Past winners
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THE 1ST PLACE WINNER OF THE IMAGINE LITTLE TOKYO SHORT STORY CONTEST 2017
(Japanese Language) Masafumi Mori |
The God of Sushi Mats
I am retiring tonight, tormented by an indescribable sense of guilt.
55 years since I started making sushi here in Little Tokyo…Or rather, it’s been 55 years since I started rolling sushi. The world changed dramatically since I came up with the Triple T Roll in 1963.
Back then, sushi was known only by Japanese or Japanese Americans and certain food connoisseurs. Most Americans were reluctant to try raw fish, and were disgusted by the black paper-like nori seaweed. Some customers would even peel the nori off. I wanted my restaurant to be known for authentic Edo-style sushi, but we barely got any customers, and were on the brink of closing down.
My wife and I were expecting our second child—I couldn’t close up shop now. Inspired, I got to work putting together a new menu that would breathe new life into my restaurant.
If raw fish is no good, how about tempura instead? Teriyaki sauce to add a burst of flavor. If nori is no good, what if I wrap the sushi inside out so the rice is on the outside? And that’s how the Triple T Roll was born. “Triple T” as in “T” for tempura, “T” for teriyaki, and “T” for Tomio, my name.
The Triple T Roll—inside out teriyaki flavored shrimp tempura sushi—became a Little Tokyo specialty in no time. Word got out and customers were coming from all over the United States and even overseas. Many variations on the Triple T Roll were born such as the California Roll with avocado and imitation crab, the Philadelphia Roll with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and the Rainbow Roll with its colorful ingredients wrapped on the outside. Roll sushi became the epitome of sushi culture, and spread like wildfire.
Nigiri (traditional sushi consisting of a small ball of rice topped with raw fish) is the essence of Edo-style sushi, but all my customers wanted were Dynamite or Spider rolls. Day after day, I made those rolls, and eventually the lines from the sushi mat were imprinted in my fingers.
Dear God, have I destroyed Japanese tradition…? I wondered.
“What are you lamenting about?”
An old man with a white moustache wearing a white kimono stood before me.
“Who are you?”
“I’m the God of sushi mats.”
“Sushi mats? Oh…well, I owe a lot to you.”
“I’ve been quite busy since you’ve made sushi rolls popular. Until now, the God of Knives and the God of Cutting Boards were at the top in the world of Sushi Gods, but ever since the 1960s I’ve earned a lot of points and I’ve beat the God of Dining Tables to become one of the top three Sushi Gods.”
“There’s a point system in the world of Sushi Gods?”
“Oh yes. Every time your tool is used, you earn one point, and you get promoted each time you reach one million points.”
“One…million points?”
“Anyway, why are you feeling troubled on a day when you should be celebrating the fulfillment of your life’s work, having run a successful business and watching your children grow up?”
“Well…it’s hard for me to say this when I’ve used sushi mats to make roll sushi countless times, but I became a sushi chef because I wanted to make Edo-style sushi popular in America. Now that my career is over, all I see is roll sushi everywhere, and I regret having destroyed the tradition of Japanese sushi. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t catered to Americans’ tastes and kept making nigiri…”
“I see… you’re tormented by your artisan spirit. I can relate to that. Well, I’ve benefitted a lot from you already, so if you’d like, I can make it so that you never invented the Triple T Roll.”
“You can do that?”
“I have a trillion points saved up, so I can make a minor change to the past.”
“Then yes, please! I can’t stand this world where roll sushi is everywhere. Please make it so that the detestable Triple T Roll never existed.”
The God of Sushi Mats pulled out a huge sushi mat from his inside pocket, rolled in inside out, and put it back in his inside pocket. Then, nodding with a smile, he disappeared into the darkness.
I looked at the clock. It was a little past 3:00 pm. It seems that I fell asleep on the chair in the kitchen. My wife Reiko who waitressed, and the prep cook Jose appeared to be on break, and no one was in the restaurant. I look over at the glass case on the counter where the sushi ingredients are kept. The colors were different than usual.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and focused on the middle on the case. Tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, octopus, scallop, egg…the pile of imitation crab that usually sits in the middle of the case was missing, and kanpyo (sweet gourd) sat in its place. I hadn’t prepared kanpyo in years, since no one orders it and it’s a pain to prepare.
