【Reading】ねたけーす

【English Name】Neta case

A netakesu is a glass refrigerated showcase installed in front of the counter at a sushi shop. It is fixtures for displaying sushi toppings (neta) in a way visible to customers while keeping them fresh, and is indispensable for counter-style sushi shops.

Because the chef takes neta from this case to form the sushi, customers can see at a glance what ingredients are available, which also serves as a reference for ordering. Both temperature control and good presentation are required, and the interior is kept at a low temperature.

It also played an important role in the spread of sushi overseas. In 1962, Noritoshi Kanai of Mutual Trading brought a glass neta case to the United States and set up a full-fledged sushi counter at the Japanese restaurant "Kawafuku" in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. This is regarded as the prototype of the "sushi bar." In 1965, similar equipment was installed at "Tokyo Kaikan," forming the foundation for the establishment of sushi culture in the U.S.

In Japan, a neta case also appears in the episode of the birth of the lettuce roll at the sushi shop "Ippei" in Miyazaki in 1966, showing that it was already standard equipment at sushi shops in the Showa period.