ZANINI with A&S – Portrait 03

People around me call me a sushi shokunin (master), but I have some resistance to the word shokunin. The title is used for someone who has mastered something, and it’s somewhat formal. If I had to think of a title for myself, I would say that Yoshitomi sushi nigiri-te (hand roller) is the perfect name.

I dove into Yoshitomi Kotobuki by chance when I was changing jobs. Everything I saw there was fresh. Not only the food, but also the dishes, paintings, flowers, decoration, the whole experience. While I was learning, I discovered what I liked and what direction I wanted to take. I am really happy that I am now working in this place that I love, surrounded by the things I love.

I worked in an office and did administrative work for a long time. After about ten years, I suddenly thought about changing jobs and vaguely wondered if I could find something related to food or music, something to do with my interests. Through a friend’s introduction, I started working part-time at Yoshitomi Kotobuki. I found the work very rewarding, but I felt intimidated by the idea of making sushi myself. I felt that it was too much for me – the pressure of being seen and working in public, being a woman, etc. I wanted to change that, so I decided to move to the United States and work in New York. Just a year later, I was asked if I wanted to take on the ownership of Yoshitomi Kotobuki. Although I had my doubts, it was a great honor, and I made my decision to do so.

For me, I think that dressing is a way of introducing oneself. Of course, you can’t tell a person’s personality just from his or her clothes, but I think everyone subconsciously looks at the way other people dress and wonders, “Is this the kind of person he/she is?” I think we all subconsciously look at the way other people dress and imagine what their personalities are like, or admire them, or use them as a reference. If possible, I would like to introduce myself in a nice way. I try to dress in a proper way for my age, even if I have to put in the extra effort.