I checked the glass case where we kept the vegetables, and the avocados….were there. But there were only two, much less than what we usually stocked. Bulk sized teriyaki sauce and piles of nori cans were nowhere to be seen. I looked at the glass case again, and found snapper, halibut, horse mackerel and even rosy seabass. What an authentic lineup of ingredients! The God of Sushi Mats made my wish come true.
With two hours left until opening time, I decided to go for a quick walk. I went outside feeling great. From Honda Plaza I went west on 2nd Street and north on Central Avenue to 1st Street, the face of Little Tokyo. I love the nostalgic feeling of the historic buildings.
The lunch rush was over, but there were still a few people waiting outside the ramen shop Daikokuya. Its reigning popularity is impressive, given the competition due to LA’s rising ramen culture in the past few years.
The sushi restaurants on 1st Street were nowhere to be found. Toshi Sushi, Enya, Oomasa…they’ve all been replaced by ramen shops! Was sushi destroyed by ramen because I didn’t invent the “T” Roll? I shuddered.
Oh well, at least my restaurant still exists, and just because it’s Little Tokyo doesn’t mean there has to be tons of sushi restaurants. The skilled sushi chefs probably just opened up shop elsewhere.
I walked west on 1st Street, glancing at the stores left and right. A bar, nightclub, bail bonds, adult goods store…quite colorful and far from wholesome. I felt a slight dizziness and ran into the Little Tokyo Koban and Visitor’s Center.
“Um… excuse me.”
“Hello. May I help you?” A gentleman about my age greeted me with a soft demeanor.
“Out…outside…”
“Is there something wrong outside?”
“Since when has the neighborhood been like this?”
The gentleman at the Koban let out a sigh.
“Ever since the economic bubble of the 90s burst, the old Little Tokyo disappeared, and this street…”
“I remember a club called Nirvana, but it wasn’t this shady. What happened to Japanese Village Plaza? You know, they had the gift shops and the Nijiya Market, the popular shabu-shabu restaurant and the revolving sushi bar…”
“Ah…Japanese Village Plaza. Brings back memories. That area was bought by Foster Real Estate in 2001, and now it looks like a regular shopping mall.
No way! My eyes widened, and I ran out of the Koban. The bustling Japanese Village Plaza was sold to an American corporation? Bunkado on 1st Street is still there, and Koyasan Buddhist Temple as well. The red yagura tower that serves as a landmark is still there!
With trepidation, I peered into the Japanese Village Plaza. Foster Café, Foster Bakery, Foster Outlet… the Nijiya Market was now a Foster Mart! Foster businesses left and right. What could have happened to change the neighborhood so drastically?
My feet dragged as I headed back to my restaurant. 2nd Street is lined with retail fashion stores, and Hama Sushi and Komasa are gone. Even though they were my competition, I felt a sense of loneliness now that they were gone. Even the popular Kula revolving sushi bar was now “Shanghai Revolution” revolving dim sum!
“Welcome back, Taisho (boss).” Back at the restaurant, Jose had returned from his break.
“Jose, why are all the other sushi restaurants gone?”
“What are you talking about? In America, only connoisseurs eat sushi, so we’re the only sushi restaurant around here.”
Only our restaurant? Sushi in the world without roll sushi is so unpopular… I felt overcome by guilt as I stared at the glass case displaying the raw fish that I had felt so proudly of earlier.
However, Americans must like tuna. We have beautiful tuna bright as a ruby…wait, what are those weird striations?
“Jose, what is this?”
“Ohh that’s a beautiful red sunfish.”
“Red sunfish? What happened to the tuna?”
“Taisho, please don’t joke like that. Tuna is almost extinct due to over-fishing. It’s no longer allowed to be imported.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Sushi’s not popular, so who’s over-fishing it?”
“Well, it’s really popular in Asia, and all they’re eating is tuna.”
What kind of logic is this? Since filling roll sushi doesn’t exist, tuna consumption increased exponentially?
“So, where’s Reiko?”
Jose shook his head with an awkward look on his face.
