Sushi Hashiguchi is often called the ultimate destination for sushi lovers. In a world of similar sushi restaurants, this place stands out with its unique character.

Toshiro Hashiguchi, known as an exceptional sushi chef, opened his own restaurant in 1993 after almost 20 years of training. He hasn’t taken any apprentices, and he and his wife have run the restaurant together for over 40 years.

When you enter the restaurant, the blend of vinegar and rice fills the air, and your eyes are drawn to the beautiful display of fish at the counter. Hashiguchi may seem reserved and quiet, but when you see the neatly arranged fish, it’s clear he still has a deep passion for his work.

Customers can choose to start with appetizers or simply enjoy nigiri sushi, depending on their mood, but if you’ve made the trip, it’s best to enjoy their one-of-a-kind nigiri. The standout feature of Hashiguchi’s nigiri is the rice. It’s not sweet, yet it’s smooth and refined, which gives the rice a strong presence. The fish slices are slightly small, letting the warm, perfectly seasoned rice shine with every bite. This taste is clearly different from the trendy sushi places that use red vinegar for the flavor and larger cuts of rich fish. At first, it may seem easy to copy, but getting the balance right is said to be extremely difficult.

Even after making sushi every day for decades, Hashiguchi says he still doesn’t feel he’s mastered it. When asked the secret to his sushi, Hashiguchi simply says it’s about putting his heart into each piece, wishing for it to be delicious as he shapes it. Many regulars say they feel a sense of purification when they step into Hashiguchi’s restaurant, likely because they’re touched by the couple’s dedication to their sushi and to the customers at the counter.

Hashiguchi started his own restaurant at 39, and after 40 years, he’s now approaching 80. Now is the perfect time to taste the sushi of a master who will surely be remembered as a legend of edomae sushi!

Maybe because sushi restaurants are a face-to-face business, there are pros and cons to every restaurant.
The evaluation of a sushi restaurant is simply calculated as follows: "Taste affinity x Owner's affinity.
Even if the taste is 10 points, if the owner and the chef do not get along, the overall score will be 0.
On the other hand, if the taste is average but the owner and the chef are close friends, the restaurant will receive a score of 70 or so.
Like the above, depending on the multiplication of the scores, there is a considerable variation in the evaluation.
That is why you should not worry too much about what other people say about a sushi restaurant, and instead putting your own feelings first in judging whether a sushi restaurant is good or bad.
Among such sushi restaurants, there is one that is the most controversial.
Fans and antagonists are split down the middle, and a cold war is being played out on the Internet.
That restaurant is called Hashiguchi in Akasaka.
Will I become a fan of this highly controversial sushi restaurant?
Or will I become an antagonist?
Whichever way I go, I am sure to gain a lot.

Just the other day, I was walking toward the restaurant with this thought in mind.
The restaurant is located in a secluded area behind the Akasaka Imperial Palace, about a 10-minute walk from Akasaka-mitsuke Station.
As I opened the automatic door and entered the restaurant, I could smell the distinctive scent of a good sushi restaurant.
On the right is a waiting room.
The place is air-conditioned and very comfortable.
I waited for the restaurant to open in a relaxing atmosphere while admiring the cactus on the interior.
At 6:00 p.m., the friendly hostess came out and showed me to a room with a counter.
There were nine seats at the polished counter.
In the four cases of seeds on plates lined with bamboo grass on cooling coils, colorful fish were neatly arranged and looked very tasty.
A single-flower vase is placed behind the tsukeba, creating a dignified atmosphere.
Toshiro Hashiguchi, the rumored "osho" (the owner of the restaurant), looked straight at me and said, "Irasshaimase (welcome). Thank you for waiting.
Hashiguchi is a master sushi chef with 45 years of experience in this field.
After graduating from high school in Kagoshima, he moved to Tokyo to work as an office worker. He became a sushi chef when he was invited to work part-time at a sushi restaurant by an older coworker.
Starting at a sushi restaurant in town, he worked at several restaurants including "Kanpachi," a prestigious sushi school at that time, and then became an ace chef at "Sushi-dori Hama" in Nogizaka.
Then, in 1992, he moved to Ginza to join "Sushi Aoki" as an independent chef.
In 2011, he moved to the current location.
He has a great face like an actor with large eyes and nose.
His body resembles that of an athlete, and his well-developed glutes are clearly visible in his back view.
And his hands were as big and thick as gloves.
Craftsman's hands, I thought.

