Sushi Kazuya

Fukuoka native Kazuya Tanaka began his sushi apprenticeship at just 15 — an age considered young even in the world of sushi. So it’s no surprise that after more than a decade under the venerable Yamaka, despite being only 28 years old, he opened his namesake venue in the same town he grew up in to deliver a deeply personal and refined take on traditional sushi. Idyllically set in a quiet residential area of Fukuoka, Kazuya pulls out all the stops, offering countless ways to experience omakase through his ever-evolving menu. He often lets the fish take center stage — a natural choice given his close ties with small-scale farmers and fishmongers in Fukuoka’s bustling markets. The meal often begins with appetizers that highlight the seasonal catch, followed by a carefully calibrated progression of nigiri. The nigiri typically starts with lighter-bodied fish and progresses to more robust, silver-skinned ocean dwellers and shellfish. One item that has received constant praise and has now become a mainstay is the conger eel, sourced from Kanezaki Fishing Port. His sushi rice, or sashi, is made with grains harvested in Niigata Prefecture, cooked to perfect plumpness and mixed with both white and red rice vinegar. Sitting at the counter, diners get a good look at the store’s tranquil Japanese garden and, more importantly, a microscopic view of Kazuya’s masterful knifework. He scores a single deep incision on mackerel, slices through fatty tuna and makes even more intricate cuts for squid. The result is a sushi experience with varying textures, each piece melting in a different way on the tongue, yet all spectacularly melodic. Now a favorite spot in Fukuoka — and notoriously difficult to book — Kazuya’s success led him to open a sister restaurant, Hajime, in 2022, dedicated to his signature move: the conger eel.