“Taisho. You’re acting weird today. Your ex-wife went back to Japan several decades ago.”
Ex-wife…did she take the kids and leave because my restaurant was failing since I didn’t invent the Triple T Roll? That can’t be- Reiko wouldn’t leave me because I failed once or twice. I’m so confused my head is about to explode. Could one detail change my life so drastically? There’s no point in making authentic sushi if my wife and kids aren’t here! God of Sushi Mats, please!! Change my world back to how it was!!!
I looked at the clock, and it was now 10 minutes before 5:00pm. It seems I had a nightmare.
“Dear, it’s almost time to open the restaurant. We have to get ready.”
“Reiko, you’re back?”
“What are you talking about? Never mind, look outside. Since you’re retiring, about five of your regular customers are already here.”
“Ohh okay…” I walked over to the prep area and there were two men helping Jose. They were my sons Hiroshi and Takashi who each work at other restaurants…
“Dad, are you okay? You sounded like you were having a nightmare.” Hiroshi the worrier asked.
“Maybe he doesn’t really want to retire.” Takashi laughed, his eyes smiling just like when he was one years old.
“What are you two doing here?”
“We came to help so you won’t pass out from being too busy,” said Hiroshi.
“Karen and the little ones are coming later, so make your cute grandkids some sushi with the good stuff!” said Takashi, pushy as always.
“Sure, they can eat all the red sunfish they want,” I replied.
“Taisho, but we have the best tuna today,” said Jose.
Oh good… there’s still tuna. But never mind that. There’s nothing better than to be surrounded by family on my last day as a sushi chef. Who cares if it’s Edo-style or nigiri. I’ll roll anything whether it’s a Berry Roll or an adhesive roll!
I looked at the clock, and it was 9:00pm. A customer I hadn’t seen around sat at the counter close to closing. An elderly man with a white mustache…just like the God of Sushi Mats from my dream.
“What can I get you?”
“Hm..omakase – I’ll leave it up to you.”
“Anything you don’t like?”
“Not really, but I’d like to finish with something sweet and salty – you know the one.”
Bring it on. The perfect ending to the 55 years of rolling sushi in Little Tokyo—the Triple T Roll that changed the world!
55 years since I started making sushi here in Little Tokyo…Or rather, it’s been 55 years since I started rolling sushi. The world changed dramatically since I came up with the Triple T Roll in 1963.
Back then, sushi was known only by Japanese or Japanese Americans and certain food connoisseurs. Most Americans were reluctant to try raw fish, and were disgusted by the black paper-like nori seaweed. Some customers would even peel the nori off. I wanted my restaurant to be known for authentic Edo-style sushi, but we barely got any customers, and were on the brink of closing down.
My wife and I were expecting our second child—I couldn’t close up shop now. Inspired, I got to work putting together a new menu that would breathe new life into my restaurant.
If raw fish is no good, how about tempura instead? Teriyaki sauce to add a burst of flavor. If nori is no good, what if I wrap the sushi inside out so the rice is on the outside? And that’s how the Triple T Roll was born. “Triple T” as in “T” for tempura, “T” for teriyaki, and “T” for Tomio, my name.
The Triple T Roll—inside out teriyaki flavored shrimp tempura sushi—became a Little Tokyo specialty in no time. Word got out and customers were coming from all over the United States and even overseas. Many variations on the Triple T Roll were born such as the California Roll with avocado and imitation crab, the Philadelphia Roll with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and the Rainbow Roll with its colorful ingredients wrapped on the outside. Roll sushi became the epitome of sushi culture, and spread like wildfire.
Nigiri (traditional sushi consisting of a small ball of rice topped with raw fish) is the essence of Edo-style sushi, but all my customers wanted were Dynamite or Spider rolls. Day after day, I made those rolls, and eventually the lines from the sushi mat were imprinted in my fingers.
Dear God, have I destroyed Japanese tradition…? I wondered.
“What are you lamenting about?”
An old man with a white moustache wearing a white kimono stood before me.
“Who are you?”
“I’m the God of sushi mats.”
“Sushi mats? Oh…well, I owe a lot to you.”