When Hashiguchi saw that I had ordered tea from the hostess, "Shall I make the sushi?' Hashiguchi asked.
It seems that this restaurant is very flexible and will accept either omakase or your choice.
'Yes, please give me all of today's sushi dishes," I said. 'Please give me all of today's sushi dishes. I'll leave the order up to you," I contnued.
Hashiguchi took out a flatfish from the case and made a brilliant nigiri with a few moves.
Then he brushed the surface of the sushi, which had been coated with nikiri, with his thick finger.
'Here you are, makogarei.'　
I immediately put the sushi on a long, kyoyaki plate.
What is this sushi?!
A single tear welled up in my eye.
It's too delicious...!
The rice was perfectly salted.
The sushi rice contained the natural flavor of the ingredients.
The balance between the two.
The temperature of human skin.
The lightness of the nigiri that crumbles in your mouth.
There is nothing to judge at all!
Hashiguchi saw that I was wiping away my tears, and he kept making sushi at a brisk pace.
'This is Hirame, here you go.'　
'This is Kombusame here you go.'
'This is fresh squid, here you go.'
'This is salmon roe, here you go.'
'These are asari clams, here you go.'
'This is kobashira, here you go.'　
'This is Akami, here you go.'
'This is Chutoro (medium fatty tuna), here you go.'
'This is Ootoro (fatty tuna), here you go.'
'This is Aji mackerel, here you go.'
'This is Kuruma Shrimp, here you go.'
'This is Sea urchin, here you go.'
'This is Sea eel, here you go.'
'This is Egg nigiri, here you go.'
The timing of his work while watching the customers' appetite is precise.
The highlights were Kohada, vinegar Aji mackerel, vinegar sardine, abalone, and the millet clam.
I cried again with the lingering taste of sweetness.
I have never had sushi like this.

Now, have I really become a fan of "Hashiguchi"?
Or have I become an antagonist?
There is no need to tell you.
I am a big fan!
It's too magnificent.
People say that sushi will sink or that it dances, but this is not the time to say such things.
Nowadays, there are plenty of other restaurants that serve sushi that sinks.
It is not a point of interest or noteworthy.
What is great about Hashiguchi is the exquisite balance between the sushi rice and the ingredients.
It's just that it's on a whole other level.
The natural flavor and sweetness of each fish is brought out to 120%.
There is no unpleasant smell.
Particularly, the shiny fish and shellfish are outstanding.
The craftsmanship is beyond compare.

As a novice but big fan here, let's examine what the antibodies have to say.
The most pointed out thing is the lack of sincerity in customer service.
It is true that Hashiguchi does not talk to customers more than necessary.
Their reactions are vague.
When I say, "Delicious! They do not react.
However, they are never unfriendly.
If you look at Hashiguchi's mouth when he is making sushi, you can see a smile on his face.
His expression is full of satisfaction.
It is as if he is saying to himself, "Delicious, delicious," as he lovingly makes the sushi.
I believe this is Hashiguchi's way of making sushi.
Incidentally, I was determined to leave a mark in Hashiguchi's heart when I asked him for 10 more pieces of sushi only a little after finishing the entire course .
Hashiguchi, as expected, rounded his eyes in surprise.
The seesaw game with the chef is one of the best parts of a sushi restaurant.
And if you do talk to him, he will tell you everything you need to know.
His casual attentiveness to the customers is also quite cool.
To a customer who spills soy sauce on the counter, he would say, "Don't worry, our counter will be clean even if we wipe it off later. Please don't worry about it."
To a repeating customer who complained that he couldn't get a reservation, he would say, "I wish I could get you a reserved seat for the year, but I'm sorry...lol."
When he sees a customer who is drunk and heated up and is about to take off his jacket, he immediately calls the hostess and asks her to help him.
He never neglects his customers.

On the way home, I told him that I admired him for being able to run a restaurant like this without any help from anyone else.
Hashiguchi grinned and said, "We don't have a lot of young people coming in."
"But now that I'm getting older, I realize that life is like a pendulum. There are good things and bad things. But if you work hard, you will be rewarded. That's what I think."
As I witnessed Hashiguchi's way of life, in which he sublimates the purity of his craftsmanship in the depths of Akasaka, I felt as if I had seen something that I was losing in my life.
That is how every single piece of sushi Hashiguchi made, every single word he spun, and every second that passed by, came to me with a purity that was almost suffocating.
The sincerity of his sushi craftsmanship still burns on my retina with a long aftertaste, like the sun that never sets.

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