top of page
Human Sushi in Asahikawa
Production year: 2013-
Format: Installation
Size: Sushi (including ingredients) ... W2000 x H100 x D1800 Sushi clogs ... W3000 × H450 × D2000 (mm)
Material: Cloth, cotton, urethane foam, polyerylene sheet
During a one-month stay at the Artist-in-Residence Asahikawa, the artists created rice cushions, part of "Ningen Nori Maki", in a workshop format with Asahikawa residents and gave a final presentation and performance while parading through Heiwadori Shopping Park in Asahikawa, the first permanent pedestrian mall in Japan that stretches about 1km.
Organized by: Artist in Residence Asahikawa
supported by: Asahikawa City, Asahikawa City Board of Education
special thanks: Machinaka Bunka Hut, Ichinichi-Ju-Asahi Cafe Sunao, Asahikawa City
Workshop (May 1 - May 13)
Workshops were held at "Ichiju Asagohan Cafe Sunao" in Asahikawa City's Ginza-dori shopping street and "Machinaka Bunka Hut" in Kaimono Park (one day of which was co-hosted with Cha Cha Cha World), for a total of 7 days. During the 7-day workshop, workshop participants drew shapes and laid out nearly 400 rice cushions filled with cotton to complete Asahikawa's version of "Human Sushi".
In addition to the already existing ingredients (tuna, egg, salmon, and cucumber), this work also included the creation of ingredients from the places visited, and in Asahikawa, they chose to use Gyoja garlic. Gyoja garlic is a wild vegetable harvested in early spring in Hokkaido. I often see it on restaurant menus and in stores during this season, and I have had the pleasure of eating it in various ways, such as marinated in soy sauce and on Genghis Khan, and I have even tried marinating it in soy sauce myself.
Let's get wrapped up in "Human Sushi"! 〜 in Asahikawa, Japan!
On the day of the presentation on May 14 (Sat.), we started from Asahikawa Station (Miyashita) a little after 11:00 a.m., and held "Makasaru party" in front of Marukatsu (street 2), OKUNO (street 3), Food Terrace (street 5), and Machinaka Bunka Hut (street 7). In a little over two hours, 31 people completed 24 rolls (including me) of human Nori-maki."Makasaru" is a Hokkaido word that has a mixed meaning of passive and active. Through the experience of being rolled by various people in Asahikawa from the time of making rice to the final presentation, we were able to make the final presentation.
Photographed by Hiroki Azuma and Yukiya Meguro
Photographed by Hiroki Azuma and Yukiya Meguro
bottom of page