Sushi chef, Hiroyuki Sato owns a sushi restaurant called Hakkoku in Ginza. The taste of his sushi is distinct to his restaurant as he cooks with a red rice vinegar which is synonymous with his restaurant. It attracts a huge amount of attention not only in Japan but also around the world. Chef Sato, who travels abroad at least once a month as a special guest sushi chef in various locations around the world, approached Globe-Trotter to craft a bespoke suitcase to transport his work tools.
To properly carry four important work tools and knives.
The Globe-Trotter Ginza Bespoke service allows you to order an utterly unique travel case. You can choose your own specifications for the body, corners, metal hardware and other exterior elements, as well as the interior lining and stitching threads. With all kinds of samples to hand, you can create your one-of-a-kind luggage from hundreds of different options. The experienced staff at the Ginza flagship store are on hand to assist and guide you through the process and help you get closer to creating your ideal bespoke case.
Sushi chef Hiroyuki Sato visited Globe-Trotter flagship in Ginza to discuss his design. Sato says: "A kitchen knife is indispensable in my work. Even when I go abroad on business trips, I always take a ‘De-ba’ knife (a type of pointed carving knife) and a sashimi knife with me. That's why I want to make a case that is specifically designed to hold them securely in place so they don't move. There are quite a few other things I need to take with me, so I don't want to reduce the overall storage capacity." The bespoke consultation starts with designing around the knives.
Chef Sato brings his knives that he regularly uses.
Chef Sato tests the size of a regular case.
A total of four knives are carried including De-ba knives used for carving fish, and sashimi knives for slicing blocks of fish fillet. Bespoke specialist Fumitoshi Sano provided Chef Sato with two suggestions for storing them. One option is to store them in a sheath bag and fix them with a rubber band. The other option is to store them in a special tray and secure them with a belt with a button. With the former option, the size of the sheath bag would be fixed and so it would be difficult to accommodate knives of various lengths. Another concern which was raised was the potential deterioration of the rubber. Mr Sano quickly came up with a solution to suggest a with a tray shaped to fit the longest length of any knife and an additional button which is less likely to deteriorate and will hold the knives in place. The tray was made a centimeter deeper than the handle to allow more space when handling.
During Chef Sato’s travels, he usually likes to travel around with his own ingredients that they regularly use, such as seaweed and rice. Red vinegar, a seasoning born in Japan, is one such ingredient. It is particularly difficult to find, so sometimes he bring three 1.8-litre plastic bottles of it with him if necessary.
Although the knives do not take up much space, the weight of the case quickly became very heavy. Naturally, the conversation turned to which type of wheels to add to the case – but instead of four wheels, it is recommended by Mr Sano to add two. The reason being that the two-wheel case allows for more storage, since the internal telescopic handle, which is built into the interior cavity of the four-wheel case, would not be a consideration with the two-wheeled version.
Chef Sato opted for a 'black and white' colourway for his suitcase to match the brand colours of his restaurant 'Hakkoku'. For the lipping f the case, red was selected to represent the red vinegar used, culminating in a stylish exterior.
The luggage is filled with Chef Sato’s taste and work tools and radiates the Hakkoku style.
About a year and three months after the order was placed, it could be finally presented. At first glance, Chef Sato says, "The texture is fantastic". The interior, too, is "Hakkoku", with a white inner belt and a charcoal grey flannel fabric from Fox Brothers. The large luggage is heavy even when empty, but the wheels allow for it to be transported effortlessly.
When the luggage is opened, the top tray to store the knives sits on top. The handle is held securely in a pouch and the knive edges by belts at intervals of about 10 cm. There is little risk of the knives clattering or crossing over each other items during transit. The tray itself is supported by a convex section inside the case. There is also ample amounts of storage space inside. There is a large capacity to hold not only red vinegar and uniforms, but also seaweed and even rice if necessary
On the day the luggage is unveiled and presented to him, Chef Sato had actually just returned from a week-long job in San Francisco. 'I go on business trips abroad almost every month. So I'll be using this luggage a lot from now on. I'm looking forward to seeing how it will age.’
SATO Hiroyuki / Born 1978, Tokyo. Trained as a service staff member at Global Dining and then at famous restaurants in Tokyo. Won a Michelin Michelin award within six months of opening at Ginza Sushi Tokami, opened Hakkoku in 2018, and opened a branch, Jushidan, in Hiroo in 2008.
<Hakkoku> 3F, Rapé Building, 6-7-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-6280-6555.
11:30-14:00, 17:00-23:30.
Closed Sundays and holidays.
Newsletter Signup
Sign up for our exclusive newsletter to unlock insider access, travel inspiration, VIP events, and expert tips.
