Pizzeria Piace - pizza napoletana in Morioka

Eating pizza in Japan sounds like an odd choice, but Pizzeria Piace made a strong case for it. The same obsessive precision I've seen at ramen counters and sushi bars is on full display here — attention to the dough, the timing of the oven, the exact ratio of toppings. That dedication is what makes the pizza come out right.

The pizza

From outside, you get a direct view of the wood-fired oven. Inside, the restaurant is small, with only a handful of seats.

The menu was short. The dough came out crunchy outside and soft inside, topped with tomato sauce and AVPN-compliant ingredients.

Each pizza came with a small card noting its number in the restaurant's running count, alongside the AVPN certificate.

Associazione Pizza Verace Napoletana

The Associazione Pizza Verace Napoletana (AVPN), or True Neapolitan Pizza Association, is a non-profit international organisation that has worked to cultivate the craft of Neapolitan pizza making since 1984.

The association secured DOC status for Neapolitan pizza, letting it certify pizzerias that meet strict requirements on raw materials, preparation method, and baking time, among other criteria.

Pizzeria Piace in Morioka holds certificate number 373. Eighty pizzerias across Japan have obtained AVPN certification; the AVPN website lists every certified pizzeria worldwide, functioning as a kind of Michelin Guide for pizza.