At the Maker’s Table: Sushi Ayase, Osaka

My work trips to Japan usually started in Osaka. My business partner Kyo was based there, and we travelled together. There was also Sakai Takayuki, a close ally of Knives and Stones. We had worked on projects from the Syousin Sakura to the James Honyaki, and I had become good friends with Toshikazu Aoki. A dinner together was a must.

In July 2019, that dinner was at Sushi Ayase. I was there with my business partner Kyo and Aoki-san, having a beautiful dinner. It was a meal with people I worked with and enjoyed seeing.

Why I kept making the trip

Some people asked why I needed to visit the makers when so much could be done over the phone or by email. The answer was in the details. It is easier to explain a small change to a knife profile, or the importance of thinning, when you can look at the knife together. I also wanted to pass on what customers were telling me and talk about future orders.

The meals were part of getting to know one another. At Ayase we had sashimi and individual pieces of sushi. The otoro was juicy.

At the counter, 15 July 2019

Osaka before the drive north

For anyone interested in kitchen knives, I also wrote about Doguyasuji in Namba. I liked the variety: ceramics, glassware, clothing for professional kitchens, cookware, decorations and knives. It was easy to spend time looking at things I had not come to buy.

The next part of our trip would take us to Echizen, then Toyama to see Hanaki-san at Sukenari, and on to Sanjo and Tokyo. I had made one planning mistake: 15 July was Marine Day, a public holiday, so we did not visit Sakai that day. The factory visit was later, on a different occasion.

Ayase has moved since this meal. We ate at the old Osaka Marubiru restaurant, which relocated to Grand Front Osaka in March 2023, so use the current address below rather than looking for this entrance.