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Nakajima Seijirō
中島清次郎
Nakajima Seijirō; 中島清次郎
	Nakajima Seijirō (in the late 1960s)
Born	November 20,1897; Asakusa,Tokyo,Japan
Died	April 16,1972(aged 74); Kyoto,Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Spouse	Nakajima Kiku
Children	Kiyoshi(elder son),Kyōko(daughter),and Takashi(younger son)

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Nakajima Seijirō (中島清次郎, November 20, 1897 – April 16, 1972)was a Japanese sushi chef. Laying the foundation of the Sushi Association's activities in Kyoto,he helped in the development of the outsourced processing(bartering)system for sushi in the post-war years. He also worked to popularize the genuine Edo-mae （江戸前） from of sushi in the Kansai region of western Japan.

Life

Early years to starting business in Kyoto

Nakajima Seijirō was born the second son of the Kitamura（北村） family in November 1897, as Kitamura Seijirou,on a street in Asakusa district of Tokyo popularly known as "Sushi-ya Yokochō"(Sushi-shop Lane,today's "Sushiya-dōri"). He was adopted in his childhood by the Nakajima family, and his adoptive father passed away while he was still young. Driven by domestic poverty, he tried his hand at a number of different jobs before finally beginning to train in earnest under an Edo-mae sushi chef. He opend several sushi shop in Tokyo but lost both his businesses and his home in the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923. At the request of a friend,he moved to Kyoto with his wife Kiku( きく,1898-1989)and his family.^[1]There, he opend the Edo-mae sushi and tempura shop "JanomeZushi"( " 蛇の目寿司 "　in business until 1989)at Shinkyōgoku-dōri Sanjō-sagaru Sakuranochō（新京極通り三条下ル桜之町）.

Nakajima Seijirō and the progress of the Sushi Association

The work of Kitaoji Rosanjin^[2] among others attests that at the time, in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area, chef made nigirizushi simply by imitating what they had seen and that the thick-rolled futomaki was the only kind of makizushi available. It was against this backdrop that Nakajima displayed the skills that he honed in Tokyo, the birthplace of Edo-mae sushi. Personally procuring and carefully selecting his ingredients at sources such as Kyoto Wholesale Food Market(Kyoto Cyūō Orosiuri Ichiba（京都中央卸売市場）) and Nishiki Market（錦市場）, he set about bringing real Edo-mae sushi to the Kansai region in its original form——not as an expensive delicacy but as a food for common people.^[3]Kyoto is defferent than Tokyo in terms of climate and　natural conditions, and given the transportation available at the time, it was impossible to recreate Edo-mae sushi with exactly the same ingredients. However, teaching his live-in trainees the fundamental techniques and educating others in the industry, Nakajima went on to create nigirizushi, thinly rolled hosomaki-zushi, and other offerings in Kyoto, making use of the advantages that the local ingredients offered.^[4]His shop was frequented by Asakusa stage performers he had got to know in his Tokyo years as they came to seek out Edo-mae sushi when they were staying in the Knsai region. He remained on close terms with Sakai Shunji（堺駿二） in particular, even after the war.
In 1920, the application system for business permits was simplified. Consequently, a "Bar and Restaurant Association" was formed for each police district, combining various types of establishments, with a section in each association for Japanese restaurants, sushi shops, noodle restaurants, cafés, and social establishments, among others.
The Kyoto Sushi Shop Association（京都鮓商組合） was formed in 1930, comprising sushi-shop sections from Bar and Restaurant Associations across Kyoto City. Nakajima joined its governing board in 1932 and became its president in 1942. He remained at the association's helm for the following 18 years, a turbulent and difficult period encompassing the war and post-war periods.
Sales of foodstuff came under government control during the war, and this control continued into the post-war period of food shortages. These shortages meant that 70 percent of businesses applying for licenses as sushi shop were reliant on black-market rice circulating at illegal prices. Consequently, Allied GHQ put the Food and Drink Sales Emergency Measures Ordinance(Potsdam Declaration) into effect in 1947, effectively putting bars and restaurants catering to general public out of business. In response, the more active members of the Tokyo Sushi Shop Association opened negotiations with GHQ, leading to the introduction of the "outsourced processing"(bartering)system for sushi（委託加工制度）. Under this system, customers could bring a measure of uncooked rice to a sushi shop and pay a small fee to exchange it for sushi.^[5] This accommodation allowed the sushi trade to somehow weather the storm. Nakajima was also involved in planning the system; making use of his connections in Tokyo, he stayed active on behalf of the business in Kyoto. Thanks to the approach that the industry took during these years, Japan's culture of sushi was saved from the existential threat that it was exposed to by the GHQ directives. The "outsourced processing"(bartering)system for sushi came into effect in Kyoto in January 1949, roughly two years after it had been introduced in Tokyo.
Working within these constraints, in the spring of 1950, the General Convention of the Kyoto Sushi Shop Association, at the suggestion of Nakajima, its president at the time, inaugurated the Kyoto Sushi Noren Association (京都寿司のれん会）[2]. The Kyoto Sushi Noren Association's purpose was to "protect our good name, improve quality, achieve the fruits of co-existence and co-prosperity, and deepen the ties of amity between our members."
Nakajima was appointed the first president of Noren Association, and he laid the foundation for the present industry, which has survived the rigors of the post-war years, The second president of the Noren Association, a sushi shop manager even thought he not a sushi chef, was Nakajima's eldest son Kiyoshi( 清,1921-2010), who supported the association in terms of both financing and management.
With the cooperation of Kyoto Takashimaya（髙島屋）, the Kyoto Sishi Noren Association subsequently organized a "Splendid Feast of Kyoto Tastes" exhibition （京の味ごちそう展）^[6]and in concert with the Kyoto Shimbun newspaper（京都新聞）^[7]also held a "Sushi Classroom" （すし教室）^[8]; both of these initiatives are still ongoing and the Kyoto Sushi Noren Association producing modern masterpieces in considerable quantity.
Further, from its inception in March 1951 right up to 1958, Nakajima acted as the president of the Kyoto Sushi Business Cooperative Association （京都府寿司事業協同組合）, which dealt with the circumstances facing the sushi industry, with an attitude of sincerity.
It was quite remarkable that Nakajima, who was a pure product of the traditional Edo culture 0f old Tokyo, was able to become a leader of the sushi industry in Kyoto, laying the foundation of its endeavors right up to this day and having such an impact on the historical milieu of the times, particularly considering that he had to cultivate his skills in the face of adversity from a young age.^[9]

