Today is March 22, 2025. It is my mother’s birthday and she turned 90 years old. She is still fit and mentally very sharp. She is living alone in the family house in Japan, still cooking every day, and sharing what she cooks with neighbours and family members.

When I was a child, my family was poor. My mother must have faced a lot of challenges, but her three daughters, my sisters and I, never had a day we were hungry. We were always fed with nutritious yummy foods. There are many memorable foods she cooked for us, but, for me, the most unforgettable food is ‘Sushi Dolls’.

In Japan, there is a tradition to celebrate girls’ health and happiness by displaying a set of dolls in March. My family was too poor to own such a set of dolls. Then, my mother made sets of Sushi Dolls for us. I will forever treasure the memory of Sushi Dolls she made and the happiness I felt.