{"id":7820,"date":"2018-04-19T06:26:13","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T05:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/?p=7820"},"modified":"2018-04-17T22:27:04","modified_gmt":"2018-04-17T21:27:04","slug":"an-interview-with-erin-niimi-author-of-japonisme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/wellbeing\/an-interview-with-erin-niimi-author-of-japonisme\/","title":{"rendered":"An Interview with Erin Niimi, author of Japonisme"},"content":{"rendered":"

At Healthy Living London, we absolutely love books. Even more so when they’re written by those we’ve met and follow on Instagram. So it was pretty darn exciting when we discovered that Erin Niimi, who we’d met several years ago at a food event, had her debut book out, Japonisme<\/a>, on 19th April. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to interview on her new release, described as an exploration\u00a0into the Japanese art of finding contentment, including practical tips and tricks to live a happier, healthier, more thoughtful life.’<\/h4>\n

\"interview<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did Japonisme come about in the first place?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have been writing about Japanese food, travel and culture on my blog, Island Bell<\/a>, for quite a few years. Japonisme<\/em> came around on the back of that, and working with my publishers to come up with a concept that was true to my background and upbringing, and bringing the aspects of tradition and these beautiful philosophies to a new audience.<\/p>\n

How would you sum the book up in 3 words?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Such a tricky question! Contentment, mindfulness, and happiness.<\/p>\n

What was the best thing about putting together the book and was it a labour of love or something which came together in a relatively short space of time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best thing about putting together the book was how it brought me closer to different members of my family in a way I hadn\u2019t before. I loved chatting to my aunt, who practices tea ceremony, about why she decided to start practicing, and it gave me a lot of insight in a way I hadn\u2019t noticed previously.<\/p>\n

The full manuscript took a few months, but in many ways I\u2019d been beginning to put this together over the past few years, through my blog.<\/p>\n

What was the biggest challenge? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The biggest challenge has definitely been managing time! I was at culinary school part time, and working full-time with my digital work with charities at the same time as writing so finding the time to take care of myself was something I had to be really disciplined about, and prioritise.<\/p>\n

If we only have time to read one section of the book, which would it be?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think the ocha<\/em> chapter, all about tea. The philosophies behind tea ceremony are something we should all be striving towards, in many ways \u2013 and it is probably the chapter I feel the most emotionally invested in!<\/p>\n

What are your top three places in London to experience authentic Japanese culture?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Katsute 100 tearooms<\/a> near Angel have an excellent selection of Japanese teas that I definitely recommend! I also always feel like I\u2019m in Japan when I go to the Atariya sushi bar <\/a>in West Hampstead. The last one is Choosing Keeping<\/a>, on Columbia Road. They have a big selection of Japanese stationery and it always reminds me of the end of summer as a kid, when I would stock up before the school term started!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

You only speak about the positives of having Japanese heritage – were there any negatives and how did you overcome them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Growing up with mixed heritage definitely had its challenges, and there were times were it was difficult to deal with ignorance and misconceptions that come out of that. In many ways, its amazing that both sets of grandparents \u2013 who all grew up during the Second World War, on opposing sides \u2013 had so much goodwill, respect and admiration for each other. Confronting ignorance and prejudice takes a lot of patience! It\u2019s definitely still a work in progress.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favourite Japanese food?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think o-toro <\/em>sashimi<\/a>, where the meat is from fattiest part of the tuna, is definitely my favourite. I adore sushi \u2013 Jiro Dreams of Sushi<\/em> <\/a>is my favourite film, it\u2019s so beautiful in every way.<\/p>\n