There are few foods in Japan that can bring instant satisfaction quite like gyoza (Japanese pot stickers) can. In fact, you’d be hard pushed to meet a single person who doesn’t love gyoza. Simple yet delicious, tucking into a plate of pan-fried gyoza feels like a comforting hug from a dear friend.

For some, there’s no better place to get your fix than Osaka Osho, a Chinese restaurant based in Osaka. Osaka Osho are famous for their cheap yet delicious dumplings, and in the past have come up with some unique recipes to help even the most stubborn gyoza cynic fall head over heels in love with the fried parcels of joy.
Some people don’t need the extra push, though. Some people are just born with a passion for gyoza deep in their soul, and these people are known as gyozanists.

Nana Suzuki is a former spokesperson for Osaka Osho and received her accolade at an event earlier this month, with the award presented by fellow model and face of Osaka Osho’s commercials Karina, who was wearing a red dress, representative of Osaka Osho’s signature red logo.
▼ Karina learned how to speak with an Osaka dialect for her role in the commercials.
As well as the prestigious title of being the world’s first Gyozanist, Nana was also awarded with a year’s supply of Osaka Osho’s frozen gyoza, and commented that she was thrilled to receive so much gyoza, adding “I’ve been stuck at home a lot recently, so I want to try having a gyoza party!”
The two models then competed in a "gyoza-off" in which both Nana and Karina made their signature gyoza dishes. Nana made a fan shaped gyoza plate, whereas Karina made her gyoza in the shape of a heart. Nana was then awarded some flowers, thanking her for her hard work promoting gyoza to people all over the country.
Source: PR Times
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2021/12/02/model-nana-suzuki-declared-the-best-gyozanist-2021-mr-sato-and-the-gang-robbed/
34 Comments
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tooheysnew
What is the Japanese obsession with these ‘best ****-ist’ awards !?
StevieJ
The obsession is the same reason is because of marketing and advertising. Everything in Japan has some type of marketing or advertising spin to it. Just watch Japanese TV for an evening. Always going somewhere and eating a specific establishments saying how delicious it is. Always some kind of "ranking the best X from X chain store" type show on TV. Group of talento going to Costco during daytime TV showing all the specials and the outrageous amounts of money people are spending. It's all paid advertising for whatever establishment or company they're showcasing.
The last one is super annoying because it's made my local Costco explode in popularity and be packed with people during all times of the day.
Aly Rustom
I've looked for those as I actually have many vegetarian friends as well as Japanese friends with an allergy to meat. If you can recommend anything, I'd really appreciate it.
Chinese friend dumplings is certainly appropriate when you are having a Gyoza party with friends.
dbsaiya
How about donating the gyoza to a food bank for the needy or "kids' cafeteria" where kids can eat for free?
Michael Machida
Obviously you have never tasted my Gyoza! Its Number 1 in my house.
NOMINATION
Alright everybody, now is the time. Which do you prefer Osaka Ohsho or Gyoza no Ohsho?
I prefer Gyoza no Ohsho because prices are better for taking out a family.
RegBilk
I am not such a picky eater.
I'd eat both their gyozas.
Peter Neil
Here, let me fix that.
Everything everywhere has some type of marketing or advertising spin to it
PerformingMonkey
How is this even judged?
kohakuebisu
Plenty of room for synergy here. If she's Miss Gyoza 2021, Nana Suzuki should get a side gig promoting breath fresheners like Clorets and Fabreze, that air freshener you spray on your clothes.
(Love gyoza. The frozen ones have really upped their game in the past five years, with "hane" crispy bits even on the TopValu ones, so I am now hyper critical of any 300 yen plus for five ones in a restaurant. They have to be good to impress me)
Chico3
Big deal! It's not rocket science. I'll stay with my wife's gyoza. As Elvis is here said, no disagreeing with him.
SumoBob
Can't wait for the best "Japantodayist" awards.
The Original Wing
Does anyone here use the term "pot stickers"? I know it's a real term, and it's an option offered in the dictionary if you look up a translation for "gyoza." But I've never heard anyone use the term. It's always been "dumplings." Just wondering if this is a regional thing, and there are parts of the world that say "pot stickers"?
shogun36
Nice! Haven't seen Karina in a long time.
right.........where there even other contestants?
Mickelicious
scraping the pot there
snowymountainhell
Well, if anyone deserved to win, it’s definitely Nana Suzuki!! - “Long may she reign!” -
Here she is: …
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axGLZ3SdN1I -
… and her favorite word is “Hai!”
snowymountainhell
Surprisingly (not really), this SoraNews24’s article’s included CM/video doesn’t even feature Nana Suzuki!?!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsNJlF1CehY&t=10s -snowymountainhell
Here’s the actual video of the pre-bout ‘weigh-in’. There wasn’t a lot of the flexing & ‘smack talk’ normally seem in these competing sport. Karina clearly the greater reach but Nana was definitely more energetic for the duration of the 47 minute event!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnnh25USSG8 -CS
Just gross.
TokyoJoe
If you enjoy watching a Japanese person stuff food into their cake hole and say umaii in an exaggerated way you are devoid of brain cells and should seek an MRI scan immediately.
BackpackingNepal
Outside Japan, it's $1 per piece.
Dumplings are full of unhealthy flour, try to make it whole wheat dumplings at home.
ReynardFox
Ohhh dang, that reminds me. Gotta make some more for the freezer.
I believe the correct term is “Japanese pierogi”.
Chris G
It’s because they’re Chinese. In Mandarin the name for them is 鍋貼 (guo tie) which means “pot sticker” basically.
bobcatfish
@Elvis is here
We've always called them Japanese pot stickers in our house here on the planet Zortog. My sister is the current best Japanese pot stickerest
bass4funk
All of you can pound sand, my wife makes the best gyoza around, and not only traditional but tuna, shrimp, beef, potato, and pizza gyoza, always a surprise and she never lets me, I find out when I start eating. Gyoza just always puts you in a good mood, it's that perfect comfort food and goes with pretty much anything.
Naw, too much work, just like a hamburger, watch the portions, eat and just enjoy, savor the flavor.
Mickelicious
Is that not just a typo?
GBR48
Gyoza seems to originate from Chinese jiaozi, 'occasioned upon' by 'uniformed Japanese tourists' in WWII. Tact on max there. Google searches suggest they are fried dumplings stuffed with strongly flavoured meat, rather like a boiled pasty. Vegetarian-ish ones may be available if you are brave/optimistic/reckless.
Just as in the West, celebs/tarento earn their corn promoting specific products in unusual ways. My favourite was NMB48's Miori Ichikawa aka Lemon-chan, Hiroshima Lemon Ambassador, now an actress and model. Miorin would eat raw lemons (don't try this at home, folks) and was famous for her lemon headgear. Japan is traditional, so you can expect attractive ladies and fit young blokes for a while yet. The woke wave has not yet broken on the shores of the Japanese entertainment industry.
The 'ranking' thing seems to be embedded in Japanese culture. In the early days of the net, every site had links to a ranking chart for whatever type of site you were looking at. It usually took up more space than the site itself. You could scroll down and click through them endlessly, finding ever more ranking site links.
To some extent it has been globalised with social media and other websites having trending post lists. Google Search doesn't really pursue trends like that for its own rea$on$, but if you are top of the search results on Naver in South Korea, you are in/famous.
The source of this piece is 'PR Times', not a news agency, which is a clue, Watson.
I've never heard the phrase 'pot sticker' before. Probably because a sticker, attached to a pot, would be a fire risk.