Michigan’s Only 2024 James Beard Winner Closes Restaurant #DetroitFood
Sozai chef Hajime Sato, who won a James Beard Award in 2024 for his sustainable sushi at his Clawson restaurant, will return to the Pacific Northwest
Less than a year after winning a James Beard Award, chef Hajime Sato has closed his Clawson Japanese restaurant. Soto announced that Saturday, April 26, was Sozai’s final day of service via an Instagram post.
Sato shared more of his reasoning via an Instagram post on his personal account, writing that he’s moving back to the Pacific Northwest and reached the decision after “an extended time of reflection.” The decision to close, only 10 months after winning the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes, may pose a shock to some.
“It will be extremely difficult to leave Sozai behind. I put everything I had into building something special for my customers and to further my work as a sustainable seafood advocate,” the post also reads.
Sozai opened in 2021 in Clawson, about a 30-minute drive north of Detroit, inside a strip mall with a decidedly distinct approach to sushi. Instead of focusing on imported fish and mimicking restaurants in Japan, Soto concentrated on sustainability, sourcing much of this seafood from the Midwest. Soto established this formula in Seattle at Mashiko. He and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to metro Detroit in 2019 and opened Sozai two years later. The effort earned Sozai a 2021 Eater Award for Best New Suburban Restaurant.
Sato forged relationships with loyal customers at the sushi counter, often preparing them specials that the general public wasn’t privy to enjoy. Sato adds: “Thank you to everyone who has shared wonderful times with me at Sozai. I will cherish those memories. My sincerest hope is that you will continue to try new things!”
Efforts to reach Sato weren’t successful. Sato told Green Living in November that despite the accolades, Sozai struggled to attract a customer base, saying that within months of being featured by publications touting his efforts, sales dropped by about 20 percent. He went on to tell the publication that about 80 percent of Sozai’s business came from its multi-course omakase offering, noting that some of the dishes that came from his kitchen may have been “too weird” for most visitors and that clientele seemed more prone to ask for more common sushi options like rare bluefin tuna. Sozai wasn’t the place for customers to rip sake bombs and feast on California rolls.
Additional reporting by Serena Maria Daniels
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.
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