【Reading】かざりずし

【English Name】Kazari Sushi (Decorative Sushi)

Kazari-zushi (decorative sushi) is a general term for the technique of creatively crafting and arranging various types of sushi—nigiri, maki (rolls), oshi (pressed), and chirashi—in a gorgeous manner to suit seasonal events and celebrations.

In the case of maki-zushi (rolled sushi), it is called "kazari-maki-zushi" (decorative sushi rolls), and the defining feature is that the vinegared rice and ingredients are carefully calculated and rolled so that a picture—of a flower, animal, letter, or character—appears in the cross-section. Like kintaro-ame candy, the same pattern appears no matter where it is cut, and more than 200 designs are said to exist today.

One of its roots is "futomaki matsuri-zushi" (thick-rolled festival sushi) handed down in the Boso region of Chiba Prefecture, with one theory tracing its origin back to the Kansei era (1789–1801). Another source is the technique of "saiku-zushi" (craft sushi) from Edomae sushi. After World War II, as the makers of futomaki shifted from men to women, it is said to have developed in a more delicate and decorative direction.

The name "kazari-maki-zushi" was first used by sushi chef Ken Kawasumi in a book around 1996, and the term has been widely established since then. In 2008, the Tokyo Sushi Academy founded the Japan Sushi Instructors Association (JSIA), promoting skill certification and cultural dissemination.

It is often served at traditional Japanese celebratory occasions such as Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival), Setsubun, and cherry-blossom viewing, and is attracting attention both in Japan and abroad as a dish that embodies the "harmony of beauty and nutrition" in washoku (Japanese cuisine).