Laying the foundation for the activities of the Kyoto Sushi Association

In 1958, Nakajima retired from his post as president of the Kyoto Sushi Business Cooperative Association（京都府寿司事業協同組合） but remained as a standing advisor to the body. While he sometimes offered support and advice and at other times voiced criticism, he garnered respect as a "heavyweight of the Kyoto sushi world".
In November 1962, Nakajima was appointed the first director of Kyoto Prefectural Sushi Environmental Hygiene Trade Association（京都府鮨環境衛生同業組合）(operation later transferred to the Kyoto Prefectural Sushi Environmental and Life Hygiene Trade Association（京都府寿司生活衛生同業組合), which was the first organization in the industry in Kyoto to offer financing, welfare programs, and sales promotions.
Having completely devoted himself to his tasks, adapted to the changing times, and watched over various associations' activities, Nakajima Seijirō passed away on April 16, 1972. He lies with preceding generations in Nakajima family graveyard at the Tennō-ji（護国山尊重院天王寺） Temple in Yanaka, located in Tokyo's Taitō Ward.
In recognition of his achievements during his lifetime, Nakajima was given a grand association funeral. On April 21, 1972, at the Shinkyōgoku Seigan-ji（誓願寺） Temple, his funeral rites were preformed with great magnificence; the presidents of sushi associations nationwide, the executive board of Sanchō Association（三長会）, concerned members of the government, supporter's groups, and representatives from client firms, along with other mourners, such as Tanaka Isaji, and associated Diet members were in attendance.^[10]^[11]

Notes

^ Kato Hidetoshi,P.148.records why nigirizushi became popular in the Kansai region.
^ [1] 握り寿司の名人(Nigirizusi no meijin) has description of the contemporary general practice of nigirizushi in Kansai region. However, because the evidence that most shops were akin to this is anecdotal, with the commentary on them in the vein of "I was born in Kyoto, so I know what I'm talking about, "it would appear that the records that the writers kept on sushi refer to the more expensive end of the market and that they could hardly have been expected to have gone to eat in the markets and shops among the common people. In addition, the source materials seem to be quite unacquainted with the process whereby the immediate post-war 'outsourced processing'(bartering)system for sushi helped to spread nigirizushi nationwide.
^ Nakajima Seijirō is given as an example in the Bulletin of the National Museum of Ethnology,Vol.18,No.4,p.628(note7).
^ Water from the well bhind the shop was used not just for the fish but also for the sushi rice and tea (for Kyoto's groundwater, see: http://committees.jsce.or.jp/engineers/w3, etc.).
^ A Preliminary Analysis of Shinoda's Sushi Questionnaire, P.36 and the Collaborative Reference Database http://crd.ndl.go.jp/reference/modules/d3ndlcrdentry/index.php?page=ref_view&id=1000051536 Content drawing on materials provided by Kyoto Institute, Library and Archives.
^ Held every year in late February
^ Carried in Sushi-ya meguri （すしやめぐり） as a regular advertisement covering matters such as the activities, events, and shops involved.
^ Held every year in March; participants are recruited through newspaper notices.
^ Over time, major chains selling sushi at low prices(such as conveyor-belt or kaiten-zushi （回転寿司） stores)　became common in Kyoto and elsewhere. Edo-mae sushi as served in Kyoto did not consist of traditional dishes(regional cuisine) such as mackerel sushi （鯖寿司）; offering his fare as "Edo-mae," Nakajima catered to his clientele at low prices while serving the genuine article. Ultimately, however, Nakajima's store bowed to the trend of the times and closed its doors in 1989 as Japan's Shōwa （昭和） era ended and the Hisei （平成） period began.
^ A memorial address given by colleague thanked him by stating that "In those nightmarish years of the war, Nakajima's passionate enthusiasm hovered before us like a fiery spirit in the darkness, guiding us onward and protecting us in our business" (Kyoto Ryōin Shimbun（京都料飲新聞） No.618, May 10, 1972).
^ According to newspaper coverage of funeral, "The efforts and achievements that Nakajima made during the difficult years of the war and post-war periods in gaining official approval for the 'outsourced processing'(bartering) system for sushi are highly appreciated not only by his colleagues in the industry but also by people across the whole country"(Nippon Ryōin Shakō Rengō Shimbun（日本料飲社交連合新聞） the fifth week edition, April 1972; Aichi Sushishō Shimbun（愛知すし商新聞） May 1972 edition). The address goes on to state that "His work and achievements in popularizing Edo-mae in Kansai region, educating his trainees and guiding those around him, are immense"(Tokyo Sushishō Shimbun（東京すし商新聞） May 1972 edition).

