All photos by Samantha Demangate
On a cool evening in November, my girlfriend and I set off on a food bender. We gorged our faces with deep bowls of piping hot ramen that had the richest katsuo and miso based broth, topped with a perfectly cured runny egg and Japanese mountain vegetables. Next up on our list was the Japanese market close by, where we loaded up on our favorite Japanese candies and even filled our day bag with tiny sake bottles containing a variety of Daiginjo and Honjozo. After strolling around the Japanese-inspired clothing stores and resting in a park, we went out for a traditional sushi dinner. The chefs worked tirelessly, speaking in Japanese and crafting the seemingly endless nigiri and specialty cuts of sashimi, omakase-style as it’s known. Stuffed beyond control, we waddled downstairs and a block to the southwest where we entered a chic and ambient little izakaya for our evening cocktails. While this may sound like the perfect day in Shibuya or even LA, we were in the heart of Mexico City, a place not only inspired by everything Nihon, but with a very proud and ever evolving Japanese community of its own.
Little Tokyo is centered around the small Colonia Cuauhtemoc district, which is one of the most vertically built zones of the city. Peppered in with taquerias, residential buildings, and clothing boutiques, the area’s Japanese businesses definitely take up a lot of space. Amongst them are a few flagships. The quirky and spacious Mo+F takes its guests on a ride in traditional Japanese cuisine. The biggest standout, aside from their insanely fresh sashimi and immaculate presentation, was their tempura. It was perfectly crispy, colorful, and full of traditional flavors, and it contained one special and truly Mexican ingredient that blew us away: cactus pad tempura. Rokai, one of the first big-name restaurants that serves excellent ramen, sushi, and other specialities, is still a popular mainstay. Here, waiters and chefs greet you in Japanese, making any Japanophile feel right at home. Another one of our favorites is the Hawaiian- Japanese fusion restaurant known as Maikai Poke Cuauhtemoc. Their poke is excellent, but what really stood out was their ramen. The broth was rich and complex, a testament to slow cooking and good ingredients. Accentuated by melt-in-your-mouth meats and a perfectly cooked ajitsuke styled egg, this became our go-to ramen-ya in Mexico City.
Why does Mexico have a Little Tokyo, and why is Japan and its gastronomy so popular here? Immigrant communities have shaped modern Mexico into what it is today, and the Japanese community is no exception. In 1886, then president Porfirio Díaz signed the Law of Naturalization, which roughly stated that any immigrant shall be considered Mexican. The relative openness of the country fostered a wave of immigrants, many fleeing genocides and famines. In Japan, the end of the 19th century brought an end to isolationist policies and led to massive emmigration. The first Japanese immigrants began arriving in Chiapas, Baja, Sonora, and Mexico City and worked as skilled laborers, farmers, and fisherman. Discrimination, unlike with some other ethnic groups, was supposedly less common amongst the Japanese community and until WWII, the country remained an open and sometimes prosperous home for the Japanese-Mexicans.
After WWII, Japan’s economy grew exponentially, leading to massive foreign investment. Many companies established themselves in Mexico, and a close trading partnership has since flourished. This close economic association has been matched by cultural exchange and for decades, Mexicans and Japanese have embraced each other’s cultures. Anime, ramen, sushi, and other Japanese cultural exports exploded in popularity in Mexico. This love of all-things-Japanese, cheap living costs, and deep-rooted artistic and gastronomic traditions, have inspired many artists, chefs, and other creatives to call Mexico’s bustling capital home.
Today Japanese owned or inspired businesses are spreading like wildfire throughout the city. Colonia Cuauhtémoc, aka Little Tokyo, is now just one of several neighborhoods acting as centers for the Japanese diaspora. In the youthful neighborhood of Roma Norte, restaurants and businesses selling Japanese products have taken root. Traditional Japanese knife makers Kameyama Shachuu and Tokyo bike makers Tokyobike are just a few of the businesses that have ingrained themselves into the area.
At 11pm in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, on our way back home, we passed a well-dressed couple who made a quick leap into the entrance of Mexico City’s famous Japanese style bed-and-breakfast, the appropriately named Ryo-kan. Attendants greeted the couple as they entered the sleek minimalist building, closing the doors behind them to the outside world. Mexico City is evolving and becoming a haven for creatives and international expats eager to bring their cultural treasures and unique ways of doing things to an eager Mexican populace. Two worlds, both with equally historical and sometimes juxtaposed cultures, commingling in one of the world’s most exciting and forward-thinking cities. If this isn’t a recipe for revolutionary food and art, then what is?
For more photography by Samantha Demangate, visit her website at https://samitographi.com/
If you enjoyed this article, check out https://wayfarersoliloquy.com/2022/01/03/pyramids-and-maize-mexicos-heartland-and-its-impact-on-global-food-culture/