[Otaru, the City of Sushi]
Otaru is also known as the "City of Sushi," and sushi is an indispensable gourmet food for its citizens.
It is said that there are more than 100 sushi restaurants in Otaru today, but in the past, there were no specialty restaurants and sushi was served at Japanese and Western-style restaurants.
Later, in the early Taisho period (1912-1926), several specialty restaurants were established, and through the Meiji period (1868-1912), young sushi chefs who had trained in various parts of Japan began to set up their own restaurants because of the high quality of seafood harvested from Ishikari Bay. This was the beginning of the city's history as a sushi destination.
Some sushi chefs united at a "fish offering festival" in 1987, which led to the current name of "Sushi-ya-dori," and today there are nearly 20 sushi restaurants lining the street. In addition, Otaru's sushi culture has grown significantly as tourism has flourished along the Otaru Canal.
The existence of sushi is strongly connected to the lives of Otaru citizens. For example, sushi is eaten on special occasions, and elementary schools offer sushi-making experiences with sushi chefs. It is not uncommon to find your friend's parents' house is a sushi restaurant.
Also, since each family has a different favorite restaurant, if you meet a local, you can ask about the characteristics of the restaurant you are interested in, which may help you choose a sushi restaurant when you are sightseeing. There are many inexpensive and delicious sushi restaurants and conveyor-belt sushi restaurants as well as high-end sushi restaurants. Please try out various sushi restaurants and compare Otaru's sushi.
At Shokunin.com, we sell Sushi Handai, Pressed Sushi Box, Sushimaki, and other items for enjoying sushi at home. Some of our items are on display in our showroom, so please stop by and take a look.
*Photographs were taken at Sushiya Kodai in Otaru.
Yamaichi's Sushi Handai
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamaichi/sushi.html
Yamaichi's Pressed Sushi Box
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yamaichi/oshi.html
Kiya's Sushimaki
https://www.shokunin.com/en/kiya/sushimaki.html
Otaru Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/otaru.html
References
https://otarusushi.info/sushi/小樽の寿司の歴史
http://kyoudo-ryouri.com/food/2642.html