I know that the rolls are popular across the United States and in Asia outside of Japan (especially in South Korea) but is there any reference for how popular it is within Japan?

I couldn't find any sources for Tojo inventing the roll other than his own claims and some news sources repeating his claims. On the other hand, Tojo seems quite well-known and for inventing a variety of rolls, and the roll is IMHO an inevitable invention, so it's quite possible for various sushi chefs to have come up with this independently at the same time. In any case, given the lack of sources (which others are of course free to add), I've rephrased the relevant passage as "Tojo claims...".

I should add that Manashita's claim is perhaps not all too strong either, but at least there are some early sources supporting the Los Angeles origin and a couple pinpointing Manashita and his restaurant.

I've also omitted mention of some of Tojo's other rolls, as that is not really appropriate for an article about the California roll. It might be a good idea to reserve that info for an article on Tojo. --Chan-Ho (Talk) 11:34, 28 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I've removed this from the article for now:

Hidekazu Tojo's claim however, is disputed. There is an absence of any reference to such a variety of roll by Mr. Tojo prior to Mr. Manashita's introduction of the roll in the early 1970s. Further, the ingredients used in making a "California Roll" are not indigenous to Vancouver, where Mr. Tojo resided at the time, which further places into question his claims.

I suspect it to be Original Research; I wasn't able to find sources making these points. If reputable sources are cited for the material, it should be put back in. —Bunchofgrapes (talk) 22:45, 5 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Whatever the original source article was, they got his name wrong.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/53630?user_name=&query=mashita

One of the comments on the post is from his son.