So, the primary purpose of my trip to Niigata was to dine at Tokiwa Sushi, located in Shibata City.The restaurant is about a 15-minute walk from JR Shibata Station, situated on a narrow back street, just off the main shopping district. I was a bit surprised to find such a famous establishment in such a small alleyway. Founded in 1954, this long-established sushi restaurant is now in its third generation. The current owner returned to his hometown after his father, the second generation, fell ill while he was pursuing a band career in Tokyo. He had worked for a long time at an izakaya run by a fishmonger in Tokyo, where he learned to select fish. He transformed the restaurant's operation from the typical town sushi style of "okonomi" and "okiduke" to a focus on "omakase." This approach is reminiscent of the current head chef at a sibling sushi restaurant in Niigata.In 2024, they plan to open a new location in Niigata's historic district, Furumachi. Currently, they operate the Niigata location on weekdays and the Shibata main store on weekends.However, the shopping district in front of Shibata Station is impressive. It stretches on endlessly from the station, with both vertical and horizontal shopping streets, all covered with roofs. Many of the buildings are two-story houses with tiled roofs instead of commercial buildings. It makes one think that it must have been bustling in the past... However, on this Saturday evening at around 5 PM, most shops had their shutters down. While some may have closed early for the day, it seems many have permanently shut down. It feels like a shuttered shopping district. The vast scale makes it appear even more desolate...But putting that aside, the restaurant itself is lively. The counter was fully occupied, and the staff was energetic. I was curious about Tokiwa Sushi's "omakase nigiri and dishes." First, the head chef greeted us. He mentioned that today’s offerings would feature a bounty of summer fish and vegetables, almost to the point of being overwhelming! This restaurant aims to express the meeting of mountain and sea through sushi, incorporating not only Niigata's seafood but also its mountain delicacies. I was excited!- Grilled Eggplant Porridge Oh, starting with eggplant?! It seems they always begin with porridge, and today it was made with grilled eggplant. You’re supposed to break it up with a spoon before enjoying it. The flavor comes from the broth made with clams from Matsuhama in Niigata, using deep seawater from Sado. They don’t use any salt.Now, let’s introduce today’s vegetables… Is this really a sushi restaurant?!- Pickled Ginger, Salt, and Wasabi The salt is from Murakami City in Niigata, known as the "white diamond," and the wasabi is from Azumino in Nagano. You can enjoy them as snacks, and they are available for refills.- Sashimi of Sado's Hon-Ara Marinated in kombu broth, served with a sauce made from white plum vinegar mixed with the broth. Just with wasabi. Oh, this is delicious! The sauce is great too.- Hairy Crab Topped with inner roe, with half-cooked legs in the middle, and a mixture of shredded crab meat and rice at the bottom. Squeeze some sudachi over it. You can eat it separately or mix it together. The chef prefers mixing it! This hairy crab is also from Niigata. I thought hairy crabs were only from Hokkaido, but this is delicious.Now, we move on to the nigiri. I’ll denote the nigiri with numbers.1. Niigata's Akasuika (Swordtip Squid) It’s soft and delicious.The rice crumbles beautifully in your mouth, and the acidity is just right.They even take the time to wipe the plates after each serving, first with a wet cloth and then with a dry one. Such attention to detail! Wonderful!2. Sea Bass from Niigata's Nishi Ward Lightly shabu-shabu style. The umami is drawn out, and it’s delicious!3. Nanban Shrimp from Sado Served with soy sauce powder made from shrimp shells. It has miso inside. The rice is mixed with tomato, just like the hairy crab. It’s sweet shrimp. I learned about this at the sibling sushi restaurant. In any case, it’s amazing!- Kagamidai A fish currently caught in Niigata, resembling a true mackerel rather than a sea bream. It’s marinated and grilled (pressed with heated charcoal), topped with homemade ponzu. Delicious! The grilling is perfect, and the ponzu has a slight spiciness that enhances the flavor.- Fried Scales of Red Sweetfish from Niigata Served with cucumber and freshly picked zucchini. The scales are not just from sweetfish but are collected and dried from various fish throughout the year for this season! They say they fill 45-liter bags to the brim! Crispy and delicious!4. Ayu from the Sanmen River in Murakami City, Niigata They source ayu raised for fishing. They use cucumber vinegar to marinate it, as marinating in vinegar would lose its aroma. Niigata doesn’t catch good kohada, so this is a substitute. The smooth skin of the ayu while marinating in vinegar is sensual. I didn’t know this way of eating existed.5. Shabu-shabu of Sado's Mebaru Sandwiched with green onions, squeezed with sudachi on top. The crunchiness of the green onions adds a nice touch.6. Spring Child from Niigata Stuffed with a paste of green onions and aobata (sea bream). After enjoying the soft flavor of the spring child, you taste the umami of the sea bream. It’s delicious!7. Hand Roll with Eel Grilled eel mixed with young corn, cucumber, and myoga, seasoned with homemade sardine fish sauce. It has a slight sliminess but tastes great. Delicious!- Chawanmushi with Water Cloud and Egosu from Kashiwazaki Mix everything before drinking. The broth is made with sweetfish and gold rush as a substitute for sugar. It’s a chawanmushi that evokes the fresh scent of the ocean.- Palate Cleanser: Sweet Sake Sorbet with Ume Honey8. Baigai from Sado's Akadomari Chilled baigai that has been pounded for a long time. There was something red in between, maybe ume? Niigata has few shellfish, but the effort shows. It’s tender, sweet, and delicious!9. Nodoguro from Sado The skin is grilled, and the flesh is boiled. Inside, there’s roasted sesame with soy sauce. It’s tender and delicious. The sesame adds a nice crunch.10. Anago and Freshly Picked Asparagus from Shibata in a Thick Roll With a sweet sauce. The asparagus picked this morning is the star. They say anago pairs well with asparagus. The chef mentioned he’s currently not serving anago nigiri. There’s also a small melon and aobata. It’s best to eat it in one bite. Indeed, anago and asparagus go well together! At this time of year, this is better than anakyu!With that, the course concluded, and what wasn’t served included Sado's Botan Ebi, black abalone (steamed abalone), black muzu, inari sushi, and kanpyou rolls.- Clam Soup - Tamagoyaki The surface is crispy, resembling crème brûlée! Delicious!- Extra: Black Abalone Steamed abalone. It seems it has just started coming out in Niigata. Tender and full of flavor! Delicious!- Extra: Botan Ebi Slightly boiled. With sudachi and salt. Half-cooked and sticky, delicious!When I visited Kurozaki in Omotesando, I had a conversation with Chef Kobayashi and another chef about our experiences working at a mansion in Monaco during the Monaco GP. It was quite an adventure! At the end, the chef asked, "Isn’t Kurozaki's sushi different?" Indeed, they incorporate various ingredients beyond the standard condiments like wasabi, ginger, and green onions, skillfully combining seafood and vegetables, all of which were delicious and enjoyable. I had heard the name before, but I tried nu-taunagi for the first time, and I had never even heard of Kagamidai before.The title comes from something the chef at the restaurant I visited the next day said about Tokiwa Sushi, and reflecting on last night, I thought, "Ah, I see," and borrowed it. The chef himself was an interesting person, and everyone at the restaurant was full of hospitality. I would love to come back. Maybe next time, I’ll visit the Niigata location. It was a great meal!