In a dark and difficult time, one must look for the light. This morning, one might find it in this incredibly soothing video of a man making Japanese-style American sushi for an audience of floofy, patient, perfect cats. It is one of the most internet things that has ever happened—internet catnip, you might call it—and I do not even care a little bit, because it’s so peaceful and lovely.
Jun Yoshizuki is not a professional chef. In his bio, he notes that he worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant once, but other than that, he’s just a guy who likes cooking at home. From his many charming videos, he appears to be very, very good at cooking at home. He also has cats—Haku, Poki, and Nagi—and they are amazing.
Below, some highlights from this, an internet video to rule them all: oddly tranquil, sincerely informative, and in possession of several nice cats.
- 1:27 - Nagi practices incredible restraint. Jun just dangles that raw tuna in front of his perfect little cat face and he sniffs it and wants it but remains a very good kitty.
- 2:21 - Nagi also sniffs a cucumber. This is less compelling.
- 3:01 - It’s not cat-related, but Jun’s avocado-cutting techniques are on point.
- 3:32 - The poor kitty gets startled because of an almost-empty mayonnaise bottle and an unsatisfactory squirt.
- 3:34 - There’s a plastic bag on the scene. This is not a drill. Nagi has spotted a plastic bag.
- 3:36 - Jun is swinging the bottle around in the bag to correct the squirt issue and the cats are enthralled. I am also enthralled; how have I never seen this trick before?
- 5:30 - The sushi looks amazing.
- 5:32 - Nagi gets to smell the sushi but does not get to taste it. That’s cold, man.
At the end of the video, there’s a tease for a crab cream croquette recipe in which there’s a cat on each of his rather chic black stools, so while I’d love to keep writing about these videos, I’m needed elsewhere.
(H/T Mashable.)