Hidekazu Tojo
Vancouver chef credited with inventing the inside-out 'BC roll' and the format that seeded the California roll for Western diners.
Veronica's Take
Hidekazu Tojo, the Vancouver sushi master who flipped the script on traditional sushi, is the unsung architect behind the inside-out roll that reshaped Western appetites. Born in 1950, Tojo dared to invert the seaweed to appease squeamish Canadian diners who couldn't stomach its texture—unintentionally laying the groundwork for the California roll. His 'BC roll' was a quiet revolution, proving that sushi could be both accessible and artful, and his legacy endures at his Vancouver restaurant, where he continues to innovate with the precision of a true shokunin.
He flipped the seaweed inward so squeamish Canadians would stop peeling it off, and accidentally rewrote how half the West eats sushi.
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Hidekazu Tojo
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Vancouver chef credited with inventing the inside-out 'BC roll' and the format that seeded the California roll for Western diners.
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