Abstract

The story is set in Abeno, Osaka, in 1988. The story begins in the newly established "Sushi Department" at Tsuji Culinary Institute, a world-renowned culinary institution.

Our protagonist, Yosuke Hasegawa, moved to Osaka from Okayama and unsure of his path to becoming a sushi chef, enters the "Sushi Department". He is greeted by his strict instructor, Jojima, who trained at a prestigious restaurant in Akasaka. Though taciturn and intimidating, this instructor is skilled and passionate, but he also has a tragic past: he once spent time in the world of the yakuza. Yosuke's classmates also come from diverse backgrounds and personalities: the confident and skilled Senju; the caring and dependable Mika; Mamadou, a cheerful exchange student from Somalia; Morishita, the honest son of a sushi chef; and Nakamura, an honest junior high school dropout from Iwate. While supporting and sometimes clashing with each other, they master knife skills, fish selection, filleting, and nigiri sushi techniques. Through their training, they confront not only the profound depths of traditional Japanese sushi culture, but also their own way of life. Through repeated failures, setbacks, and clashes with their peers, they gradually grow as chefs and as people. Meanwhile, Jojima, who has supported Yosuke and his friends' growth, loses his eyesight due to illness and then suffers a major accident. Nevertheless, his belief in the power of "food" and "people," and his continued questioning of the meaning of nurturing people through skills, have a profound impact on his students.

Centered around the global food culture of sushi, this work carefully depicts the humor and friendships hidden in the rigorous days of training, the encounters and frictions with different cultures, and the bonds between people. This moving coming-of-age story quietly questions the meaning of "food" and "artisanship."

Author’s Information

Born in Osaka in 1969. After graduating from Tsuji Culinary Institute in 1988, he pursued a career in food and art in Paris, France, and from 1995 he began working on Venetian glass production on the island of Murano, Italy. In 2008, he represented Japan at the 11th Open International Sculpture Exhibition, where he won the Grand Prix. In 2014, he won the Contemporary Crafts Award at the 53rd Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition. In 2021, a film depicting his activties, “Magone/Tsuchida Yasuhiko” by director Atsushi Tanabe, was entered into 11 film festivals around the world, winning a total of five awards and generating a great deal of buzz. This is his debut novel. His other works include “Kobe Minato Shokudo”.