japanese chef who became widely known in the U.S. through television and his restaurants, has often framed his public persona around making Japanese techniques feel approachable to home cooks. This remark fits that outreach: it addresses a common Western perception that Japanese cuisine requires specialized knives, years of apprenticeship, and elaborate preparation. In interviews and promotional contexts tied to his cookbooks and media appearances, Morimoto frequently emphasizes adaptation—encouraging readers to use accessible tools and ingredients while borrowing core principles of Japanese cooking. The quote reflects that democratizing impulse: translating professional craft into something feasible in an ordinary home kitchen.

Morimoto is pushing back against the idea that authenticity depends on elite equipment or professional training. By contrasting his own long apprenticeship and specialized knife with what the audience “has” to do, he reframes Japanese cooking as a set of transferable ideas—balance, freshness, careful cutting, and respect for ingredients—rather than a gatekept tradition. The line “You can do my cooking in your kitchen” is both encouragement and a claim about adaptability: technique can be scaled down, substitutions can be made, and the spirit of the cuisine can survive outside a restaurant. It also subtly positions Morimoto as a teacher, inviting imitation without intimidation.