【Special Interview】 “Where there be aspiration, there be action” – Yukitaka Yamaguchi, and the Spirit of Specialty Tuna Merchant Yamayuki

October 6th, 2018; Tokyo’s storied Tsukiji Fish Market was retired, its operations moved to the new Toyosu facility.

The new Toyosu Market, while perhaps lacking in the rustic charms of its predecessor, is a 21st century behemoth boasting world-class seafood-trade volume including that of Tsukiji’s trademark, the diamond of the seas, Bluefin Tuna. Of the esteemed vendors merchandising this prized fish, Yukitaka Yamaguchi’s Yamayuki stands out as the darling of Japan’s greatest sushi masters; so popular are his selections that nowadays, even established chefs find it difficult to procure from this legendary dealer.

The history of Yamayuki, whose specialty tuna is critical to giants of sushi, the likes of Satake and Tokami, began in 1983; Mr. Yamaguchi’s father, a veteran tuna merchant himself, was taken with the young Yukitaka’s passion in following in his footsteps and decided to open a family vendor. However, unlike today, the Yamayuki back then specialized in frozen tuna, as was the norm of the era; Yukitaka, still learning and eager to find new opportunities, was the rebellious spirit, intent on, contrary to popular wisdom, marketing raw tuna. The bravery in heading new waves paid off; Yamayuki rode a surge in demand for raw tuna inventory, driven by a change in haute-sushi trends, to stardom. Of course, opportunism is not the only factor in Yamayuki’s current-day success; rather, the true and hidden toil can be said to be Mr. Yamaguchi’s passion and pure love of his chosen merchandise, Bluefin Tuna.

Today’s legend professes himself to be still in the midst of his journey, displaying his skills and knowledge freely in his efforts to learn still more; TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON YAMAYUKI, CLICK HERE

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