Toyosu Market Off-limits Wholesale Area Tour & Private Sushi Making with a Master Sushi Chef

The Pursuit of Edomae Orthodoxy and New Innovation Alike, in Tokyo’s Proving Grounds of Sushi

Kenichiro Hirai opened Sushi Hazan in 2022 in the Nishi-Azabu neighborhood of Tokyo, throwing up his flag in the midst of a veritable battleground of top tier sushi restaurants jostling shoulder-to-shoulder to stand out. The restaurant’s distinguished interior, with only eight seats and a single board counter, exemplifies the poise necessary of such an endeavor. Chef Hirai is no stranger to pressure: before going solo, he cut his teeth at Nakameguro’s Udatsu Sushi, a restaurant whose exacting quality earned it a star from The Michelin Guide Tokyo 2023. But when it comes to the other side of the counter, Hirai seeks to create a cozy and easygoing atmosphere for diners to, in his own words, “unwind and enjoy” the finest sushi experience possible.

While Chef Hirai’s sushi itself is rigorously traditional Edomae style, the dining room exudes a cozy casual vibe

Sushi Hazan serves traditionalist Edomae sushi, a style whose essence lies in the application of various techniques to draw out the essential flavor of the finest quality fish. Cold-aged maguro tuna; hirame flounder dried and salted before resting in a kelp wrap; vinegared konoshiro shad – Edomae sushi is all about using masterful handling and prep as a way to enhance and spotlight the inherent deliciousness of each fish.

Sit down to a traditional countertop meal of exquisite Edomae sushi

All nigiri sushi has two parts. The “shari” is the pressed nugget of vinegared and salted rice which serves as the vital balancing base. The slice of fish or other main ingredient in the starring role is the “neta” – a word that in Japanese literally means “subject,” “substance,” or even “story”.

Peruse Toyosu Market, Where Master Chefs Select the Freshest of the Fresh

Before your sushi making experience, you’ll enjoy a guided tour of Toyosu Market, a wholesale market for fresh foods and cookware that serves the food and beverage industry. Chef Hirai comes daily to procure his supply of fresh fish for his sushi restaurant. The market also features a section for the general public to tour and make purchases.

Toyosu Market, founded to replace the legendary Tsukiji Market, which flourished as Tokyo’s mecca of fresh-landed seafood until it closed in 2018

Tour the bustling Toyosu Market with Hirai’s commentary, starting with the 4th floor of the “Suisan Naka-oroshi-uriba-tou,” or the “Fishery Intermediary Wholesaler Tower.” This area houses roughly seventy specialized businesses, divided into two sections. One area focuses on vegetables, pickles, dried food, miso and seasonings. The other specializes in knives, cookware, and packaging. “There’s a great selection of anything and everything related to cooking here,” says Hirai. And if you see something you want, feel free to grab it while you’re here (purchase payments must be made on-site with cash only.)

The market floor is a bustling, clamorous place (Image for illustrative purposes only)

Next, hop on the elevator and head to the first floor, where nakagainin (“middlemen” traders who buy wholesale and break it into smaller lots for resale) ply the freshest fish. This is an area the general public rarely gets to visit, and its atmosphere – filled with kitchen pros appraising top quality food for restaurant presentation – feels distinct from that of the 4th floor.

Hirai will take you to the vendors he trusts, with whom he works closely, to see freshly-unloaded seafood. “The tuna is not to be missed,” says Hirai. “This is a rare chance to see it sold fresh. If your timing is lucky, you may even get to watch a whole fish be broken down for sale.” (Access may be limited or restricted depending on timing of visit.)

View the freshest of the fresh up close (Image for illustrative purposes only)

Witnessing the interactions between buyers like Hirai and the brokers here – crucial bonds of trust and intuitive communication and mutual understanding that form the cornerstone of the restaurant business – is a rare look behind the curtain of Japan’s professional sushi world.

The Essential Edomae Sushi Art of Nigiri, at a Master’s Workstation

When you have returned to Sushi Hazan from Toyosu Market, it’s time to try your hand at the techniques of sushi preparation. Nigiri – which might be literally translated as “rolling,” “squeezing,” or “wadding” – is a key technique central to the craft of Edomae sushi, and you can learn it directly from Chef Hirai himself. This Wabunka exclusive plan allows you to reserve the entire restaurant for your exclusive use, making it perfect for family and other group visits. It also includes the uncommon opportunity to step behind the counter yourself and experience a perspective on sushi that very few diners ever can. 

