Japan's Most Awarded Nori — Named for the Man Who Started It All

In 1854, a nori craftsman set up a small stand in Tsukiji, Tokyo's legendary fish market. His name was Hikobei. One hundred and seventy years later, his descendants still occupy the same market, and the nori they make still bears his name.

Shodai Hikobei Kontobi is Maruyama Nori's finest achievement — a nori that has won the Minister of Agriculture Award three times, Japan's highest government recognition for food excellence. Today, 60% of Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in Tokyo source their nori from Maruyama. This is the sheet that most of them reach for first.

What Is Kontobi?

Kontobi is a professional grading term used only by nori specialists. It refers to nori in which rare ao-nori — blue-green seaweed) grows naturally alongside the nori during the December harvest. The result is a sheet streaked with green — irregular, wild, and impossible to replicate on demand.

The blue-green wisps change everything: they introduce a faintly bitter, aromatic edge — described by Japanese nori experts as "the bitterness of the open sea" — that pure nori does not have. The aroma rises from the sheet the moment it meets warmth. Sushi chefs prize it precisely because it cannot be manufactured consistently; each harvest is different.

Shodai Hikobei represents the rarest grade of kontobi — harvested in quantities so small that Maruyama describes it as a "phantom nori". Most years, only a fraction of the December harvest qualifies.

Tasting Notes

Hold a sheet briefly near warmth before eating. The aroma rises first — deep ocean, faintly smoky, with a green, herbal note from the ao-nori. On the palate: immediate umami, complex and layered, with a signature mild bitterness that lingers. The finish is long and savory. No two sheets taste exactly alike.

How to Experience It

• As sushi chefs do: Wrap a piece of vinegared rice with one sheet. Let the nori soften slightly before eating — the ao-nori aroma emerges as it warms
• Alone, with tea: Tear a small piece and taste it directly — this is the purest way to understand what makes kontobi different
• Temaki (hand rolls): Fold a half-sheet around rice and fresh ingredients — the nori's aromatic bitterness balances rich fillings like toro or uni
• Onigiri: Wrap a rice ball immediately before eating to preserve the full crisp snap

Product Details

• Contents: 5 full-size sheets (Approx. 21cm x 19cm, 8.3 in. × 7.5 in.)
• Grade: Shodai Hikobei — highest tier of Kontobi
• Origin: Kyushu / Ariake Sea region, Japan
• Producer: Maruyama Nori (丸山海苔店), est. 1854, Tsukiji, Tokyo
• Awards: Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award — 3 times
• Used by: 60% of Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in Tokyo (Michelin Guide 2021)
• Ingredients: 100% Dried Seaweed (Nori)
• Best Before: Please check packaging; store in cool, dry place

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Tsukiji artisan · Minister of Agriculture Award × 3 · Michelin-starred supplier