Jun Yoshizuki of Jun’s Kitchen whom we know to be a talented culinarian quite skillfully prepared American-style sushi rolls by hand under the watchful eyes of his two beloved longhaired orange and white cats Haku and Nagi, Jun explained that the difference between traditional Japanese sushi rolls and its American cousin has to do with the amount of flavoring put inside the roll itself.
Japanese sushi focuses on “enjoying the pure flavor of ingredients that are in season (because that’s when the ingredients are in their best condition)” and American sushi seems to focus on “the combination of flavor.” Japanese sushi finishes with a little bit of soy sauce so you can enjoy how it brings out all the good flavors of ingredients, whereas American sushi can be very tasty and flavorful without using any soy sauce (instead using bunch of other sauces and spices and all kinds of toppings). I miss American sushi when I’m in Japan and I miss Japanese sushi when I’m in America!