“I’ve been quite busy since you’ve made sushi rolls popular. Until now, the God of Knives and the God of Cutting Boards were at the top in the world of Sushi Gods, but ever since the 1960s I’ve earned a lot of points and I’ve beat the God of Dining Tables to become one of the top three Sushi Gods.”
“There’s a point system in the world of Sushi Gods?”
“Oh yes. Every time your tool is used, you earn one point, and you get promoted each time you reach one million points.”
“One…million points?”
“Anyway, why are you feeling troubled on a day when you should be celebrating the fulfillment of your life’s work, having run a successful business and watching your children grow up?”
“Well…it’s hard for me to say this when I’ve used sushi mats to make roll sushi countless times, but I became a sushi chef because I wanted to make Edo-style sushi popular in America. Now that my career is over, all I see is roll sushi everywhere, and I regret having destroyed the tradition of Japanese sushi. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t catered to Americans’ tastes and kept making nigiri…”
“I see… you’re tormented by your artisan spirit. I can relate to that. Well, I’ve benefitted a lot from you already, so if you’d like, I can make it so that you never invented the Triple T Roll.”
“You can do that?”
“I have a trillion points saved up, so I can make a minor change to the past.”
“Then yes, please! I can’t stand this world where roll sushi is everywhere. Please make it so that the detestable Triple T Roll never existed.”
The God of Sushi Mats pulled out a huge sushi mat from his inside pocket, rolled in inside out, and put it back in his inside pocket. Then, nodding with a smile, he disappeared into the darkness.
I looked at the clock. It was a little past 3:00 pm. It seems that I fell asleep on the chair in the kitchen. My wife Reiko who waitressed, and the prep cook Jose appeared to be on break, and no one was in the restaurant. I look over at the glass case on the counter where the sushi ingredients are kept. The colors were different than usual.
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and focused on the middle on the case. Tuna, yellowtail, salmon, shrimp, octopus, scallop, egg…the pile of imitation crab that usually sits in the middle of the case was missing, and kanpyo (sweet gourd) sat in its place. I hadn’t prepared kanpyo in years, since no one orders it and it’s a pain to prepare.
I checked the glass case where we kept the vegetables, and the avocados….were there. But there were only two, much less than what we usually stocked. Bulk sized teriyaki sauce and piles of nori cans were nowhere to be seen. I looked at the glass case again, and found snapper, halibut, horse mackerel and even rosy seabass. What an authentic lineup of ingredients! The God of Sushi Mats made my wish come true.
With two hours left until opening time, I decided to go for a quick walk. I went outside feeling great. From Honda Plaza I went west on 2nd Street and north on Central Avenue to 1st Street, the face of Little Tokyo. I love the nostalgic feeling of the historic buildings.
The lunch rush was over, but there were still a few people waiting outside the ramen shop Daikokuya. Its reigning popularity is impressive, given the competition due to LA’s rising ramen culture in the past few years.
The sushi restaurants on 1st Street were nowhere to be found. Toshi Sushi, Enya, Oomasa…they’ve all been replaced by ramen shops! Was sushi destroyed by ramen because I didn’t invent the “T” Roll? I shuddered.
Oh well, at least my restaurant still exists, and just because it’s Little Tokyo doesn’t mean there has to be tons of sushi restaurants. The skilled sushi chefs probably just opened up shop elsewhere.
I walked west on 1st Street, glancing at the stores left and right. A bar, nightclub, bail bonds, adult goods store…quite colorful and far from wholesome. I felt a slight dizziness and ran into the Little Tokyo Koban and Visitor’s Center.
“Um… excuse me.”
“Hello. May I help you?” A gentleman about my age greeted me with a soft demeanor.
“Out…outside…”
“Is there something wrong outside?”
“Since when has the neighborhood been like this?”
The gentleman at the Koban let out a sigh.
“Ever since the economic bubble of the 90s burst, the old Little Tokyo disappeared, and this street…”
“I remember a club called Nirvana, but it wasn’t this shady. What happened to Japanese Village Plaza? You know, they had the gift shops and the Nijiya Market, the popular shabu-shabu restaurant and the revolving sushi bar…”
“Ah…Japanese Village Plaza. Brings back memories. That area was bought by Foster Real Estate in 2001, and now it looks like a regular shopping mall.
