名古屋城、尾張名古屋のうまいもの街
— Interview —
Kinshachi Sushi in Nagoya Castle Town｜Tradition and Innovation Weave Together to Create Memorable Creative Sushi in Nagoya
Kinshachi Sushi
金鯱寿司
Terumasa Muto
武藤 輝将
Kinshachi Sushi will open in October 2025 in the Muneharu Zone of Kinshachi Yokocho in Nagoya Castle Town. This sushi restaurant is the brainchild of Mr. Muto, who operates multiple dining establishments both domestically and internationally, including “saien” within the same zone, as well as Japanese-style izakayas and creative Japanese cuisine restaurants. The counter features an experienced sushi chef who was once considered for the position of principal at a sushi chef training institution. He is working closely with Mr. Muto to build the restaurant.
KinShachi Sushi focuses on the freshest ingredients available at any given time, offering creative sushi unique to Nagoya. The experience varies by time of day: during lunch, enjoy easily accessible à la carte dishes; in the evening, savor a meticulously crafted course meal, with each piece of sushi prepared one piece at a time at the counter. This time, we spoke with owner Mr. Muto about his background and the appeal of Kinshachi Sushi.
Leveraging years of experience in restaurant management, I opened a sushi restaurant in Kinshachi Yokocho.
——Please tell us what led you to pursue a career in cooking.
My career as a chef traces its roots back to my father’s tonkatsu restaurant, “Nabeyaya,” in Kita Ward, Nagoya City. However, I didn’t set out on the culinary path from the start, and I had absolutely no intention of taking over my father’s shop. In fact, my mother often told me, “There are other options besides cooking.”
Still, my father was passionate. Almost every day, he’d happily tell me stories about how our regular customers enjoyed their meals. For some reason, the sight of him like that stayed with me—and finally, moved by that image, I quietly muttered, “Alright, I’ll help out for just one week.”
Once I started working at the shop, my perspective shifted dramatically. Beyond my existing enjoyment of cooking and serving customers, a new ambition emerged: “I want to expand the possibilities of food. I want to surpass my father’s skills and flavors, letting more people savor it and discover its true appeal.” Before I knew it, I was completely captivated by this work.
——I understand you currently operate multiple restaurants.
Yes. We currently operate restaurants across various genres both domestically and internationally.
Specifically, we operate the vegetable cafe & seafood bar “saien” in the Muneharu Zone of Kinshachi Yokocho, the Nagoya-meshi dining restaurant “Tebasakaba,” and the sweets shop “Ochofuku” at Chiyobo Inari Shrine in Gifu Prefecture.
Furthermore, this past October, we opened “Agu Dive,” a restaurant specializing in Agu pork, in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture. We also launched the creative Japanese restaurant “KAZE” in Vietnam and built a food processing plant in Gifu, where we wholesale products to frozen meal delivery companies.
I truly feel this diverse expansion has been guided by the flow of time and serendipitous connections at each stage.
It all began with my father’s tonkatsu restaurant, “Nabeyaya.” From my parents’ generation, ‘Nabeyaya’ evolved into a community-rooted eatery, adding sashimi to its tonkatsu offerings. Driven by this background and my own desire to “let more people taste and enjoy our food,” I transformed the business model into Japanese cuisine and izakaya, expanding to three locations near Kurokawa in Kita Ward.
Then, with the new opening in Kinshachi Yokocho as our fresh start, we launched what is now “saien”.
——What led you to open Kinshachi Sushi?
From the moment we opened “saien” in the Muneharu Zone of Kinshachi Yokocho, we held this conviction: “If there were a sushi restaurant here, our customers would surely be delighted.” With that aspiration in our hearts, we honed our skills and experience, taking on challenges until “Kinshachi Sushi” was born.
Even during our time operating a Japanese cuisine restaurant, we served sushi we prepared ourselves. Therefore, as we launch “Kinshachi Sushi,” we aim to actively incorporate elements and ideas we find “interesting.”
A new kind of deliciousness unique to creative sushi, showcasing meticulously selected ingredients
——Please tell us about the concept of Kinshachi Sushi.
Our restaurant specializes in creative sushi. While rooted in traditional Edomae sushi, we propose new ways to enjoy sushi through innovative ingredient combinations and presentation.
As a creative sushi establishment, we aim to preserve the finest aspects of traditional sushi while also embracing new challenges not found elsewhere.
Another core concept is making the taste of high-end sushi more accessible.
