Keen Perspective

Keen Perspective

Nigami — The Ayu Sweetfish

A summer vignette from Japan

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Brendan Keen
Aug 29, 2025
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Photo by Brendan Keen. Tokyo, 2025

After a parade of meticulously-crafted yakiniku dishes, I first encountered the Ayu “Sweetfish”. Prepared as a confit, the chef filleted the small fish before mashing the head, bones, and organs into steaming rice. He placed the bowl in front of me, alongside dark miso soup.

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