Name: Behind the Counter at a local Japanese Sushi Restaurant
Uploaded: 2025-08-10T18:20:08.000Z
Duration: 14 min 30 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

This is Behind the Counter at a 6th generation Japanese sushi restaurant.

Adverbs of degree

This morning we're in Tokyo's Waseda area and I'm taking you Behind the Counter at this sushi restaurant just right here.

Transition words & phrases

And it's special because it goes back 6 generations.

I'm super excited to get this one started.

Today, I'm taking you Behind the Counter at Yahata Sushi.

The sushi restaurant in Japan to first create the Kappa Maki Sushi, a.k.a.

It opened its doors more than 150 years ago.

And to this day, still commands a strong following for its ultra high quality sushi at reasonable prices.

So I wanted to share this Tokyo hidden secret gem with all of you.

He's been working with his father for the last 6 years, taking in as much experience as possible.

While also working alongside his longtime friend who he prepares the shop with in the morning.

As soon as he arrives, they quickly set up the counter.

Apparently, they've been good friends since university.

So, what's important when preparing sushi?

By the way, what do you do on your days off?

So, as a 6th generation, he does feel the weight of continuing on the shop's 150-year legacy built on the hard work and passion of his father and ancestors.

But, he embraces the challenge with determination to learn the skills passed down from generation to generation.

Still remembering the days, his grandfather would lovingly prepare tuna sushi for him every day after elementary school.

Even as a young boy, he knew that sushi would forever be a part of his life's journey.

Now, he's preparing the chawanmushi, a Japanese-style steamed egg custard dish.

As he's responsible for the a la carte menu items, studying 4 years at a high-end restaurant in Hokkaido so he could add the essence of elegant Japanese cuisine to the shop's offering.

Oh, the chef is waiting for the dashi to boil.

So, how's working with your close friend?

Now that the dashi is boiling, he prepares the miso soup.

I guess today, he's making a dropped egg soup with two types of miso.

Cool, he's making an offering to the kamidana, home shrine.

It's fairly common for restaurants in Japan to have a shrine for the god of kitchen or the god of fire like here.

The shop gets much busier later on, so he starts preparing the makanai, the worker's meal now.

I rarely see it at sushi restaurants, but this shop takes extra care to minimize disposables while also helping protect sea life.

The fishmonger uses an aged technique called ikejime, which originated in Japan.

It's performed just before delivering, which maintains its freshness by quickly severing its spine to kill it instantly.

It may seem extreme to an untrained eye, but it's one of the most humane ways to kill a fish.

And damn, look how quickly and efficiently he prepares the eel, not wasting a single stroke.

So, what do you think of while you're doing that?

Now, the anago is cooked in a sweet and salty tare sauce, which results in a juicy and airy texture, let alone creating a delicious aroma in the air.

Now, the son prepares the rice, a critical component of any sushi.

The shop goes to extra length to use a chemical-free, organic koshihikari rice sourced directly from the grandparents' farm in Ibaraki Prefecture.

It's not often that a sushi shop will produce their own rice, but this family places great emphasis on continuing the traditions of their ancestors.

Hi, so how long have you been working here?

Apparently, the shop has remarkably maintained a 70-year long relationship with their tuna wholesaler, which allows them to receive the finest cuts at an exceptional price.

In turn, the shop can offer their customers the highest quality fish at a reasonable price that not many other shops can.

They also make it a point to serve only the freshest tuna, meaning that it's never frozen to ensure the highest quality and taste for their customers.

Now, he cuts the fish into smaller rectangular blocks called saku, getting it ready to be cut into smaller slices later on when the customers arrive.

So, how can you tell if the tuna is high quality?

So, do you always come in later than them?

Now, he uses the extra time to focus on accounting and desk work related tasks.

So, did you think you were going to take over the business?

But, when he was in university and thinking about his future, his father actually told him he didn't mind closing down the shop if he doesn't want to continue on the family business.

Now that the rice is cooked, the son starts preparing the sumeshi, vinegar rice.

Vinegar helps prevent bacterial growth while also helping it to maintain its moistness when it's cooled down.

So, what's the key to making the perfect sumeshi?

So, before we continue, I want to tell you guys about the awesome people at Bokksu who also sponsored this video.

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Behind the Counter at a local Japanese Sushi Restaurant

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apparently

awesome

extremely