Sushi Display Photograph, 1991

The photograph shows a display of sushi products prepared for sale in American supermarkets by the Advanced Fresh Concepts Corporation based in California. Four of the boxes show a combination of nigiri and maki sushi; the others contain assortments of California rolls and other sliced roll-style sushi. The sushi packages are made of a black plastic base with a clear plastic top. With a standardized cooking procedure and a systematic training program, AFC’s pre-packed sushi products are to be identical in quality regardless of its location.

The concept of pre-packaged sushi in America was introduced by Ryuji Ishii in 1986. His mission was to introduce fresh packaged sushi to supermarkets in America and make it readily accessible to consumers, the same way that it had always been available to him at supermarkets in Japan. The California roll was a safe introductory sushi type that catered toward American taste as it didn’t contain raw fish.

Currently not on view