【Reading】きゅうしゅうまえ

【English Name】Kyushu-mae (Kyushu-style sushi)

Kyushu-mae - in contrast to Edo-mae, which was built on the ingredients and techniques of Tokyo Bay, this is a style of nigiri sushi centered on the seafood of Kyushu. Blessed with three open seas and several inland seas, Kyushu allows no rival in the variety of its ingredients.

The Sea of Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and the East China Sea surround the island, and calm-watered inland bays such as the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea also lie scattered about. The spread of fishing grounds is striking - the Genkai Sea, the Hyuga Sea, the Amakusa Sea, and more - and when the sea area changes, so does the lineup of fish landed. The geographic condition that each of the seven prefectures faces a different sea supports a rich layering of species, led by white-fleshed fish.

Blessed with a mild climate year-round, Kyushu naturally nurtured a food culture of shaping freshly caught local fish directly into nigiri. The custom of savoring it with seasonings and condiments unique to this land, such as sweet sashimi soy sauce and kabosu, is also widely established. In recent years, sushi restaurants featuring Kyushu seafood are increasingly in the spotlight on a nationwide scale.