Fresh Japanese sushi on your table? Innovative freezing technology revolutionizes food preservation

JSTORIES ー Imagine you’re in your dining room in Kansas or Prague, nowhere near the ocean, and somehow the sushi on the table tastes as if it were pulled from the Sea of Japan just moments ago. Sounds impossible? A Tokyo-based "flash freezer" company is proving otherwise with their groundbreaking technology that freezes foods such as sushi while preserving texture, flavor, and quality.

Frozen sushi is widely eaten across the globe, yet poor freezing methods often ruin the texture, taste, and moisture of the rice and fish. Defrosted sushi can be dry, hard, or watery, making it far from the fresh sushi experience people crave. Restaurants often avoid frozen ingredients for this very reason.

DayBreak Co., Ltd., a Japanese company specializing in advanced freezing technology, has developed a groundbreaking solution to this problem. The Artlock Freezer—a high-tech system that freezes food gently using a proprietary Micro Wind System to preserve delicate foods like sushi without the usual drying, hardening, color change, or loss of flavor.

Yoshihiro Katayama, vice president at DayBreak, and PR coordinator Tomoyo Matsumoto pose in front of the newest version of the Artlock freezer at DayBreak's headquarters in Shinagawa-ku.         Photo by J-Stories (Same below) — Yoshihiro Katayama, vice president at DayBreak, and PR coordinator Tomoyo Matsumoto pose in front of the newest version of the Artlock freezer at DayBreak's headquarters in Shinagawa-ku. Photo by J-Stories (Same below)

Traditional freezers expose food to cold, harsh air from a single direction, drying out the food while forming ice crystals inside that leave the rice either too hard or too soggy after defrosting. This method will cause the rice to lose its original texture, while the fish loses its delicate, fresh taste.

"Defrosted sushi made with conventional freezing methods is terrible," says Yoshihiro Katayama, vice president of DayBreak. "The rice turns into something you wouldn’t want to eat — dry, crumbly, and nothing like fresh sushi. The fish can feel rubbery or watery. Our goal is to change that."

DayBreak’s Artlock Freezer solves these issues by using a gentler freezing process. Their Micro Wind System controls wind strength, temperature, and humidity from multiple directions, preserving the original moisture and texture.

"We’ve mastered a way to freeze sushi and rice together while keeping it just as moist and tender as freshly made sushi," says Katayama. "People can’t even tell it was frozen."

Frozen sushi made using DayBreak's Artlock Freezer retains the texture of fresh rice and fish, making it nearly indistinguishable from freshly prepared sushi<br> — Frozen sushi made using DayBreak's Artlock Freezer retains the texture of fresh rice and fish, making it nearly indistinguishable from freshly prepared sushi

In a recent taste test in Las Vegas, diners were shocked when they found out they were eating frozen sushi.

Another added: "The texture of the rice and fish was perfect. I would have never guessed this was frozen sushi.

In a similar testing event recently held in Tokyo, where DayBreak showcased its frozen sushi, Anita De Michele from J-Stories had a similar reaction. “It’s too good to be true. Surprisingly delicious, and I've been eating sushi in Japan for years!” she said.

Anita De Michele, editorial coordinator at J-Stories, tries DayBreaks frozen sushi at the Tokyo Innovation Base.

First DayBreak mastered sushi — a notably hard food to freeze properly — and now they are expanding their technology to a wide variety of foods.

"We can freeze all kinds of foods. Already we are working with solutions for meat and vegetables," says Katayama. "The reason we started with sushi is because it’s the most difficult. Rice is very sensitive."

DayBreak’s freezing innovation offers fresh, high-quality options for vegetarians as well. “We’ve successfully frozen everything from premium meats and seafood to fruits, vegetables, plant-based products, and even delicate pastries — all while preserving their original texture and flavor,” says Katayama.

A video by DayBreak showcasing the inner workings of the Artlock freezer's technology. Source: DayBreak official YouTube Channel

Artlock’s technology allows landlocked places like the U.S. Midwest or Central Europe to receive high-quality frozen food. "It sounds easy, but it’s not. Every food requires a different freezing process — sushi, ramen, and meat all need specific conditions. That’s our secret," he adds. Bib Gourmand 2023/2024 Michelin Guide selected restaurant Crazy Pizza is using the Artlock Freezer to sell their product online so customers can enjoy their product whenever they want, regardless of location or time.

High-end restaurants usually avoid frozen ingredients, but it comes with a price. According to the U.N. Environment Programme, over 1 billion meals are wasted worldwide every day.

“By preserving taste and texture, we make it easier to store, transport, and use food that might otherwise go to waste,” explains Katayama.

Masayuki Kinoshita, founder of DayBreak Co. Ltd., was taken aback by the sheer amount of food waste he noticed while traveling in South Asia. The amount of perfectly edible food being thrown away changed his viewpoint on sustainability.

"There has to be a way to preserve food without losing its quality," Kinoshita thought. To create a more sustainable food ecosystem, he set out to create a new generation of freezing technology.

Yoshihiro Katayama points out various frozen foods using Artlocks technology, such as fruit, okonomiyaki, eel, and ramen. The fruit frozen using Artlock technology can be defrosted and enjoyed like fresh.

Less waste means less money spent on ingredients, lowering restaurant operational costs. “Less spoilage means restaurants and food manufacturers can save money while maintaining high-quality products,” says Katayama.

Whether it is a restaurant, manufacturer, distributor, or retailer, the Artlock Freezer can boost profit and satisfaction. "We don’t just sell freezers — we help companies develop the best way to freeze their food," Katayama explains. "We consult on the freezing process, ingredient selection, and even packaging to maintain the highest quality. We want to create a space where food producers can master freezing techniques and find the best ways to sell their products worldwide."

With global expansion plans, DayBreak is already working with retailers and hotels in the United States and Asia to introduce high-quality frozen sushi.

"Japan has easy access to fresh sushi, but in places like the U.S. and Europe, it’s much harder to find high-quality sushi," says Katayama. "We see a huge opportunity to bring authentic Japanese sushi to these markets with frozen technology that makes it taste fresh."