{"id":1843,"date":"2026-08-28T21:04:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T12:04:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T21:04:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T12:04:45","slug":"edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn&#8217;t About Freshness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<style>\n.tsa{--ink:#1c1a17;--muted:#6f685c;--gold:#c4a44c;--gold-deep:#59502a;--cream:#faf8f3;--sand:#f3eee3;--line:#e7e0d1;\n--serif:var(--swl-font_family,\"Noto Serif JP\",Georgia,serif);--sans:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,\"Helvetica Neue\",\"Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN\",Meiryo,sans-serif;\nfont-family:var(--serif);color:var(--ink);line-height:1.95;font-size:16.5px}\n.tsa *{box-sizing:border-box}\n#main_content .p-toc,#main_content .swell-toc-placeholder{display:none!important}\n.tsa img{max-width:100%;height:auto}\n.tsa p{margin:0 0 1.4em}\n.tsa a{color:var(--gold-deep)}\n.tsa h2{font-family:var(--serif);font-weight:600;font-size:clamp(23px,3.2vw,30px);line-height:1.35;margin:2.6em 0 .9em;padding-bottom:.45em;border-bottom:2px solid var(--gold)}\n.tsa h3{font-family:var(--serif);font-weight:600;font-size:clamp(18px,2.4vw,21px);margin:2em 0 .7em}\n.tsa .lead{font-size:clamp(17px,2.2vw,19px);color:#2b2822}\n.tsa-meta{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:6px 24px;font-family:var(--sans);font-size:12.5px;color:var(--muted);letter-spacing:.03em;margin:0 0 22px;padding:12px 0;border-top:1px solid var(--line);border-bottom:1px solid var(--line)}\n.tsa-meta b{color:var(--ink);font-weight:600}\n.tsa-hero{margin:0 0 26px}\n.tsa-hero img{width:100%;aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover;border-radius:4px}\n\n.tsa-learn{background:var(--cream);border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:6px;padding:22px 26px;margin:28px 0}\n.tsa-learn .t{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.18em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--gold-deep);margin:0 0 12px}\n.tsa-learn ul{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}\n.tsa-learn li{position:relative;padding:6px 0 6px 30px;font-size:15.5px}\n.tsa-learn li::before{content:\"\";position:absolute;left:2px;top:14px;width:14px;height:8px;border-left:2px solid var(--gold);border-bottom:2px solid var(--gold);transform:rotate(-45deg)}\n\n.tsa-toc{border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:8px;background:#fff;margin:30px 0 38px;overflow:hidden}\n.tsa-toc summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;padding:18px 24px;font-family:var(--sans);font-weight:700;font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--ink);background:var(--cream)}\n.tsa-toc summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}\n.tsa-toc summary::after{content:\"+\";font-size:20px;font-weight:300;color:var(--gold-deep);transition:transform .25s}\n.tsa-toc details[open] summary::after,.tsa-toc[open] summary::after{transform:rotate(45deg)}\n.tsa-toc ol{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:10px 24px 18px;counter-reset:toc}\n.tsa-toc li{counter-increment:toc;border-bottom:1px solid var(--line)}\n.tsa-toc li:last-child{border-bottom:0}\n.tsa-toc a{display:flex;gap:16px;align-items:baseline;padding:11px 2px;font-family:var(--sans);font-size:14.5px;color:var(--ink);text-decoration:none;transition:color .2s}\n.tsa-toc a:hover{color:var(--gold-deep)}\n.tsa-toc a::before{content:counter(toc,decimal-leading-zero);font-family:var(--serif);font-size:13px;color:var(--gold);font-weight:600;min-width:22px}\n\n.tsa table{width:100%;min-width:30em;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14.5px;margin:14px 0 22px;font-family:var(--sans)}\n.tsa th,.tsa td{text-align:left;padding:12px 14px;border-bottom:1px solid var(--line)}\n.tsa th{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;color:var(--muted);background:var(--cream);letter-spacing:.04em;white-space:nowrap}\n.tsa td.n,.tsa th.n{text-align:right;font-variant-numeric:tabular-nums;white-space:nowrap}\n.tsa .tblwrap{overflow-x:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\n\n.tsa-flow{list-style:none;margin:18px 0 26px;padding:0;font-family:var(--sans)}\n.tsa-flow li{position:relative;padding:0 0 22px 34px;font-size:15px}\n.tsa-flow li::before{content:\"\";position:absolute;left:8px;top:8px;width:8px;height:8px;border-radius:50%;background:var(--gold)}\n.tsa-flow li::after{content:\"\";position:absolute;left:11px;top:20px;bottom:-2px;width:2px;background:var(--line)}\n.tsa-flow li:last-child::after{display:none}\n.tsa-flow b{display:block;font-family:var(--serif);font-size:16.5px;margin-bottom:2px}\n.tsa-flow span{color:var(--muted);font-size:14px}\n\n.tsa-dd{display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;gap:16px;margin:18px 0 26px}\n.tsa-dd .col{border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:6px;padding:18px 20px;background:#fff}\n.tsa-dd .col h4{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:12px;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0 0 12px;font-weight:700}\n.tsa-dd .ok h4{color:#3f7d52}\n.tsa-dd .ng h4{color:#8a3b3b}\n.tsa-dd ul{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}\n.tsa-dd li{padding:6px 0;font-size:14.5px;border-bottom:1px solid var(--line)}\n.tsa-dd li:last-child{border-bottom:0}\n\n.tsa-answer{background:var(--sand);border-radius:8px;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0}\n.tsa-answer .k{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.18em;color:var(--gold-deep);font-weight:700;margin:0 0 8px}\n.tsa-answer p:last-child{margin:0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.9}\n.tsa-point{border-left:3px solid var(--gold);background:var(--cream);padding:16px 20px;border-radius:0 6px 6px 0;margin:20px 0;font-size:15px}\n.tsa-point b{color:var(--gold-deep)}\n\n.tsa-faq{margin:16px 0 8px}\n.tsa-faq details{border-bottom:1px solid var(--line)}\n.tsa-faq summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:18px 40px 18px 0;position:relative;font-family:var(--serif);font-size:17px;font-weight:600;line-height:1.5}\n.tsa-faq summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}\n.tsa-faq summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:4px;top:16px;font-family:var(--sans);font-size:22px;font-weight:300;color:var(--gold-deep);transition:transform .25s}\n.tsa-faq details[open] summary::after{transform:rotate(45deg)}\n.tsa-faq .a{padding:0 0 20px;color:#3a352d}\n\n.tsa-chef{display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:center;border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:8px;padding:20px 22px;background:var(--cream);margin:36px 0}\n.tsa-chef img{width:84px;height:84px;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;flex:none}\n.tsa-chef .k{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--gold-deep);font-weight:700;margin-bottom:4px}\n.tsa-chef b{font-family:var(--serif);font-size:17px;display:block;margin-bottom:4px}\n.tsa-chef p{margin:0;font-size:13.5px;color:var(--muted);line-height:1.7}\n\n.tsa-cta{background:#1c1a17;border-radius:8px;padding:34px 30px;text-align:center;color:#fff;margin:40px 0}\n.tsa-cta .k{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.2em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#e5cf94;margin-bottom:10px}\n.tsa-cta h3{color:#fff;font-size:clamp(20px,3vw,26px);margin:0 0 10px}\n.tsa-cta p{color:#d9d2c4;font-size:15px;margin:0 0 22px}\n.tsa-cta a.btn{display:inline-block;font-family:var(--sans);font-size:14px;padding:14px 30px;border-radius:2px;background:var(--gold);color:#1c1a17;text-decoration:none;border:1px solid var(--gold);transition:background .25s}\n.tsa-cta a.btn:hover{background:#b0902f}\n.tsa-cta a.sub{display:inline-block;margin-left:14px;font-family:var(--sans);font-size:14px;padding:14px 26px;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.6);border-radius:2px;color:#fff;text-decoration:none}\n\n.tsa-rel{border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:8px;padding:20px 24px;margin:30px 0;background:#fff}\n.tsa-rel .t{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--gold-deep);margin-bottom:10px}\n.tsa-rel ul{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}\n.tsa-rel li{border-bottom:1px solid var(--line)}\n.tsa-rel li:last-child{border-bottom:0}\n.tsa-rel a{display:block;padding:11px 0;font-size:15px;text-decoration:none;color:var(--ink)}\n.tsa-rel a:hover{color:var(--gold-deep)}\n\n@media(max-width:600px){\n .tsa-dd{grid-template-columns:1fr}\n .tsa-cta a.sub{margin-left:0;margin-top:10px}\n}\n\nhtml{scroll-behavior:smooth}\n.tsa-layout{display:block}\n.tsa h2,.tsa h3{scroll-margin-top:90px}\n.tsa-toc-cb{position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px;opacity:0;pointer-events:none}\n.tsa-toc-box{border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:8px;background:#fff;padding:20px 22px;margin:26px 0}\n.tsa-toc-ttl{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.18em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--gold-deep);margin:0 0 12px;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:9px}\n.tsa-toc-ttl::before{content:\"\";width:16px;height:2px;background:var(--gold);display:inline-block}\n.tsa-toc-box ol{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0;counter-reset:toc}\n.tsa-toc-box li{counter-increment:toc;border-bottom:1px solid var(--line)}\n.tsa-toc-box li:last-child{border-bottom:0}\n.tsa-toc-box a{display:flex;gap:12px;align-items:baseline;padding:10px 2px;font-family:var(--sans);font-size:13.5px;line-height:1.5;color:var(--ink);text-decoration:none;transition:color .2s}\n.tsa-toc-box a:hover{color:var(--gold-deep)}\n.tsa-toc-box a::before{content:counter(toc,decimal-leading-zero);font-family:var(--serif);font-size:12px;color:var(--gold);font-weight:600;min-width:20px}\n.tsa-toc-fab,.tsa-toc-backdrop,.tsa-toc-close{display:none}\n@media (min-width:1000px){\n  .tsa-layout{display:grid;grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) 250px;gap:52px;align-items:start}\n  .tsa-side{align-self:stretch}\n  .tsa-toc-box{position:sticky;top:96px;margin:0;max-height:calc(100vh - 130px);overflow-y:auto}\n}\n@media (max-width:999px){\n  .tsa-toc-box{position:fixed;left:0;right:0;bottom:0;z-index:70;margin:0;border-radius:16px 16px 0 0;max-height:70vh;overflow-y:auto;transform:translateY(101%);transition:transform .28s ease;box-shadow:0 -14px 40px -18px rgba(0,0,0,.4);padding:20px 22px 92px}\n  .tsa-toc-cb:checked ~ .tsa-side .tsa-toc-box{transform:translateY(0)}\n  .tsa-toc-backdrop{display:block;position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(20,16,12,.42);z-index:69;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .28s ease}\n  .tsa-toc-cb:checked ~ .tsa-toc-backdrop{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\n  .tsa-toc-fab{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;position:fixed;right:14px;bottom:88px;z-index:68;background:#59502a;color:#fff;font-family:var(--sans);font-size:13px;letter-spacing:.06em;padding:12px 18px;border-radius:40px;box-shadow:0 10px 26px -8px rgba(40,32,10,.55);cursor:pointer}\n  .tsa-toc-fab::before{content:\"\";width:15px;height:10px;display:inline-block;background:linear-gradient(#e5cf94 0 2px,transparent 2px 4px,#e5cf94 4px 6px,transparent 6px 8px,#e5cf94 8px 10px)}\n  .tsa-toc-cb:checked ~ .tsa-side .tsa-toc-fab{display:none}\n  .tsa-toc-close{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;position:sticky;top:0;background:#fff;padding-bottom:8px;margin-bottom:4px}\n  .tsa-toc-close .x{font-family:var(--sans);font-size:24px;font-weight:300;color:var(--muted);cursor:pointer;line-height:1;padding:0 4px}\n}\n\n\n@media (max-width:999px){\nhtml body #body_wrap{overflow-x:hidden}\nhtml body #main_content article,html body #main_content>div>div>div{margin-left:0!important;padding-left:0!important}\nhtml body #main_content,html body .l-mainContent__inner,html body .post_content{max-width:100%!important;overflow-x:hidden}\n.tsa,.tsa-main,.tsa-layout{max-width:100%;min-width:0;overflow-wrap:break-word}\n.tsa{padding-bottom:72px}\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"tsa\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Article\">\n<meta itemprop=\"inLanguage\" content=\"en\">\n<meta itemprop=\"headline\" content=\"The Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn&#x27;t About Freshness\">\n<meta itemprop=\"datePublished\" content=\"2026-08-28\">\n<meta itemprop=\"dateModified\" content=\"2026-08-28\">\n<span itemprop=\"author publisher\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" style=\"display:none\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"The Tokyo Sushi Guide by Sushi Tanji\"><\/span>\n<div class=\"tsa-layout\">\n<main class=\"tsa-main\">\n\n<div class=\"tsa-meta\">\n  <span>Part of <a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/tokyo-sushi-guide\/\"><b>The Tokyo Sushi Guide<\/b><\/a><\/span>\n  <span>Reviewed by <b>Tatsuo Takada<\/b><\/span>\n  <span>Updated <b><time datetime=\"2026-08-28\">August 28, 2026<\/time><\/b><\/span>\n  <span>Reading time <b>about 6 minutes<\/b><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"lead\" itemprop=\"description\"><b>Curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing, ageing<\/b>: these are the six works of Edomae sushi. In an Edo without ice or refrigeration, they were the means by which a day&#8217;s catch was made to keep long enough to sell. They remain on the counters of Tokyo. What follows is a look at what each one changes in a fish.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-answer\"><p class=\"k\">In short<\/p><p>Edomae sushi is not a contest of freshness but a body of technique for drawing flavour from a fish. Six works have been refined over generations: curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing, ageing. Each exists to reach a savour that raw fish alone does not offer.<\/p><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-learn\">\n  <p class=\"t\">What you will learn<\/p>\n  <ul><li>The six techniques that shigoto covers, plus how they differ from one another<\/li><li>Why the time a fish spends in salt then vinegar shifts from fish to fish<\/li><li>How zuke turned from a way of keeping fish into a way of seasoning it<\/li><li>Which fish suit simmering or steaming, plus what nitsume really is<\/li><li>Why searing aims at melting fat rather than at cooking<\/li><li>The handling of blood with water that ageing depends upon<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 id=\"shigoto\">What Shigoto Means at an Edomae Counter<\/h2>\n<p>Sushi took something close to its present shape in the late Edo period, an age with no ice, no refrigeration. Fish landed in Edo Bay had to be sold within a few days, so the artisans of the day salted it, steeped it in vinegar, laid it in soy, simmered it, steamed it. The collective name for this handling is shigoto, the work done to a fish.