Namiko Hirasawa Chen

I was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, a vibrant port city south of Tokyo with a rich culinary culture shaped by global influences. I moved to the U.S. at age of 20 to attend college, and I’ve been cooking ever since. However, my culinary journey began long before that (more on that later).

Mr. JOC and I married and settled in the San Francisco area. It has been my second home for so long that I’ve now lived in California longer than I did in Yokohama.

I’m a proud mom to a son and daughter and a happy grandma to a mini Aussiedoodle named Miso.

Outside the kitchen, I love to travel, wander through national parks, explore new foods, and discover beautiful tableware and unique kitchen tools. That inspired me to launch JOC Goods—a curated shop offering artisan Japanese tableware and kitchenware that brings beauty, heritage, and joy to everyday cooking.

Curious what my job looks like day to day? Let me take you behind the scenes.

I’m a food blogger and entrepreneur who wears many hats. Here’s a glimpse of what I do with a team supporting me:

• Content manager and planner 
• Recipe developer 
• Food stylist and photographer
• Video creator
• Food writer
• Content creator
• Marketing and social media manager
• Community manager
• Curator for JOC Goods
• And yes…I’m also the taste-tester and dishwasher for every recipe—multiple times!

I developed my home cooking skills through hands-on experience, daily practice, and my mother’s deep knowledge and passion for Japanese food. Starting at age 12, I spent countless afternoons in the kitchen as my mom’s sous chef. She taught me katei ryori (家庭料理) —Japanese home-style cooking—through repetition, care, and intuition.

When 4:30 p.m. rolled around, she would call me in to help prep dinner. Like most teenagers, I often wished I could be doing something else. I didn’t realize how much I was absorbing at the time. When I moved to the U.S., I was amazed by how easily I could recreate her dishes from memory.

After starting my own family, cooking became my way of staying connected to my roots. In 2011, I launched Just One Cookbook with the simple goal to preserve and share my family’s Japanese recipes. Today, I’m deeply grateful that it’s grown into a go-to resource where people around the world come together to discover, cook, and enjoy authentic Japanese food at home.

Thanks to your incredible support, Just One Cookbook is now the largest English-language Japanese recipe site with over 3 million monthly visitors. Over the years, we’ve been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, The Japan Times, The New Yorker, and more. 

In 2017, we were finalists in the SAVEUR Blog Awards for Best Food Video. And in May 2025, our YouTube channel reached 1 million subscribers!

Thank you for being here. Your support and love for Japanese cooking continue to inspire me. I can’t wait to share more recipes, stories, and meaningful moments with you.

There’s another side of my story that many people don’t know—one that has quietly shaped the way I create and share recipes every day…

For nearly 30 years, I quietly struggled to read, write, and find the right words. I often needed extra time to process language, organize my thoughts, and respond—even when I understood the ideas. I never knew why I struggled to express myself, understand what I read, retell stories, and remember what I just read or heard.

When I first came to the US for college, I pushed through long nights with sheer determination, thinking I just had to work harder. Since English is my second language, I assume my difficulties were just part of that journey. I did well academically, which made it even harder to understand my struggles.

I always sensed something was different, so I shared my challenges openly. But even my family and closest friends didn’t notice or “see” anything unusual. That made it hard to explain what I was going through, year after year.

Everything changed when I read that dyslexia can show up differently in other languages. I learned that it often goes undetected in languages like Japanese that rely on visual characters. This was a lightbulb moment in the mystery I had been living with for 30 years. 

I needed to end that mystery. So, at age 48, I reached out to a psychologist for testing and evaluation. 

That’s when I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia, along with a language disorder and weak working memory. It turns out that I had been living with a learning disorder my whole life—without knowing it.

When I shared my diagnosis, some people asked why I talk so openly about it. 

The truth is, I often wished I had been diagnosed earlier. Maybe then, I could’ve gotten more support—academically, emotionally, and mentally.

For three decades, I tried to explain my struggles, but no one truly understood. It felt like I was the only one who could see what was happening, and that loneliness was hard. It was mentally exhausting. Even now, I spend so much energy each day working through these challenges.

I share my story because I don’t want anyone to experience the same mental, emotional, and learning challenges I faced for years without answers. In a way, I feel like I’m helping my younger self—the one who had just moved to a new country, trying to figure everything out alone. 

If you are reading this and have wondered about yourself or someone you care about, I hope my story encourages you to get checked for learning differences.

It’s clear to me now that dyslexia has always shaped the way I’ve shared recipes on Just One Cookbook. 

From Day 1, I have included step-by-step photos, clear instructions, and video tutorials to make my recipes easier to understand.

I’ve naturally relied on visual learning strategies like these and clear note-taking to help with my learning differences. Likewise, I hope these helpful features make my recipes easier to follow for all kinds of learners—including those with dyslexia like me. 

Whether you’re new to cooking, a visual learner, or facing your own challenges, I want you to know: 

You’re in good company, and you’re always welcome here.

If you ever need help, don’t hesitate to reach out. My team and I are always here for you!