The Teramachi Street Mystery Series

Sushi for Breakfast

Published by

Sara A

January 21, 2026

Maria was befuddled. Minoru had called and said he was taking her out for breakfast and that they were going to eat sushi. That was going to be a brand new experience and she was a little dubious.

“Really? Sushi? Not rice balls?”

Minoru responded that he was serious. There was a restaurant that served what they called “morning sushi.”

Maria was game, so off they went to a restaurant called Kashiwai in the northern part of Kyoto. And Minoru explained that they would be eating a kind of sushi called “temari-zushi.” It was in the shape of tiny balls.

*Image from the Kashiwai website* http://kyotojapon.co.jp/k/menu.html

I’m Sara

I’m the author of a cozy mystery series set on Teramachi Street in Kyoto. In 1976 I participated in a study abroad program called the Associate Program of Kyoto (AKP). It gave me a tantalizing taste of Kyoto, but it wasn’t enough for me. So in 1978, after graduating from university, I returned to Kyoto on my own. One night a man stopped and asked if I was waiting for the bus. I was indeed. He let me know that the last bus had already gone and offered to drive me home. Not wanting to spend money on a taxi, I accepted. As he drove, he asked me if I needed a job. I certainly did. He smiled and said that he owned a restaurant and gave me his card. And that’s how I ended up waitressing at a small restaurant on Teramachi Street much like the one that appears in this series. One of the other waitresses became my best friend in Kyoto. Over forty years later we are still in touch and I named my main character for her.

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