History of sushi Facts for Kids

This page is about the history of sushi. For the food itself, see Sushi.

The history of sushi began in Japan over 2,000 years ago. It started when people learned to farm rice. The very first type of sushi was a way to keep fish from spoiling. This happened in the Nara Prefecture. People would pack fish in fermented rice to preserve it.

Later, during the Muromachi period, people started eating both the fish and the rice. Then, in the Edo period, vinegar was used instead of fermented rice. This made the process faster. Today, sushi is a popular fast food. It is a big part of Japanese culture around the world.

Early Beginnings of Sushi
How Modern Sushi Was Created
Sushi Spreads Around the World
Images for kids
See also

Early Beginnings of Sushi

The idea of preserving fish with rice started in Southeast Asia. This was around 400 B.C. Back then, this early form of sushi was called narezushi. At first, only the fish was eaten. The rice was thrown away after it helped preserve the fish.

Later, a different style of narezushi came to Japan. This new style was called namaranarezushi. With this method, people began to eat the fish with the rice. This was a big step towards modern sushi.

How Modern Sushi Was Created

The sushi we know today was invented by a person named Hanaya Yohei. He lived from 1799 to 1858. He created modern sushi at the end of the Edo period. Hanaya's sushi was a type of fast food. It did not need a long time to ferment. It was made quickly and could be eaten easily with your hands.

This new sushi was first known as Edomae zushi. This name came from the fish used. It was fresh fish caught in Edo-Bay, which is now called Tokyo Bay. Today, the fish used in sushi usually comes from other places.

Sushi Spreads Around the World

By the early 1900s, sushi began to be served in the United States. Many Japanese people had moved there. The very first sushi shop in the United States opened in 1906. It was in a place called Little Tokyo in Los Angeles.

Sushi also reached the United Kingdom. A report of sushi being eaten in Great Britain came out in 1953. This was when Crown Prince Akihito visited Queen Elizabeth II. Australia is also important for sushi. It is a main source of the rice used to make sushi.