Sushi chef Kodai Sanada prepares omakase at his eight seat sushi bar in Otaru. During herring season, Sanada will prepare a couple of local Hokkaido herring at each omakase sitting, but he doesn’t typically serve herring egg sushi (KCAW/Rose)

KCAW’s Katherine Rose continues her assignment in Japan, where she’s learning about the industry and history of herring in the country. Typically, herring eggs are consumed on New Years Day as a part of a traditional meal, Osechi Ryori. But they’re also served on sushi, though it’s not as common as tuna or salmon. In Otaru, during herring season, herring fillet sushi is a local specialty, but it’s hard to process and not readily available in other parts of the country. Last week, Rose visited a sushi restaurant in Otaru, and spoke with sushi chef Kodai Sanada about herring and herring egg sushi.

Rose’s trip is a project of KCAW and the Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism.