LIFE & CULTURE

ROBOTS CARRYSUSHIARTISANSHIPTO THE FUTURE

Compact robotic machines roll out rice balls in quick succession, made to perfection as if by the hands of skilledsushi chefs. These sushi robots have taken Japan’s unrivaled sushi and rice culture onto the world stage.
Japan’s reputation as a cultureof cuisine and of exquisite foods
has been on the rise around theglobe. Numerous Japanese dishes
and foods are now becoming
more popular in many parts of theworld, especially in Europe andAmerica, where people are moreconcerned about their health,Sushi is a food seen in all corners of the world, and has been
adapted to local tastes. The California Roll, dreamed up inAmerica, is now a hugely popular type of sushi in Japan.

as well as in the rapidly growing
economies of Asia and elsewhere.
As a result of this growing
popularity, Japan’s exports ofagricultural, forestry, and fisheryproducts and food have been
increasing year by year. Wherever
people go in the world today,
they can find a restaurant serving

sushi—a food synonymous withJapan. Behind sushi’s meteoric
rise to fame are the not-so-wellknown stars of the show, therobots.
Made as if by the hand of askilled sushi chef, balls of rice
pop out from a small machine inquick succession. In fact, up toSuzumo Machinery’s robots can produce perfect sushi rolls in an instant, a tricky task (right). Becoming more popular
in recent years, such rice-serving machines also dish out rice in pre-measured quantities, helping to save on food.

4,800 of these beautifully shaped
parcels of rice can be rolled out
in an hour. With the creationof a revolutionary sushi robot,
anybody can enjoy high-quality,
mouthwatering sushi at anaffordable price without the needfor a trained sushi chef. Indeed,
Suzumo Machinery Co., Ltd., amanufacturer of food-processing
machines based in Tokyo, hasdeveloped just such robots, which
are already being used in morethan 80 countries worldwide.
There was a time even in Japan
when sushi was regarded as an
expensive and extravagant food.
Having seen the demand for ricedecreasing almost half century
ago, Suzumo Machinery believedthat the popularization of sushi“I want to convey the fantastic flavors of Japan to theworld,” enthuses SUZUKI Minako, president of Suzumo
Machinery. She continues to explore new possibilities ofmore diverse ways to enjoy rice, with pride and passion forJapanese food culture.

would be the key to passing on
the joy of rice, a staple at the very
heart of Japan’s food culture.
Over the course of five years, thecompany set out to develop arobot that could automatically
produce little parcels of sushi rice,
eventually launching the world’svery first sushi robot in 1981.
Suzumo Machinery wantedto create sushi in the exact
same way as trained sushi chefs
would do in any high-end sushi
restaurant. After much trial anderror following advice from sushi
chefs, the company succeededin producing the perfect little
parcel of sushi rice, which does
not crumble when held in thehand, but still softly melts on thetongue. “While I want people
to know what sushi really isand how good it tastes,” says
President SUZUKI Minako of
Suzumo Machinery, “I also enjoy
seeing sushi being adapted andamalgamated into local cuisines
across the world.” To keep up withsuch localized demands, as well asworking to improve the safety andoperability of their machines, thecompany set out to develop newproducts specifically for overseas
markets where local tastes dictate
a preference for variations in thesize and firmness of the rice parcel.
Takeout sushi has become
more of a regular feature insupermarkets around the worldin recent years. As a consequence,

Suzumo Machinery’s automatic sushi machine. It is widely
used—not just in sushi restaurants, but also in many typesof restaurants and supermarkets—due to its ability topreselect the size and firmness of rice balls for local tastes.

Suzumo Machinery has been
taking more orders for its
machines. Indeed, it is just thesetypes of robots that make sushi
such a ubiquitous culinary delight.
“We are not just a manufacturerof machines, but have a mission
to pass on our culture of food—something that is very close to us
all—through the work we do inresearch and development in theculinary field,” she explains.
The Japanese government isalso striving to further boost
exports of agriculture, forestry,and fishery products and foods,
and as a result, Japanese cuisine
will become an even more integral
part of people’s lives around theworld. As a proponent of Japanese
food, Suzumo Machinery and its
robots are paving the way for theprosperous future of rice, albeit
from behind the scenes.