Bjørn Olsen
Bjørn Eirik Olsen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955 (age 69–70)[1] |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
Bjørn Eirik Olsen (b. 1955) is a Norwegian businessman and marketing strategist. He is also a kendō practitioner and shihan of aikidō.[2][3] He has been credited as "the inventor of salmon sushi" (サーモン寿司の発明者).[4]
Biography
In 1986, the Norwegian government launched Project Japan — a campaign to establish Norwegian seafood in Japanese markets. In the late 1980s, Olsen traveled to Japan and undertook marketing research for the project.[5]
Olsen tried to impress upon the Japanese the potential of salmon for sushi, but prospective buyers were reluctant because the Pacific salmon typical in Japan could not be eaten raw due to infestation by the Anisakis common in the Pacific Ocean.[4] At the beginning of the 1990s, Olsen managed to convince Nichirei to buy 5000 tonnes of Norwegian Atlantic salmon on the condition that it only be sold for sushi. The conveyor belt sushi boom after the collapse of the bubble economy in 1991 resulted in good sales, and salmon sushi achieved popularity across Japan by 1995.[4]
See also
- Hidekazu Tojo, who developed a type of salmon sushi in 1974
Further reading
"Big in Japan". Norway-Asia Business Summit. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
References
- ^ "Bjørn Eirik Olsen". Proff. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ "Bjørn Eirik Olsen receives 7. dan". Norges Aikidoforbund. February 5, 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ "About the Teacher". Aikido Guide. Archived from the original on 7 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ a b c 川本 Kawamoto, 大吾 Daigo (December 15, 2023). 美味しいサンマはなぜ消えたのか?. Japan: 文藝春秋 Bungeishunjū. ISBN 4166614371.
- ^ Sollesnes, Øystein (10 March 2018). "The Norwegian campaign behind Japan's love of salmon sushi". The Japan Times. Retrieved 4 June 2025.