【Reading】ぎんざごさんけ

【English Name】Ginza Big Three

"Gosanke" (the three great houses) originally referred to the three branch families - Owari, Kii, and Mito - established by the Tokugawa shogunate. From there it took on a derived meaning, becoming a standard expression for ranking together three parties especially outstanding in a given field. In the film world, the three major companies Shochiku, Toho, and Toei were called the gosanke, and in the 1960s pop-music world, the three singers Yukio Hashi, Kazuo Funaki, and Teruhiko Saijo were so called.

In the world of sushi, three prestigious sushi establishments with shops in Ginza, Tokyo, are sometimes collectively called the "Ginza Gosanke." Exactly which shops are included differs by speaker and era, and no fixed definition exists. Generally, renowned Edo-mae sushi establishments with long histories tend to be raised as candidates.

This designation is a colloquial term used by industry insiders and the media, and is not based on any official rating or certification. Because the expression "gosanke" itself is a metaphor deeply rooted in Japanese culture, similar usages are seen in various fields, not just sushi.