Yosuke Imada is the owner of the gigantic sushi restaurant Kuybei in Tokyo. It was his father that originally founded the venerable, five-floor establishment in 1936. For more than 30 years, Mr. Imada has expanded Kyubei beyond Ginza - while maintaining its reputation as a veritable Japanese institution.

He has turned Kyubei into a $30 million enterprise with a total of seven restaurants, including several at some of the most prestigious hotels in Tokyo and Osaka, a thriving world-wide catering business, even a department store take-home sushi shop, all without losing the reputation for quality and service for which the restaurant is widely praised.

I found this picture of him on Flickr, and he looks like a really friendly sushi chef in addition to a hard working business man. We would like for him to come and open a place in Oslo. We promise to come!

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