A namigai (geoduck pronounced gooey-duck) is not a pretty creature. Native to North America's west coast, it looks like a beige slug that has outgrown a clam shell. Hidekazu Tojo is about to convince an audience to eat it.
The Kagoshima-born chef is leading a cooking demonstration at the BC Shellfish & Seafood Festival in Comox, British Columbia. A few days ahead of this appearance, he was awarded the title of goodwill ambassador for Japanese cuisine by the Japanese government.
In British Columbia, the 66-year-old is well known as the owner of Tojo's Restaurant, a high-end sushi bar in downtown Vancouver. If anyone can get the foodies in Comox to eat geoduck sushi, Tojo is the man for the job.