Tokyo: Restaurateur sends food and messages of hope to Gaza

In Tokyo, the initiative of a small halal restaurant transformed into an unexpected chain of solidarity for Gaza. Yoshi Nakatani, owner of “Yoshi’s Passion,” launched Operation “Delivery to Gaza” earlier this year, sending packages of halal Japanese curry, accompanied by messages of support written by Japanese people, to the Gaza Strip. A former resident of Kuwait, Nakatani says his connections with Muslim friends and their difficulty finding halal food in Japan initially pushed him to open his restaurant. But very quickly, his commitment went beyond the walls of his establishment: “Food helps you live, but love gives hope,” he confides.

Despite criticism and threats accusing him of “supporting terrorists,” Nakatani and his family — including his three daughters — maintained their project. The first shipment, transported via Amman then dropped by the Palestinian authorities, finally reached Gaza. “I cried when I heard the packages had arrived,” he says. The story of this initiative will be adapted into a film, “Iro’s Delivery”, scheduled for 2026. Until then, Nakatani assures that he will continue his shipments “until the inhabitants of Gaza no longer have to suffer from hunger”.