To the Japanese, sushi is more than just a dish; it is something that connects all Japanese from around the globe and serves as a “bridge” for non-Japanese to Japanese culture, says Japan’s Consul General.
Wednesday, June 18, is World Sushi Day. For the first time in Auckland, the occasion will be celebrated with a Chow Luck Club-organised dinner event at Gion Restaurant Parnell, bringing two of the city’s top Japanese chefs and a sake master in a one-night-only collab.
Riku Kitazono, executive chef to the Consul-General of Japan in Auckland, will be joining Gion’s celebrated chef-owner Akira Kugue in presenting a collaborative, exquisite multi-course Japanese menu with exceptional sake pairings.
Sake expert Mark Whiteman from Tokyo Foods will be leading sake rituals, including kagami biraki - the tradition of smashing the sake barrel, a sacred Japanese tradition.
“We are excited to be celebrating World Sushi Day for the first time in Auckland in such a way, and I think it is a great initiative from Chow Luck Club,” said Matsui Shinji, Consul General of Japan in Auckland.
“Sushi is something that is deeply ingrained in our Japanese culture; it connects past and present Japanese, and it is also something that will lead us into the future by connecting Japan to everybody from around the world.”
But although it is a staple of Japanese culture and cuisine today, sushi is believed to have its origins in Southeast Asia and was introduced to Japan around the 8th century.
In its original version, fish would be salted and wrapped in fermented rice for preservation.
Fast forward 1000 years, in the early 1800s, a Japanese cook called Hanaya Yohei created the sushi that resembles the ones we recognize today. It was designed to be a type of fast food that can be conveniently eaten with chopsticks or even fingers.
Sushi today has become one of the most popular food in the world, even in Auckland, and is being eaten in restaurants, as a takeaway, or made at home as a lunchbox item.
The word "sushi" means "sour rice," which reflects its historical origins as a method of preserving fish through fermentation with rice.
Nigiri, temaki, uramaki, there are just many variations when it comes to sushi, and on this international day to celebrate this delicacy, participants at the sold-out evening will also get a chance to make their own sushi and have it as their entree.
Chef Riku, a graduate from Hattori Nutrition College in Tokyo who received his training at a Michellin-starred French restaurant MONNA LISA says he is excited to be part of the dining event.
“I began my career as the official resident chef at the Embassy of Japan in Azerbaijan, and after completing my term there in 2020, I was appointed to the Consulate of Japan in Auckland,” he said.
Currently serving his second term here, Kitazono said he was excited to showcase some of his creations to the public for the very first time.
“There is going to be some sweet surprises,” he said.
The event promises to transport participants and diners straight to the heart of Japan’s cultural heritage featuring a menu of finest Japanese dishes that blend tradition with modern creativity made with the freshest premium ingredients that include scampi, bluefin tuna and Kuroge wagyu beef.
The culinary journey will conclude on a sweet note with a surprise “edible origami” for dessert.
WORLD SUSHI DAY AT GION JAPANESE RESTAURANT (EVENT IS SOLD OUT). Wed 18 June 2025, 6pm at 1/168 Parnell Road, Parnell. Ph: 09 3793344
