【Reading】すしぽりす

【English Name】Sushi Police

"Sushi police" is a nickname coined derisively by overseas media in 2006 when Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries put forward a plan to establish a certification system for Japanese restaurants abroad.

The background was a situation in which, while the number of sushi restaurants was rapidly increasing around the world, the great majority were operated and cooked by non-Japanese, and Japanese-run sushi restaurants were said to have fallen to less than 10% of the total. Cases in which dishes far removed from traditional preparation methods were served as "sushi" also increased, and there were reports of dishes using neither vinegared rice nor seafood calling themselves sushi.

In response to this situation, the Japanese government considered a certification system aimed at promoting authentic Japanese cuisine, but criticisms such as "imposing food culture" and "it is a crackdown" were voiced from various countries, and the expression "sushi police" spread. In the end, the policy was revised so that it became not a binding certification but a recommendation system.

This debate became an occasion to consider the Japanese food boom overseas and the question of cultural authenticity, and it is known as an event symbolizing the globalization of sushi culture.