Hōchōdō
is a traditional Japanese culinary art form of filleting a fish or fowl without touching it with one's hands.
It is also known as or, and survives to the present day, with occasional demonstrations, particularly in Kyoto.
Ritual origin
It is a Shinto ritual, properly an offering to the gods, and originates in the court cuisine of yūsoku ryōri, dating to the Heian period.Technique
The filleting is done using only a knife and a pair of metal chopsticks, without touching the fish with one's hands. The chef is dressed in Heian period clothing, most notably an hat and robe. The hitatare features long sleeves and a drawstring, which is used to tie up the sleeves during the ceremony.Schools
The oldest school is Shijō school, "Fourth street school", which originated with Fujiwara no Yamakage in the early Heian period. He was also known as, due to the mansion he built at the intersection of Shijō Street and Ōmiya street, hence the name of the style.The main surviving school is the Ikama school. The current head is Shigeyoshi Konishi, of restaurant in Kyoto's Nishijin neighborhood. This style originated in the early Kamakura period, in warrior households that had been bestowed the "Ikama" name by the emperor. In this school the art is called, hence this name is commonly used today.