Kurt spent his youth among the cornfields of Iowa, but Japan became his home in the late 80s. He came to Osaka to work in film, starting in the art department on movie productions before finding his way into restaurant and bar design, shaping the spaces where people gather, eat, and enjoy the company of others.
Life took Kurt back to Minnesota for a stretch, but Japan never really let go. He and his wife were happy to come home again, settling into a traditional Japanese house away from the city center, the kind of place that reminds you why people have been drawn to this aesthetic for centuries. Osaka has great food, but it’s the people that really draw him in. Kurt loves the openness, the direct nature, the humor, and the dialect. Osaka is where he comes for the energy and the nightlife, but he also enjoys exploring the mountains and valleys of Wakayama, in pursuit of the perfect onsen.