This is the Aomori branch of a famous sushi chain. It's my first time coming in. It's quite crowded, maybe because they've started selling half-fried naruto. They have about 20 different hand-rolled sushi options, as well as mackerel stick sushi and battera. They also offer customizable sushi and seafood bowls for takeout. Wow, they have a wide variety of menu items. I came to buy the half-fried naruto, but since I'm here, I might as well get some hand-rolled sushi. There are so many options, it's hard to choose. Huh? What's Sabarian? I quickly looked it up and found out it's a limited menu item only available in Abashiri. It's mackerel mixed with green onions and mayo. I have to try that. And also tuna natto. I'll try that at home. Hmm, this tastes just like mackerel with green onions and mayo (laughs). It's basically that, but the seaweed is nice and crispy, and it's delicious. The combination of naruto and sushi seems to be a success for this restaurant.

Nostalgic Kozosushi is now in Abashiri! Ordered half-body tempura, battera, and a custom order. Along with a lemon sour, it was tastier than eating out. Thank you for the meal.

I happened to pass by and decided to go in. I felt bad making them prepare a small amount, so I bought one hand-rolled sushi that was wrapped in film and lined up. It was mackerel sushi, but the taste was good. I think this is a convenient shop for getting a larger quantity of sushi made for sharing with multiple people.

My 131-year-old mother caught a cold!! It made me realize once again, "Oh, she's human after all." She said, "She has a fever, take her to the hospital!" So I searched for an animal hospital, but she said, "It's a human hospital!" When I took her to the hospital, the doctor said, "It's just a fever, so we don't know if it's the flu, but I'll give you flu medicine just in case." Is it okay to give medicine without knowing for sure? Well, this doctor is probably doing it for my sake, right? However, it's not like some medicine can fix everything♪ When I asked, "Is there anything you want to eat?" pretending to be kind, she said, "I want umeshiso maki and kappamaki." Ume shiso? That's not something you can find just anywhere♪ I thought about going to the usual sushi restaurant, but I didn't know if they had it, and besides, one good turn deserves another (sweat) "I know, there's Kozosushi, right?" I'll make a phone call, I'll add natto maki, too, because just two is a bit lonely. I stopped by on my way back from work, ordered an inari and futomaki set, and handed over 2,000 yen at the register. "That'll be 770 yen," they said. "It's cheap!!" I was thrilled by how inexpensive it was. My mother was delighted, of course, but she said, "I don't need the natto maki," so I ended up having the inari, futomaki, and natto maki for myself. I won't eat kappa no matter what!! The natto maki is quite well-rolled, isn't it? The taste is average, not too vinegary. The futomaki has unnecessary ingredients, so it's awkward to eat with chopsticks, but let's remove the unnecessary ones and crush them. The taste is light, right? The inari is also lightly flavored! There's sesame mixed in with the vinegar rice, so be careful if you have dentures like Marbo-chan. I don't dislike this inari. My mother said, "It's delicious," but did she really enjoy it, or was she just being considerate to her son? Is she really taste-blind? It's probably one of those, right♪

I came to Kozou Sushi in Abashiri City for the first time and I'm feeling a bit nervous. Inside the restaurant, there are hand-rolled sushi lined up with various types, which makes me happy. I'm having lunch by the riverside in Abashiri. - Udon 180 yen: It has tempura crumbs and bonito flakes. It already has a spicy seasoning, which is perfect for me who likes spicy food. - Custom nigiri sushi: You can order one piece at a time and have it freshly made. - Sea urchin 240 yen: Smells like disinfectant, not good. - Crab 100 yen: Surprisingly tasty, and the price is cheap. - Salmon 70 yen: Surprisingly good. - Tuna 70 yen: Average. - Hand-rolled sushi 120 yen: - Tuna, cod roe, tuna with natto, salmon with lettuce. Except for salmon with lettuce, the other hand-rolled sushi are just average. However, being able to easily eat hand-rolled sushi is a good choice for fast food. Overall, if you're going to eat hand-rolled sushi easily, I wish they would sell soy sauce already dipped in, even if it's lightly flavored. It's a hassle to dip soy sauce while eating.

On a small trip to Abashiri in September 2022, after leaving Sushi Yasu, we wondered where to go for a second round. We found a place called Kozosushi, which brought back nostalgic memories. It was surprising to see it still alive and well in Abashiri. We decided to buy some sushi to eat at the hotel. My partner suggested trying the "Battera" sushi, so today became our "Battera Anniversary." We also decided to try some Zangi. However, the Battera sushi had a strong fishy smell that I didn't enjoy, even though I usually like mackerel. My partner didn't mind it, though. Since we weren't very hungry, we ended up leaving some of the sushi and had it for breakfast the next day. It was nice to have Kozosushi again after a long time. I also remembered the old "Robo-chan sushi" they used to have. Thank you for the meal.

