ABC: Chicago's First Lady of Sushi and Family Honored
The corner of Wells and Schiller will be renamed in honor of Marion Konishi, the founder of Kamehachi, Chicago's first sushi bar. Marion Konishi, founder of Kamehachi, widely recognized as the first sushi bar in Chicago, will be honored by the City of Chicago with an honorary street dedication, Marion Konishi Way..."The entire Konishi family is honored to have our family matriarch, Marion, recognized for her dedication and commitment to Japanese-American heritage," said Kamehachi owner Giulia Sindler. "My grandmother would feel such joy that Chicago has remembered and honored her in such a remarkable way." Marion Konishi opened Chicago's first sushi restaurant, Kamehachi in 1967. Located on Wells Street, in a neighborhood populated by hippies and folksy-type people, Kamehachi was an anomaly: a traditional Japanese restaurant serving items not yet popular nor familiar to Americans...Kamehachi's founding owner, Marion Konishi, was truly self-sufficient and wore many hats to make the restaurant successful, from managing and serving as host to even cooking and working behind the sushi bar. A single mother, raising two children by herself was a significant challenge, but coupled with the demands of opening a sushi restaurant, when sushi wasn't a part of mainstream culture, was a monumental task. Working in the Japanese, male-dominated culture was tough, yet Konishi proved to be assertive and earned the nickname "The Dragon Lady." Konishi established herself time and time again as an inspiration to the many Japanese-Americans who found their way to Chicago, especially to the Nisei generation who survived the internment camps...more...