References

The Kyoto Shimbun [3]　京都新聞　[4]　(see reference notes 9 and 10)
Kyoto Sushi Noren Association (京都寿司のれん会) 50th edition, May 1972
[PDF] "A Preliminary Analysis of Shiｎoda's Sushi Questionnaire,"　 p.36 (notes 7 and 8)
Kubo Masatoshi et al., Bulletin of National Museum of Ethnology [5], Vol.18, No.4
Katō Hidetoshi.(1977). Meiji taishō shōwa washoku seikatu sesō shi: Shibata Shoten
Shinoda Osamu.(1966）. Sushi no hon: Shibata Shoten; (2002). Iwanami Gendai Bunko
Yoshino Masuo. (1990). Sushi, sushi, sushi: sushi no jiten: Asahiya Shuppan

External Links

京都寿司のれん会　Kyoto Sushi Noren Association
錦市場　　 Nishiki Market
全国すし商生活衛生同業組合連合会（全国すし連）　 All-Japan Federation of Sushi Dealers' Life Hygiene Associations (All-Japan Federation of sushi shops)

[1] Kato Hidetoshi,P.148.records why nigirizushi became popular in the Kansai region.

[2] [1] 握り寿司の名人(Nigirizusi no meijin) has description of the contemporary general practice of nigirizushi in Kansai region. However, because the evidence that most shops were akin to this is anecdotal, with the commentary on them in the vein of "I was born in Kyoto, so I know what I'm talking about, "it would appear that the records that the writers kept on sushi refer to the more expensive end of the market and that they could hardly have been expected to have gone to eat in the markets and shops among the common people. In addition, the source materials seem to be quite unacquainted with the process whereby the immediate post-war 'outsourced processing'(bartering)system for sushi helped to spread nigirizushi nationwide.

[3] Nakajima Seijirō is given as an example in the Bulletin of the National Museum of Ethnology,Vol.18,No.4,p.628(note7).

[4] Water from the well bhind the shop was used not just for the fish but also for the sushi rice and tea (for Kyoto's groundwater, see: http://committees.jsce.or.jp/engineers/w3, etc.).

[5] A Preliminary Analysis of Shinoda's Sushi Questionnaire, P.36 and the Collaborative Reference Database http://crd.ndl.go.jp/reference/modules/d3ndlcrdentry/index.php?page=ref_view&id=1000051536 Content drawing on materials provided by Kyoto Institute, Library and Archives.

[6] Held every year in late February

[7] Carried in Sushi-ya meguri （すしやめぐり） as a regular advertisement covering matters such as the activities, events, and shops involved.

[8] Held every year in March; participants are recruited through newspaper notices.

[9] Over time, major chains selling sushi at low prices(such as conveyor-belt or kaiten-zushi （回転寿司） stores)　became common in Kyoto and elsewhere. Edo-mae sushi as served in Kyoto did not consist of traditional dishes(regional cuisine) such as mackerel sushi （鯖寿司）; offering his fare as "Edo-mae," Nakajima catered to his clientele at low prices while serving the genuine article. Ultimately, however, Nakajima's store bowed to the trend of the times and closed its doors in 1989 as Japan's Shōwa （昭和） era ended and the Hisei （平成） period began.

[10] A memorial address given by colleague thanked him by stating that "In those nightmarish years of the war, Nakajima's passionate enthusiasm hovered before us like a fiery spirit in the darkness, guiding us onward and protecting us in our business" (Kyoto Ryōin Shimbun（京都料飲新聞） No.618, May 10, 1972).

[11] According to newspaper coverage of funeral, "The efforts and achievements that Nakajima made during the difficult years of the war and post-war periods in gaining official approval for the 'outsourced processing'(bartering) system for sushi are highly appreciated not only by his colleagues in the industry but also by people across the whole country"(Nippon Ryōin Shakō Rengō Shimbun（日本料飲社交連合新聞） the fifth week edition, April 1972; Aichi Sushishō Shimbun（愛知すし商新聞） May 1972 edition). The address goes on to state that "His work and achievements in popularizing Edo-mae in Kansai region, educating his trainees and guiding those around him, are immense"(Tokyo Sushishō Shimbun（東京すし商新聞） May 1972 edition).

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