This website was created in Adobe Dreamweaver CS4, with images created in Adobe Photoshop CS4. The website also uses JavaScript for displaying the book, and for the left side menu. The aim of the design of the website was to be consistent in style with that of the design book, while also introducing some new elements and remaining easily readable and navigable. For the Slideshow, Flash Actionscripting was used to create the user interface.

Web/Audio Slideshow

 

For web audio we were assigned to create an "audio slideshow", which consists of audio interviews we recorded overlaid on top of a slideshow of photos we took related to our subject. This slideshow was put together in Flash, and all the audio was edited in Protools LE.

For my topic, I chose to look at sushi chefs, and sushi in general. I was able to interview two sushi chefs, Junichi Fujiya and Royce Mori, both had interesting things to say on the subject, I thought that the stories of how both decided to become chefs were especially interesting. I had so much good material that I had trouble figuring out what to cut to fit in the time limit.

 

Click Photo to view Sushi Audio Slideshow.

 

 

TITLE: SUSHI

 

 

 

FUJIYA: "It’s important, heart.  Ryori o, oishii ryori o, kyakusan ni dashitai. Kimochi ga daiji desu.  [if food, delicious food, is what the customer wants, feeling is important."

 

 

ROYCE: "I like to create new dishes, try different things, doing the same thing day in and day out gets boring, not only to me but to our guests, so we like to do different things.  To try to elevate the level of cuisine that you see on a day to day basis."

 

 

NARRATOR: On initial examination one might ask "why sushi?" What is it about this food that makes it so different from any other? well, it is not only because of its great taste or its innate beauty, though those were certainly contributing factors, it is because sushi is at a cultural crossroads right now.

 

NARRATOR: So what is sushi really?  Most likely the first thing one would think of would be either nigiri-zushi or maki sushi  But in reality there are many more types of sushi, some less common than others in the 'States.

 

 

NARRATOR: As you can see, sushi is more of a cuisine than an easily defined range of dishes. One thing that distinguishes good sushi from the rest is the quality of the ingredients used.

 

 

 

NARRATOR: Traditional sushi is a realm of long standing standardized practice, and years of training and hard work are required to correctly make even the most basic of sushi.  I was able to interview Fujiya (last name here) a sushi chef at Fuki Sushi.  Fujiya is originally from Japan, where he apprenticed as a Sushi chef.

 

FUJIYA: "Ato, saisho no sannen kan wa e osushi no kari desu ne.  Ano gohan sushimeshi o takukoto dake to jyu to yatte imasu.  Sorekara, dan dan, sutepu upu shite itte.  Ano, sakana o ryoshitari, katto shitari, e, makimono, rooru, gasu ne mo tskuttari su rooru ni narimasu.  Daitai nagai junen jikan arimasu."  [Well, first three years,  I only had to cook sushi rice. Then, little by little, I advanced to next step.   Well, I started cooking fish, cut fish, rolled sushi, etc.  I spent 10 years on that.]

 

NARRATOR: Prior to coming to the US Fujiya had no experience with American-style sushi, and was surprised with the new varieties of American sushi, but he sees it as American cuisine, not Japanese food.  
FUJIYA: "Sushi with the outside roll?  Like, uh, California roll?  That’s, uh, not traditional.  You know.  California rolls, dragon rolls, lemon rolls, that’s American sushi.  We don’t have Japanese sushi restaurant that has those sushi."

 

NARRATOR: Even with sushi having such deep roots in tradition many sushi chefs are innovating and reinventing sushi, for example the ubiquitous "California roll" obviously didn't originate in Japan.

 

 

ROYCE: I went to Long Beach State. I got a degree in public relations, and found out that I didn't like it so i kind of thought about what I like to do and what made me happy in life and it was cooking.  and I thought I could make a living cooking and pleasing people, making people happy through food.

 

ROYCE: We create artistic dishes and our interpretation on traditional dishes.  We take things such as chirashi, which is a very Japanese, very traditional dish, and here at the red crane, we artistically present the dish in our own way.

 

 

NARRATOR: Even with such differences between the philosophies and outlooks of the traditional and the innovative areas of sushi cuisine, there are still some important similarities between the two. Remarkably, there is no hostility between the two areas;

 

 

FUJIYA: "American sushi?  Dragon roll, rainbow roll, I never seen that kind sushi before I came here.  That taste is very good.  Dragon roll ya rainbow roll, American sushi wa looks so good and tastes also good.  Bikkuri shimashita. [I was amazed]"

 

ROYCE: without tradition, we wouldn't be where we are today, so I definitely draw inspiration from traditional dishes, traditional sushi.   We always use traditional techniques, sound techniques I guess you could say, when preparing our dishes.

 

 

NARRATOR: Each regards the other as having its own place, and respects it for what it is.  Fujiya sees new non-traditional types of sushi (such as the California roll) as delicious and a worthy part of the culinary landscape, even if not strictly "Japanese".  Royce views traditional foods and techniques as the essential basis for his own unique interpretations.  Both enjoy tradition and innovation alike, and it is this that provides sushi with its unique culture.

 

Credits and Thanks