<\/p>\n<p>The six usually named today are curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing, then ageing. The first five are classics carried down from Edo. Ageing was codified more recently, as distribution alongside cold storage changed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tsa-point\"><b>The heart of it:<\/b> The works of Edomae were never only a way of making fish last. They were refined to draw out a savour with an aroma that raw fish does not give up on its own.<\/div>\n<div class=\"tblwrap\"><table><thead><tr><th>Work<\/th><th>Fish it suits<\/th><th>What changes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Shime (curing)<\/td><td>Kohada, mackerel, horse mackerel<\/td><td>Moisture leaves, the flesh firms, a vinegar fragrance settles in<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Zuke (marinating)<\/td><td>Lean tuna, white-fleshed fish<\/td><td>Soy savour enters; the flesh takes on a supple cling<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ni (simmering)<\/td><td>Conger eel, clam, octopus<\/td><td>Fibres loosen as the sweetness of the broth moves in<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mushi (steaming)<\/td><td>Abalone, conger eel<\/td><td>Firm flesh softens; the aroma rises<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Aburi (searing)<\/td><td>Nodoguro, Spanish mackerel, golden eye snapper<\/td><td>Fat beneath the skin melts, adding a toasted note<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Jukusei (ageing)<\/td><td>Tuna, white-fleshed fish, shellfish<\/td><td>Moisture withdraws while savoury compounds build<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"shime\">Shime: Drawing Water Out with Salt then Vinegar<\/h2>\n<p>Shime is the work of salting a fish to draw out moisture, then settling it in vinegar. It belongs above all to hikarimono, the silver-skinned fish, with kohada (gizzard shad), mackerel, horse mackerel at the head of the list.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"tsa-flow\"><li><b>Salting<\/b><span>Salt is laid over the flesh to draw off surplus water together with whatever carries a fishy edge.<\/span><\/li><li><b>Into the vinegar<\/b><span>The salt is rinsed away, the fish lowered into vinegar. Here the flesh firms as a clean acidity enters.<\/span><\/li><li><b>Letting it settle<\/b><span>Rather than shaping it at once, the chef lets it rest so the acidity softens. Edges round off; the flavour draws together.<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\n<p>Time in salt then vinegar shifts with the size of the fish, how much fat it carries, the temperature of the day. Shinko, the August juvenile of kohada, is only a few centimetres long, so it takes the briefest touch of each. The same fish grown to autumn size may take more than twice as long. There is no set number of minutes. The chef reads the flesh.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"zuke\">Zuke: Letting Soy into the Flesh<\/h2>\n<p>Zuke means settling fish into a bath of soy blended with simmered-off sake plus mirin. Lean tuna is its most familiar subject.<\/p>\n<p>In the age before refrigeration, tuna spoiled quickly; by most accounts the fattier cuts were the ones people cared for least. Steeping the fish in soy kept it sound for longer. Yet the marinated lean flesh turned a deep adzuki red, took on a supple cling, released more savour the longer it was chewed. What began as a means of keeping fish stayed on as a means of seasoning it.<\/p>\n<p>The strength of the bath alongside the length of the steeping differ from house to house. Some pass only the surface through; others carry the seasoning to the core. Under one word, zuke, a single piece can leave quite different impressions.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ni-mushi\">Ni and Mushi: Cooking to Loosen<\/h2>\n<p>Conger eel, anago, is the emblem of the simmered work. It is cooked in a broth of sake, soy, sugar until it parts under chopsticks. Reduced further, that broth becomes nitsume, the sweet glossy glaze brushed over the piece as it is served. Clams are often passed through the broth then finished in their own residual heat, so the flesh is never overtaken by the fire.<\/p>\n<p>Steaming belongs above all to abalone. Given long time in the steamer with sake plus kombu, flesh that is firm when raw turns yielding as the scent of the shore rises. Summer is its season, so in August the counter may serve it with a sauce built on its own liver.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"aburi\">Aburi: Fire for the Skin and the Fat Alone<\/h2>\n<p>Aburi puts flame to the skin side or to the surface of the flesh only. Straw or charcoal is sometimes used, carrying its own fragrance into the fish.