Shiro Poporoya

Minoru Hirazawa arrived in Italy in 1972, worked in Rome serving wealthy Japanese tourists, and eventually settled in Milan as manager of a Japanese grocers on Via Eustachi. In 1989 he converted the space into a restaurant — technically a 'sushi-ba' (his preferred term), not a 'sushi bar' — and earned the distinction of opening the first sushi counter in the city. His daughter Mami now manages the dining room. Chef Hirazawa adapted traditional nigiri sizing and preparation to Italian palates — slightly larger shari, chirashi with fish below the rice — without compromising on imported Japanese condiments (soy sauce, miso, mirin, nori from Japan, mentaiko from Japan). The menu covers sushi, chirashi-zushi, sashimi, tempura, grilled chicken, tofu, miso soup, and Japanese seaweed vinaigrette. Japanese beverages include Niigata pilsner, rice beer, and 180/360ml sake bottles. JETRO officially certified the restaurant as an authentic Japanese establishment. Gambero Rosso Tre Bacchette 2025.