How Edomae Sushi Reached Hokkaido

By SHOKU NOREN Team · Facts last verified July 2026 · How we check

In shortEdomae sushi reached Hokkaido through Tsutomu Shimamiya, who trained in Ginza before founding Sushizen in Sapporo in 1971. His counter established Tokyo-style edomae in the north, and its alumni — including the global Onodera group — spread the lineage across Japan and the world.

Hokkaido has long had the fish. What it did not have, until the late twentieth century, was the refined Edo technique for turning that fish into edomae sushi. The story of how Tokyo's craft traveled north — and then, improbably, out to the world — runs through one counter in Sapporo. Here is that lineage.

Edomae comes north: Shimamiya and Sushizen

Tsutomu Shimamiya, born in Otaru in 1943, trained in the Tokyo tradition under Nakada Kazuo — of the Nakada counter among Ginza's founding sushi houses. In 1971 he brought that schooling home, opening Sushizen in Sapporo's Susukino district and later moving the main house to Maruyama. He is remembered as the pioneer who established edomae sushi in Hokkaido, marrying Edo technique to the region's extraordinary seafood.

From Sapporo to the world

What began as a regional counter became a launch pad. Alumni of the Sushizen tradition spread across Japan, and the lineage reached a global scale through the Onodera group, which built an international sushi operation from a Ginza flagship out to cities including Shanghai, Honolulu, New York and Toronto. A Sapporo-rooted school thus became one of the most globally visible faces of edomae — a striking counterpoint to the introduction-only counters of central Tokyo.

The Sushizen family across Japan

The lineage branches widely:

Onodera group — Ginza flagship plus overseas counters, run under a global executive-chef system.
Regional offshoots in Hokkaido and beyond, opened by Sushizen-trained chefs.
Cross-links into the Tokyo elite, including a celebrated Ginza chef whose training touches both Sushizen and the Sukiyabashi Jiro lineage.

A short text tree:

Nakada (Ginza) — Nakada Kazuo
- Tsutomu Shimamiya (Sushizen, Sapporo, 1971)
  - Onodera group (Ginza and overseas)
  - Regional Sushizen offshoots

Eating this lineage today

For a visitor, the takeaway is simple: world-class edomae is not confined to Tokyo. In Sapporo you can eat Edo technique built on Hokkaido's fish, from a lineage that carried the craft north and then around the globe. For the fuller picture of how these branches connect, see our family tree of edomae sushi. Tell our desk when you are in Hokkaido and we will find the counter worth your evening.

Frequently asked

When did edomae sushi reach Hokkaido?

Tokyo-style edomae took root in Sapporo in 1971, when Tsutomu Shimamiya, who had trained under a Ginza master, opened Sushizen in the Susukino district. Hokkaido had superb fish but not the refined Edo technique, and Shimamiya is remembered as the pioneer who established that tradition in the north.

What is Sushizen?

Sushizen is the Sapporo counter founded by Tsutomu Shimamiya in 1971, later moving its main house to the Maruyama area. It became the anchor of edomae sushi in Hokkaido and a training ground whose alumni went on to open counters across Japan and internationally, giving the region outsized influence.

How did the Sapporo lineage go global?

Chefs trained in the Sushizen tradition spread widely, and the Onodera group built an international sushi operation from a Ginza flagship out to cities such as Shanghai, Honolulu, New York and Toronto. A Sapporo-rooted school thus became one of the most globally visible faces of edomae sushi.

Can I eat this lineage in Hokkaido today?

Yes. Sushizen and its offshoots continue in Sapporo and beyond, and the broader lineage reaches from Hokkaido to overseas capitals. For visitors, it is a reminder that world-class edomae is not confined to Tokyo, and that Hokkaidos famous seafood meets genuine Edo technique here.

Want us to handle it? Our Tokyo team books phone-only restaurants daily and holds allocation seats at partner counters, including starred houses in Ginza. No seat, no fee.
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