<\/p>\n<p>The aim is not to cook but to melt the fat lying beneath the skin. Fish that store fat close to the skin, nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), Spanish mackerel, golden eye snapper, need only a breath of heat for the aroma to lift, for the way they yield in the mouth to change. Whether the fish is chilled in iced water afterwards or shaped straight away also tells in the finish.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"jukusei\">Jukusei: Making Time Itself the Work<\/h2>\n<p>Jukusei is the work of letting a fish rest so that moisture withdraws while its savoury compounds build. Unlike curing or marinating, it adds nothing to the fish. It handles the passing of time.<\/p>\n<p>Everything rests on the handling of blood together with water. Flesh that still holds blood is difficult to keep, so the precision of the initial dressing governs much of the result. Methods such as the Tsumoto technique have spread in recent years, widening the span over which a fish can be held. At <a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/concept\/\">Sushi Tanji<\/a>, in the quiet reaches of Akasaka, that technique is part of the practice, with the suitable period and temperature judged fish by fish.<\/p>\n<p>The right length differs by species: white-fleshed kinds tend to be shorter, while tuna alongside certain shellfish may be held far longer. Bleeding a fish then dressing it are means rather than ends. The spine of the technique is the judgement of the moment at which a given fish tastes best.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"counter\">How the Six Works Read at the Counter<\/h2>\n<p>All six rarely appear in a single meal. The season together with the day&#8217;s buying decide which works come alive. In August you are likely to meet shinko under salt then vinegar, steamed abalone, simmered conger eel within the same sitting.<\/p>\n<p>There is no need to prepare for any of this. If something catches your attention, ask what work went into it; most chefs are generous with an answer. Many guests feel the question is hard to raise, though a short word just after a piece is set down sits easily within the rhythm of the meal.<\/p>\n<p>Edomae sushi is often taken for fresh fish sliced then laid over shari, the seasoned rice. It is closer to the opposite. Once you begin to notice what has been done to the fish, each piece looks different.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"tsa-faq\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\"><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">Does Edomae sushi not use raw fish?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>A great many pieces are shaped from raw fish. What sits at the centre of Edomae, though, is choosing the handling that suits a particular fish rather than leaving it untouched. Cured pieces, marinated pieces, raw pieces commonly share the same counter within one meal.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">What is the difference between shime and zuke?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>Shime draws water out with salt then vinegar so the flesh firms; zuke carries seasoning in through a bath built on soy. Shime tends to go to silver-skinned fish such as kohada or mackerel, zuke to lean tuna. The change each one seeks differs too: one takes water out of the flesh, the other puts savour in.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">Does aged fish mean fish past its freshness?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>It is a different thing from fish that has simply grown old. Ageing means dressing the blood alongside the water, managing temperature with duration, then resting the fish towards the point where its savour is greatest. The process is nothing like neglect, with a suitable span that shifts from fish to fish.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">Will all six works appear in a single meal?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>More often than not they will not. An omakase takes its shape from the day&#8217;s buying together with the season, so steaming alongside curing stand out in summer, while ageing plus marinating come forward in winter. Following what has been done to each piece tells you a great deal about how a house thinks.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary itemprop=\"name\">Where can I read more about the six works?<\/summary><div class=\"a\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\"><p>Pieces on individual fish along with seasonal reading are gathered in <a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/tokyo-sushi-guide\/\">The Tokyo Sushi Guide<\/a>. Each technique touched on here, the curing of kohada, the marinating of lean tuna, the thinking behind ageing, has an article of its own.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-cta\">\n  <p class=\"k\">From the guide to the counter<\/p>\n  <h3>Taste it at our eight-seat counter in Oku-Akasaka.