The art of preparing sushi in Japan has long been limited to men, but one woman in Tokyo is bucking tradition. At her restaurant Nadeshico Sushi, Yuki Chizui employs an all-female staff of sushi chefs. This video from Great Big Story details the challenges the women of Nadeshico face.
"We were trained by male sushi chefs," Chizui says in the video. "Most of them regarded the female staff as merely window dressing. We were expected to just stand there and shape the rice. They didn't expect us to understand how to do more difficult tasks. Our only value to them was in our physical appearance."
Chizui explains "most people" in Japan believe women are ill-suited to be sushi chefs for ridiculous reasons such as the idea that their hands are too warm. She, however, believes women not only are just as capable as men, but they have their own advantageous qualities.
"In Japan, it is believed sushi chefs are like performers," Chizui says. "Women are good communicators and have naturally cheerful dispositions. Because of this, I think women are well-suited to be sushi chefs."
Watch the video above to get a look inside Japan's first all-female sushi restaurant.
• Inside Japan's Only All-Female Sushi House [YouTube]
• One Japanese Restaurant Attempts to Encourage the Rise of the Female Sushi Chef [E]
• All Video Interludes [E]
• Read more on Japan [Meridian]
