An eight-minute taxi drive from JR Akita Station, Akita Sushisho, sitting in front of Akita City Red Brick Folk Museum, is helmed by Chef Akihito Sasaki, who returned to his hometown to give scope to his ability.
As implied by the restaurant’s name, Chef Sasaki trained at a renowned sushi restaurant, Sushisho, in Yotsuya. He is one of the few apprentices initiated into all the mysteries of Edomae-style sushi-making, including pickling, marinating, and simmering, and granted the franchise to open his own restaurant. He returned to his hometown of Akita to open Akita Sushisho in 2001. It soon gained popularity, attracting sushi lovers not only from within the city but also from across the prefecture and even further afield.
The first course is a piece of nigiri sushi as a welcome. It is followed by a dozen delicacies and a dozen pieces of nigiri sushi. Like Sushisho, the sushi rice is prepared with different kinds of vinegar depending on the topping: red vinegar is used for tuna and urchin, and rice vinegar for white-meat fish. However, the Edomae sushi of Sushisho is reinterpreted by Chef Sasaki in his own unique way and transformed into “Akitamae” sushi that features the seasonal bounties of the sea and mountains, such as soy sauce, miso, and salt locally produced in Akita and fish and shellfish sourced from reliable fishmongers in Akita (except for tuna, which is supplied through Yamayuki, a popular broker, from Toyosu Market).
The vegetable roll sushi featuring the culinary delights of the land is popular among patrons. The signature menu of Sushisho, Ohagi, is also available at Akita Sushisho though it is reinterpreted by mixing chopped iburigakko (smoked radish pickles) into minced tuna scrape instead of yellow radish pickles. The sake list including Ecru, a special limited label brewed by a renowned local sake brewery, Aramasa, implies that Akita Sushisho is the leading sushi restaurant in Akita.
Sushi is served on Akita’s traditional plates, such as Shiraiwa ware and Kawatsura lacquerware, on the clean, plain wood counter (seating up to nine guests). Please enjoy the Akitamae sushi and friendly conversation with Chef Sasaki at Akita Sushisho when you visit Akita with your friends, family, or partner.
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* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
Take a bus from Akita Station, get off at Kawahata Entrance and walk for 5 minutes
8 minutes by taxi from Akita Station