<\/h3>\n  <p>Classic Edomae craft with careful modern aging &#8211; served piece by piece, with English guidance for overseas guests.<\/p>\n  <a class=\"btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tablecheck.com\/en\/shops\/sushi-tanji\/reserve\" rel=\"noopener\">Reserve at Sushi Tanji<\/a>\n  <a class=\"sub\" href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/tokyo-sushi-guide\/\">Explore The Tokyo Sushi Guide<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-chef\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n  <img src=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_4764.jpg\" alt=\"Tatsuo Takada, head chef and owner of Sushi Tanji, at the counter\" width=\"2508\" height=\"1672\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\">\n  <div>\n    <p class=\"k\">Reviewed by<\/p>\n    <b><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/introduction-of-chef\/\" itemprop=\"url\"><span itemprop=\"name\">Tatsuo Takada<\/span><\/a><\/b>\n    <meta itemprop=\"jobTitle\" content=\"Head Chef &amp; Owner, Sushi Tanji\">\n    <span itemprop=\"worksFor\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Restaurant\" style=\"display:none\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Oku-Akasaka Sushi Tanji\"><\/span>\n    <p itemprop=\"description\">Head chef and owner of Sushi Tanji. Trained in the Edomae tradition and rooted in Kyushu, he leads the eight-seat omakase counter in Oku-Akasaka, Tokyo, and reviews The Tokyo Sushi Guide.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"tsa-rel\">\n  <p class=\"t\">Continue the guide<\/p>\n  <ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/edomae-shigoto-shime-zuke-ni-jukusei\/\">Four Edomae Techniques: Curing, Marinating, Simmering, Ageing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/kobujime-kelp-cured-white-fish\/\">Kobujime: How Kelp-Curing Deepens the Flavour of White Fish<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/shari-temperature-firmness-nigiri\/\">Shari: Temperature, Firmness and Vinegar in Edomae Sushi<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/category\/edomae-sushi\/\">More in edomae sushi<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/main>\n<input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"tsatoc\" class=\"tsa-toc-cb\">\n<aside class=\"tsa-side\">\n<label class=\"tsa-toc-fab\" for=\"tsatoc\" aria-label=\"Open contents\"><span>Contents<\/span><\/label>\n<nav class=\"tsa-toc-box\" aria-label=\"Contents\">\n<div class=\"tsa-toc-close\"><span class=\"tsa-toc-ttl\">Contents<\/span><label class=\"x\" for=\"tsatoc\" aria-label=\"Close\">\u00d7<\/label><\/div>\n<ol><li><a href=\"#shigoto\">What Shigoto Means at an Edomae Counter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#shime\">Shime: Drawing Water Out with Salt then Vinegar<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#zuke\">Zuke: Letting Soy into the Flesh<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#ni-mushi\">Ni and Mushi: Cooking to Loosen<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#aburi\">Aburi: Fire for the Skin and the Fat Alone<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#jukusei\">Jukusei: Making Time Itself the Work<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#counter\">How the Six Works Read at the Counter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n<\/nav><\/aside>\n<label class=\"tsa-toc-backdrop\" for=\"tsatoc\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/label>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The six works of Edomae sushi are curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing plus ageing. Why they still shape the counters of Tokyo today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"swell_btn_cv_data":"","_bmp_alt_url":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness\/","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-edomae-sushi"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.1.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The six works of Edomae sushi are curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing plus ageing. Why they still shape the counters of Tokyo today.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"sushitanji\"\/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 5.0.1.1\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ja_JP\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u3010Official\u3011Okuakasaka Sushi Tanji - Conveying Japanese Style and Creating Harmony Through Sushi\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn\u2019t About Freshness - \u3010Official\u3011Okuakasaka Sushi Tanji\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The six works of Edomae sushi are curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing plus ageing. Why they still shape the counters of Tokyo today.