The Nori That Connoisseurs Seek Out

Gokujo Kontobi is Maruyama Nori's benchmark — the sheet against which all other nori is measured. For 170 years, this Tsukiji institution has supplied Japan's finest sushi restaurants, and kontobi is the variety their chefs request by name.

Maruyama Nori supplies 60% of Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in Tokyo. The chefs who run these kitchens are among the most demanding nori buyers in the world. Kontobi is what they choose.

The Kontobi Difference

Kontobi is nori in which rare ao-nori — a distinct blue-green seaweed — grows intermingled with the nori during the December harvest season. The ao-nori cannot be added artificially; it appears naturally in certain harvests and certain conditions, then disappears.

What it adds: a pleasantly bitter, aromatic complexity that elevates the nori's base umami into something richer and more distinctive. Japanese nori experts describe it as the flavor of "the open sea in winter." It is the bitterness you taste at the best sushi counters and cannot identify — that is kontobi.

Tasting Notes

Clean, deep ocean aroma with a green, herbal undertone. Firm snap with an immediate rush of layered umami. The ao-nori contribution registers as a mild, pleasant bitterness in the mid-palate — sophisticated, not sharp. Long, savory finish. Noticeably different from pure nori.

How to Enjoy

• Sushi and hand rolls: The classic application — let the nori soften slightly for maximum aroma
• Side by side tasting: Compare with the Shodai Hikobei to understand how ao-nori grade affects flavor
• Onigiri: Wrap just before eating; the crunch and aroma together make a memorable rice ball
• Alone with sake or beer: Tear and taste directly — a revelation for anyone accustomed to standard nori

Product Details

• Contents: 5 full-size sheets (Approx. 21cm x 19cm, 8.3 in. × 7.5 in.)
• Grade: Gokujo, Kontobi
• Origin: Kyushu / Ariake Sea region, Japan
• Producer: Maruyama Nori (丸山海苔店), est. 1854, Tsukiji, Tokyo
• Used by: 60% of Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in Tokyo
• Ingredients: 100% Dried Seaweed (Nori)
• Best Before: Please check packaging; store in cool, dry place

✈️ Ships from Japan ·Order more, pay less per item.
Tsukiji, est. 1854 · The nori Michelin sushi chefs choose