Master sushi chef Tomonori Nagai is descended from three generations of offshore fishermen from Fukkushima, Japan. He learned how to break down fish from his father, who often made sashimi for the family at home.

“He taught me when I was probably still in elementary school,” Nagai reminisces. “My father was very happy when I became a sushi chef. He was very happy that I decided to do something involving fish.”

At Nagai, his namesake restaurant in San Francisco, the