\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness\/\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-28T12:04:44+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-28T12:04:45+00:00\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"The Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn\u2019t About Freshness - \u3010Official\u3011Okuakasaka Sushi Tanji\" \/>\n\t\t<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"The six works of Edomae sushi are curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing plus ageing. Why they still shape the counters of Tokyo today.\" \/>\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO -->\n\n","aioseo_head_json":{"title":"The Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn\u2019t About Freshness - \u3010Official\u3011Okuakasaka Sushi Tanji","description":"The six works of Edomae sushi are curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing plus ageing. Why they still shape the counters of Tokyo today.","canonical_url":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness\/","robots":"max-image-preview:large","keywords":"","webmasterTools":{"miscellaneous":""},"schema":null,"og:locale":"ja_JP","og:site_name":"\u3010Official\u3011Okuakasaka Sushi Tanji - Conveying Japanese Style and Creating Harmony Through Sushi","og:type":"article","og:title":"The Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn\u2019t About Freshness - \u3010Official\u3011Okuakasaka Sushi Tanji","og:description":"The six works of Edomae sushi are curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing plus ageing. Why they still shape the counters of Tokyo today.","og:url":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness\/","article:published_time":"2026-08-28T12:04:44+00:00","article:modified_time":"2026-08-28T12:04:45+00:00","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:title":"The Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn\u2019t About Freshness - \u3010Official\u3011Okuakasaka Sushi Tanji","twitter:description":"The six works of Edomae sushi are curing, marinating, simmering, steaming, searing plus ageing. Why they still shape the counters of Tokyo today."},"aioseo_meta_data":{"post_id":"1843","title":null,"description":null,"keywords":null,"keyphrases":null,"primary_term":null,"canonical_url":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"og_object_type":"default","og_image_type":"default","og_image_url":null,"og_image_width":null,"og_image_height":null,"og_image_custom_url":null,"og_image_custom_fields":null,"og_video":null,"og_custom_url":null,"og_article_section":null,"og_article_tags":null,"twitter_use_og":false,"twitter_card":"default","twitter_image_type":"default","twitter_image_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_fields":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"schema":{"blockGraphs":[],"customGraphs":[],"default":{"data":{"Article":[],"Course":[],"Dataset":[],"FAQPage":[],"Movie":[],"Person":[],"Product":[],"ProductReview":[],"Car":[],"Recipe":[],"Service":[],"SoftwareApplication":[],"WebPage":[]},"graphName":"","isEnabled":true},"graphs":[]},"schema_type":"default","schema_type_options":null,"pillar_content":false,"robots_default":true,"robots_noindex":false,"robots_noarchive":false,"robots_nosnippet":false,"robots_nofollow":false,"robots_noimageindex":false,"robots_noodp":false,"robots_notranslate":false,"robots_max_snippet":null,"robots_max_videopreview":null,"robots_max_imagepreview":"large","priority":null,"frequency":null,"local_seo":null,"breadcrumb_settings":null,"limit_modified_date":false,"ai":null,"created":"2026-08-28 12:08:25","updated":"2026-08-28 12:08:25","seo_analyzer_scan_date":null,"focus_keyword":null,"additional_keywords":null,"truseo_locale":null},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"<div class=\"aioseo-breadcrumbs\"><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\" title=\"\u5bb6\">\u5bb6<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">&raquo;<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/category\/edomae-sushi\/\" title=\"Edomae Sushi\">Edomae Sushi<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">&raquo;<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\tThe Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn\u2019t About Freshness\n\t\t<\/span><\/div>","aioseo_breadcrumb_json":[{"label":"\u5bb6","link":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en"},{"label":"Edomae Sushi","link":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/category\/edomae-sushi\/"},{"label":"The Six Works of Edomae: Why Sushi Isn&#8217;t About Freshness","link":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/edomae-six-works-beyond-freshness\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1843"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1844,"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1843\/revisions\/1844"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sushi-tanji.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}