(Japanese) When I moved around, like to the East Coast, I taught a bunch of young people. In the future, I’m looking to open up a 2nd, 3rd or 4th restaurant, and looking forward to employing such youth. I mean something like associate managers. I have dreams of raising such a golden egg.
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Interviewee Bio
Born 1962 in Tokyo. Moved to America in 1981. Initially worked in a San Diego restaurant making sushi and helping in the kitchen. Moved to the East Coast in 1987 after receiving notice of a job opening in New York. He then moved to Connecticut in 1990 to support a friend opening a new restaurant. He became opened his own restaurant in 1997, and as his business grew, it became the top-rated restaurant in the New England area by ZAGAT. In 2006, he decided to return to Los Angeles for his wife in child, and started a sushi catering business while also working as a sushi chef for other restaurants. He has also taken the grand prize at several sushi competitions. In 2008 he opened “Toshi Sushi” in Little Tokyo. (December 2009)