A demonstration of “kotegaeshi,” one of several nigiri techniques

“Squeezing” might sound straightforward, but there is a fine technique to proper nigiri. First, dampen your non-dominant hand with vinegar before using it to scoop up a small handful of sushi rice, forming your “shari.” Next, use the index finger of your dominant hand to spread a dab of wasabi onto your “neta.” Finally, pack them together into a finished piece of sushi. Nothing to it, right? Unfortunately, words can be deceiving, as you will immediately and unmistakably taste if you try the sushi you roll yourself alongside Chef Hirai’s, made from exactly the same ingredients though it may be.

The ideal portion of rice for each shari, depending on the neta, is usually 8-10 grams

Same Neta, Same Shari, but Different Nigiri Technique for a Decidedly Different Flavor and Mouthfeel

This nigiri experience includes dining on up to 10 pieces of sushi. Choose to make all the sushi yourself or go for a comparative tasting, pitting for example some of your own pieces against other pieces made by the chef. The ratio is up to you, but this comparison is probably the best way to appreciate the role of nigiri technique in producing almost unbelievably different results with the same ingredients.

Glazing with “nikiri” (not to be confused with “nigiri”) – a sweet-salty reduction of soy sauce, mirin sweet rice wine, and cooking sake – is a step unique to Edomae sushi

What tends to stand out the most in comparing the finished products is the way the neta and shari come together. Sushi made by chef Hirai incorporates the perfect amount of air for a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. With each bite, the rice and fish dance a delicious duet, melding into one as you chew and swallow. This is the joy of Edomae sushi and the essence of the nigiri technique that you will experience here.
* Drinks are available. Additional charges apply.

Taste test your own sushi against Chef Hirai’s

The Surprising Challenge of Wasabi Grating

“Even absolute beginners can manage more or less passable nigiri technique,” says Hirai. “Wasabi grating, on the other hand, is deceptively tricky to get the hang of. You’d be surprised how many people just give up in the middle.” Fortunately, this plan offers the opportunity to practice this elusive skill under the guidance of a master if you wish to try it yourself.

Grating authentic wasabi sourced from Shizuoka prefecture’s Izu peninsula on a sharkskin grater

Holding the wasabi root in your dominant hand and the sharkskin grater in the other, scrape with a gentle finesse. It might seem simple enough, but most find it surprisingly tricky in practice, and many end up resorting to brute force.

Basic grating technique: grater held in a circular grip with the non-dominant hand, and wasabi in the dominant hand

Wasabi grated too forcefully loses its subtle depths of flavor and retains only spiciness, making for a poor pairing to the deep dimensions of sushi. Chef Hirai’s masterfully grated wasabi, on the other hand, has a less overwhelming kick with more fragrance and depth, providing the perfect pairing to top tier sushi. The trick all lies in how the grater is held and careful control over pressure when grating – and it can be shocking just how such a seemingly small thing can produce such dramatically different results.

A Rare, Up-Close Look at the Craft of Sushi

The “tsukeba” is the kitchen workstation of the sushi restaurant, and traditionally it is a sanctuary and sanctum to be trod only by the chefs themselves. But Hirai seeks to demystify it by welcoming participants into this holy place: “I want people to feel like they can dive right into the world of sushi.” Hands-on instruction in the craft of sushi from a master chef, standing behind the counter yourself in the holiest of holies, is an unparalleled experience you are unlikely to find anywhere else.

A precious opportunity to experience Edomae sushi from an entirely different perspective

Touring Toyosu Market with Chef Hirai is also a rare chance to see another side of the restaurant business that is even more invisible to the public. Enjoy a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain to see how fresh-landed fish makes its way all the way from dockside marketplace to plate, transforming into delicious Edomae sushi in the process.

Stop in to Sushi Hazan for the delights of eating and the pleasures of learning in an unforgettable experience that will leave you with a deepened appreciation for the craft of sushi and the fine techniques behind it.