No way! My eyes widened, and I ran out of the Koban. The bustling Japanese Village Plaza was sold to an American corporation? Bunkado on 1st Street is still there, and Koyasan Buddhist Temple as well. The red yagura tower that serves as a landmark is still there!
With trepidation, I peered into the Japanese Village Plaza. Foster Café, Foster Bakery, Foster Outlet… the Nijiya Market was now a Foster Mart! Foster businesses left and right. What could have happened to change the neighborhood so drastically?
My feet dragged as I headed back to my restaurant. 2nd Street is lined with retail fashion stores, and Hama Sushi and Komasa are gone. Even though they were my competition, I felt a sense of loneliness now that they were gone. Even the popular Kula revolving sushi bar was now “Shanghai Revolution” revolving dim sum!
“Welcome back, Taisho (boss).” Back at the restaurant, Jose had returned from his break.
“Jose, why are all the other sushi restaurants gone?”
“What are you talking about? In America, only connoisseurs eat sushi, so we’re the only sushi restaurant around here.”
Only our restaurant? Sushi in the world without roll sushi is so unpopular… I felt overcome by guilt as I stared at the glass case displaying the raw fish that I had felt so proudly of earlier.
However, Americans must like tuna. We have beautiful tuna bright as a ruby…wait, what are those weird striations?
“Jose, what is this?”
“Ohh that’s a beautiful red sunfish.”
“Red sunfish? What happened to the tuna?”
“Taisho, please don’t joke like that. Tuna is almost extinct due to over-fishing. It’s no longer allowed to be imported.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Sushi’s not popular, so who’s over-fishing it?”
“Well, it’s really popular in Asia, and all they’re eating is tuna.”
What kind of logic is this? Since filling roll sushi doesn’t exist, tuna consumption increased exponentially?
“So, where’s Reiko?”
Jose shook his head with an awkward look on his face.
“Taisho. You’re acting weird today. Your ex-wife went back to Japan several decades ago.”
Ex-wife…did she take the kids and leave because my restaurant was failing since I didn’t invent the Triple T Roll? That can’t be- Reiko wouldn’t leave me because I failed once or twice. I’m so confused my head is about to explode. Could one detail change my life so drastically? There’s no point in making authentic sushi if my wife and kids aren’t here! God of Sushi Mats, please!! Change my world back to how it was!!!
I looked at the clock, and it was now 10 minutes before 5:00pm. It seems I had a nightmare.
“Dear, it’s almost time to open the restaurant. We have to get ready.”
“Reiko, you’re back?”
“What are you talking about? Never mind, look outside. Since you’re retiring, about five of your regular customers are already here.”
“Ohh okay…” I walked over to the prep area and there were two men helping Jose. They were my sons Hiroshi and Takashi who each work at other restaurants…
“Dad, are you okay? You sounded like you were having a nightmare.” Hiroshi the worrier asked.
“Maybe he doesn’t really want to retire.” Takashi laughed, his eyes smiling just like when he was one years old.
“What are you two doing here?”
“We came to help so you won’t pass out from being too busy,” said Hiroshi.
“Karen and the little ones are coming later, so make your cute grandkids some sushi with the good stuff!” said Takashi, pushy as always.
“Sure, they can eat all the red sunfish they want,” I replied.
“Taisho, but we have the best tuna today,” said Jose.
Oh good… there’s still tuna. But never mind that. There’s nothing better than to be surrounded by family on my last day as a sushi chef. Who cares if it’s Edo-style or nigiri. I’ll roll anything whether it’s a Berry Roll or an adhesive roll!
I looked at the clock, and it was 9:00pm. A customer I hadn’t seen around sat at the counter close to closing. An elderly man with a white mustache…just like the God of Sushi Mats from my dream.
“What can I get you?”
“Hm..omakase – I’ll leave it up to you.”
“Anything you don’t like?”
“Not really, but I’d like to finish with something sweet and salty – you know the one.”
Bring it on. The perfect ending to the 55 years of rolling sushi in Little Tokyo—the Triple T Roll that changed the world!