A Question of Authenticity

Madison Magazine, June 2019

It’s day four of January 2019’s polar vortex and Shinji Muramoto is sitting at the table closest to the frost-covered windows of The Victory on Atwood Avenue, hesitant to answer my question. Muramoto, who owns three restaurants in Madison, Restaurant Muramoto on King Street, Sushi Muramoto in Hilldale Shopping Center and Morris Ramen on King Street, where he is co-owner — is still wearing his thick winter coat while he holds on to a small to-go cup of coffee. The silence is tangible as I try again.

“What are some tips you have for someone who is new to eating sushi?” I ask.

Crickets.

Earlier in the week I had posed this question to Muramoto over social media while working on an article about Japanese restaurants in Madison, but instead of answering Muramoto said he would like to meet in person; but now he’s not talking. To fill the silence, I continue. “What about using soy sauce? Should people dip their sushi in it?” Muramoto sighs. “I am frustrated by how much soy sauce people use,” he says. “If you use too much, you don’t taste the fish.” At this point, Muramoto leans in and starts to get to the heart of the matter.

According to Muramoto, there are no true Japanese restaurants in Madison. While there are more than 20 local establishments with Japanese-inspired cuisine, many menus are Americanized. Originally from Sapporo, Japan, Muramoto moved to Madison in 1992. Although he is one of the few Japanese restaurant owners in Wisconsin, he doesn’t consider his restaurants — or any other Japanese restaurants in the state — to be purveyors of authentic Japanese dishes.