For lunch, we offer staples like seafood bowls, while evenings feature exclusive counter-seat courses. Our evening courses deliver exceptional value through rich flavors and substantial portions, aiming to share the authentic, creative, and sensory delight of sushi with as many guests as possible.
——What is the appeal of Kinshachi Sushi?
The appeal of Kinshachi Sushi lies in our commitment to seasonal ingredients and fresh, premium toppings. I personally visit the market to select ingredients, verifying their quality with my own eyes.
Seasonal ingredients aren’t just delicious; they possess unique aromas, textures, and vibrant colors specific to their time of year. In other words, tasting them allows you to feel the changing seasons—that’s the charm of seasonal ingredients. I strive to incorporate such ingredients as much as possible.
We also pay meticulous attention to the size and cutting technique of each piece of topping. For example, the way we shape a single piece of nigiri differs between lunch and dinner. During our exclusive evening course, we prepare nigiri right before your eyes at the counter, serving pieces flexibly according to your eating pace and the moment.
While rooted in traditional Edomae sushi techniques, we innovate with each topping’s cuts and presentation, ensuring you enjoy the visual experience as well.
——Do you have any menu recommendations?
Our menu changes based on the ingredients we source, so we hope you’ll enjoy the seasonal delicacies available at any given time. To give one example, our restaurant takes particular pride in how we grill our eel. While preferences for eel grilling style naturally vary, we pursue a “crispy-skinned grilling method.” Through relentless research and unique techniques, we achieve an eel unlike any other.
We believe this approach—combining traditional techniques with constant culinary research and the relentless pursuit of deliciousness—is what defines the unique style of Kinshachi Sushi.
Infused with Nagoya’s signature playfulness, we challenge ourselves with creative sushi to create “New Nagoya Cuisine.”
——I understand you’re aiming to create a new Nagoya-style cuisine through sushi. How do you incorporate local Nagoya ingredients and culture?
Our restaurant aims to be more than just a sushi shop; we strive to offer a “new Nagoya sushi” experience where you can deeply savor the flavors of Nagoya. To achieve this, we actively incorporate local Nagoya ingredients and culture into our menu.
The eel dish introduced earlier is one example where you can truly feel the essence of Nagoya. We also offer sushi featuring shrimp flipped over and arranged to resemble a golden shachi. This playful touch expresses the symbol of Kinchakucho through food.
Furthermore, to meet diverse needs and ensure enjoyment for guests with varied preferences, we offer a meat-based menu item: a luxurious rice bowl featuring premium beef seasoned with Nagoya miso, served in a traditional rice tub.
Tourists visiting Nagoya likely think, “Since I’m here, I want to try something truly Nagoya-like.” Therefore, we will incorporate local Nagoya flavors throughout our offerings.
——Are there any other ingredients unique to Nagoya or the Tokai region?
We primarily offer carefully selected seasonal delicacies from across Japan, but we actively incorporate excellent local ingredients from Nagoya and the Tokai region into our menu.
For example, we plan to feature regional ingredients like serving famous Mikawa giant clams as tempura.
Regarding the rice we use, we don’t limit ourselves to a single variety, but for rice from this region, we primarily use Hatsushimo rice from Gifu. Its large grains and low stickiness make it ideal for sushi rice.
——Please tell us about your future outlook.
Our goal is to become a “special memory restaurant” that leaves a lasting impression on visitors to Nagoya from overseas and other regions.
We also aim to be a restaurant deeply rooted in the community, where locals come because they crave Kinryu Sushi.
To achieve this, we strive to continually offer a menu that provides fresh excitement and new discoveries with every visit, for all our valued guests.
Create unforgettable moments at Kinshachi Yokocho
——Finally, if you have any message you’d like to share with visitors to Kinshachi Yokocho, please tell us.
Kinshachi Yokocho features two distinct zones: the traditional, authentic “Yoshinaga Zone” and the innovative, evolving “Muneharu Zone,” each brimming with its own unique charm. In the “Yoshinaga Zone,” you can savor classic, traditional Nagoya cuisine, while the “Muneharu Zone” offers establishments like ours that challenge the boundaries of culinary culture. We hope you’ll spend a full day exploring the Kinshachi Yokocho area, immersing yourself in Nagoya’s food and culture. And we at Kinshachi Sushi would be delighted to help make your time in Nagoya richer and more memorable.
Kinshachi Sushi
Phone Number: 052-386-6326
Business Hours: 11:00 AM–3:00 PM (Last Order 2:30 PM) / 5:00 PM–11:00 PM (Last Order 10:00 PM)
Seating capacity: 29 seats