Visit I visited the Michi-no-Eki (roadside station) in Abashiri while touring the Okhotsk region. I didn't have any particular food in mind, so I was just looking for an open restaurant to stroll around. However, it was hard to find open places, and when I did, they were either full or already closed. At that point, I thought about getting a convenience store bento, but then I stumbled upon "Kozou Sushi"! I decided to have dinner here! The restaurant had a bright and clean interior. I used to frequent their location in Sumikawa many years ago, but everything had changed since then, and it all felt very fresh! I opted for a light choice since I was considering getting a convenience store bento: "Nagisa 8 pieces" (530 yen) and "Hand-rolled sushi (squid natto)" (140 yen). I took them back to my hotel to enjoy. When I opened the food, I was pleasantly surprised! The ingredients were fresh, the sushi was perfectly made, and the balance of vinegar, rice, and toppings was spot on! It was very delicious! In the past, I had the impression that their sushi was more for kids, but this time it was really good sushi! The hand-rolled sushi had a nice aroma of seaweed and was crispy and freshly rolled. It was delicious! There are only six locations in Hokkaido and one in Sapporo, so I'll have to visit them next time! Thank you, "Abashiri branch"!

In March 2022, I was feeling down after a dear friend, who I used to visit frequently, passed away from cancer just 4 months after being diagnosed. However, I realized that it was important to move forward and appreciate the fact that I am still alive. So, in an effort to share some positive news amidst all the darkness in the world, I decided to write a review titled "Complete Review of the 6 "Kozosushi" Restaurants in Hokkaido!" Currently, "Kozosushi" has been ranked on the Red List of the National Food Service Industry Association as a critically endangered species (CR), indicating a high risk of extinction in the near future. Amidst conflicting information about this, the chairman of the "Kozosushi Preservation Society," Mr. Satochino, urged me to visit all 6 Kozosushi restaurants in Hokkaido to save them from extinction. So, I made a sudden visit from Obihiro to accomplish this task. Kozosushi is known for popularizing "battera" and "ebimayo" in Hokkaido, with a significant presence in the 1970s. I remember being amazed when I first tried the ebimayo roll in Otaru. However, over the years, Kozosushi disappeared from Otaru and now only has 6 remaining stores in Hokkaido: Ebetsu, Chitose, Sapporo, Hakodate (2 stores), and Abashiri. The Abashiri store I visited also serves a unique dish called "naruto" half-fried, which seems to have its own distinct style, despite being a franchise. Not particularly interested in "naruto," I quickly bought a variety of hand rolls and a California roll and moved on to the next store. The items I bought and ate on the same day and the next morning were as follows: - Sabarian (130 yen) - Ebimayo (130 yen) - Spicy kikurage mushrooms (130 yen) - Squid with natto (130 yen) - California roll (250 yen) Each Kozosushi store offers limited edition items, and in Abashiri, it was the Sabarian. It consisted of cured mackerel, green onions, and mayonnaise, which was an unexpected yet delicious combination. The Ebimayo was consistently tasty, and the squid with natto had the expected flavor. Surprisingly, the spicy kikurage mushrooms stood out, resembling kombu tsukudani with added chili oil for a good balance of sweetness and spiciness. The California roll, priced at 250 yen, was a classic combination of avocado, imitation crab, cucumber, salmon, and egg seasoned with mayonnaise and sesame seeds. Overall, each Kozosushi store puts effort into creating unique dishes rooted in the local community, so I encourage everyone, especially those who have enjoyed Kozosushi in the past, to revisit and appreciate what they have to offer. As for me, after completing the challenge of visiting all 6 Kozosushi stores in Hokkaido following the conquest of 49 Yamakoya stores, I wonder which store I will conquer next. Perhaps, the curry restaurant "Indian" is a possibility... (laughs)

The central downtown area of Abashiri. It's a slightly lonely arcade street. I was looking for "Naruto" zangi, but I also bought hand-rolled sushi, so let's write about it here. "Kozou Sushi Abashiri Branch" is the only one left in the Okhotsk region. I remember the first time I ate the "Sea Chicken Mayo" here, it was shockingly delicious. After that, I got hooked on the "Shrimp Mayo" too, and for a while, they were my top two hand rolls. Salmon lettuce roll for 130 yen. Negitoro roll for 150 yen. The seaweed is nice and crispy. It's been a while since I had them, but they are simply delicious. I didn't buy the "Sea Chicken" or "Shrimp Mayo" this time because... I've grown up. (/≧▽≦)/