Mori Higashizawa: The man who convinced Japan to put Aussie lamb on the table

Third-generation butcher, Mori Higashizaw, has built products that place lamb in unexpected dishes from prosciutto and smoked heart to sushi and ramen.

In a small city in the far north of Hokkaido, lamb has carried the weight of place, tradition and memory. Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news across the nation From the smoke of a Jingisukan grill to cold rooms, where generations of butchers have learned to read a carcase with their hands. For third-generation butcher, Moriaki 'Mori' Higashizawa, lessons were learned long before he held a knife of his own. Mori grew up inside his family's near 100-year-old business, Toyo Meat Co. His childhood was spent buying livestock, having lunch with abattoir workers, preparing meat for barbecue, and watching the careful and creative craftsmanship of butchers at work. Although somewhat of an unusual upbringing, it inspired a three-decade pursuit: to persuade Japanese consumers that lamb belongs not just in Hokkaido, but on the everyday table. Mori has built products that place lamb in unexpected dishes, from prosciutto and smoked heart to sushi and ramen. He ...