Many tourists with deep pockets who come to Japan get caught up in the Michelin sushi restaurants. There are also those that live here and are fixated with the modernized sushi kitchen who serve not only sushi but somehow bastardize sushi’s very origin.

Kizushi is owned and operated by a family and their tradition imbues the authenticity and experience of what sushi culture is all about. Opened in 1924, this third generation sushi shop takes you back in time, to a place where you want to be. The owner works with his sons, one behind the counter, a quiet person that masterfully handles his usuba hocho, slicing daikon paper-thin to make Tsuma. I joke with him about his daily routine and he smiles offering to teach me. The other son takes care of food service at the counter, and he has an inquisitive food personality. I watch him as the shop closes, he watches a food magazine and we talk about his favorite tenpura His Mom remains at the helm of the ship, elegant and poised.

This type of sushi is symbolic of Japan’s Edomae sushi, a style of sushi that takes resembles the beginnings of sushi in the Kanto area. The house’s interior, the ceiling’s large planks of Sugi, surround us and capture a mood, that sense of the way life was in the past. The air is filled with a coziness and the black lacquer counter divides us.

This is a counter where you can easily eat your sushi here with your fingers, which is why you are presented a miniature hand towel, in a small basket.

The photo is sea scallop and I ask for salt and lemon. The father obliges and prepares it according to my wishes. I sit with my brother-in-law and I take him through the entire range of fish, starting with white fish and ending up with the finishing touches of Anango.

Located on the outskirts of Tokyo in Ningyocho, I recommend this authentic ambiance. After going there for over twenty years, I still enjoy the sushi, hospitality and warmness of this sushi bar. This sushi experience is true to the style and the two sons and father are all together, in a place I call “sushi passion”. It is old-fashioned and the local customers add a sense of style to the experience. Try it and makes ure to turn off your phones, keep your voice low and watch carefully.

Kizushi
Nihonbashi Ningyocho 2-7-13
Tel. 03-3666-1682
Monday – Friday 11:45 – 14:30, 17:00 – 21:30
Saturday 11:45 – 21:00
Closed Sunday and Holidays