22 – My first guests
About six months after I started attending Sushi Academy, Christmas season arrived.
One day, I got a message from an old friend and CEO, Taka-san.
“Kenji, we’re having a Christmas party. Would you come and make sushi for everyone?”
By then, I had learned a decent variety of toppings and basic techniques. My hands weren’t fast yet, but they at least knew what they were supposed to do.
So I said yes.
But I had one request.
“If we’re going to do this properly,”
I told him,
“could you buy a real sushi display case for the fish?”
I explained that it wasn’t just about hygiene or storage. When you line up fresh fish in a proper glass case—tuna, salmon, white fish, shellfish—it suddenly looks like a real sushi counter.
The moment guests see the colors and shine of the fish, their excitement rises.
It becomes more than just “someone is making sushi at the party.”
Taka-san understood right away and agreed. He bought the case.
On the day of the party, we set it up on a long table. I laid out the fish one by one: bright red, pale pink, gentle white, shimmering silver.
Even before I touched the rice, people started gathering around, eyes shining.
“Is all this for tonight?”
Just as I had imagined, the visual impact alone made everyone happy.
Of course, the taste mattered too.
I focused on each nigiri, feeling the pressure of their expectations and also a quiet joy:
I’m not just practicing at school anymore. I’m serving real people.
