Explore the Appeal of Sushi, a Global Healthy
Food that has Travelled Over the Sea
Supervised by HIBINO Terutoshi
Sushi is healthy food that is now well-known all over the world.
In Japan, when you hear the word “sushi” you usually imagine nigiri-zushi, which consists offoodstuff like tuna sashimi placed on top of a small ball of vinegared rice. What kinds of sushi
are popular overseas?
In this article, I would like to focus on how sushi is accepted abroad, why sushi is so popularworldwide as a representative Japanese food, and the history of sushi.

The “sushi” popular around the world is not the sameas the sushi you see in Japan!
In Japan, when you hear the word “sushi” you usually imagine nigiri-zushi, but what kinds ofsushi are eaten worldwide?

The “sushi” that became popular in the U.S.
In the U.S. in the 1970s, when sushi first arrived there, “California roll” became a smash hit. It
uses avocado and imitation crab meat and rolls nori inside for people who are not used to eating
raw fish and seaweed.
On the other hand, Japanese food started to gain attention as healthy meals along with increasing
concerns on obesity and awareness for health in society. It is also said that partly being influenced
by mass media, people in the upper class tried nigiri-zushi using sashimi out of curiosity, realized
how delicious it is, and sparked the boom.

Contemporary state of sushi in London
Now, let’s a take a look at an example of how sushi is accepted now in London.
In restaurants offering sushi in London, especially those targeting wealthy people, customers tend
to prefer ordering “authentic” sushi, similar to what we eat in Japan. There are also many people
with the impression that Japanese food is healthy, and it seems that sushi using a grain-rice mix
or vegan sushi using vegetables are frequently ordered.
Of course, sushi is enjoyed not only among wealthy people but also widely among London

citizens. For instance, “YO! Sushi” is a franchise of “sushi train” Japanese food restaurants thatoriginated in UK. “YO! Sushi” considers sushi as a certain genre of Japanese cuisine, and offers
various original dishes. There are not many varieties of nigiri-zushi, and instead, many kinds ofsushi rolls are offered. Dishes dressed with tiny fish roe and some crispy materials are popular,instead of simple rolls using vinegared rice and nori. Rolled ingredients are not limited to seafoodand you can enjoy various types, such as vegetables, fried food, and chicken.
Similar to Japan, there are also takeaway-style sushi stores. At “Wasabi,” a Japanese fast-foodstore mainly offering sushi and bento boxed lunches, there are many customers who selectindividually-wrapped sushi and pack them in a box to pay.
Sushi is also a popular party food abroad, usually served in a colorful style such as finished withsauce or adding beautiful toppings.

Why did sushi change after being exported?
Why did sushi, a typical Japanese food, become so popular worldwide, and become commonly
recognized under the original name of “sushi?” Also, while nigiri-zushi is the general image ofmainstream sushi in Japan, why did that change after being exported?

Sushi became popular with people’s increased awareness of health
The first country to which sushi was exported large scale was the U.S. It was first offered at sushi
restaurants targeting Japanese people who migrated to the U.S., but it gradually became known
widely among local residents.
Thereafter, in the 1970s, obesity and high-calorie foods become a social issue in the U.S., mainly
among the upper-class people. Non-fried and healthy Japanese food, especially sushi, becamevery trendy with people’s increased awareness of health. The trend further spread out to Brazil,Singapore, UK, etc., and the name recognition of sushi as a typical Japanese food increased.
Japan is known as a country of good health and long life, and one of the reasons is healthy
Japanese food. It also seems that the delicate style of Japanese cuisine that focuses on the taste of
the foodstuff itself instead of relying on the taste of seasonings like salt or ketchup stimulated theinterest of the intellectual class.
In fact, Japanese cuisine attracting attention due to its healthiness, was inducted into UNESCO's
Cultural Heritage list in 2013 as washoku, recognized for its style of respecting the natural aspectsof the various foodstuff used, while maintaining a nutritional balance supporting healthy dietary
life.

Transformation in line with the food culture of each country
Although sushi became well known throughout the world as a part of healthy washoku, because
P2culinary culture differs largely from country to country, it is necessary to be served in a style thatmatches the culture. The transformation of dishes in conformity to the culture or preference of thecountry is called “food fusion.”In the U.S., where sushi first was first diffused abroad, nigiri-zushi dishes similar to those in Japan
became popular mainly among upper-class people, who expected healthiness. However, it is aquite natural evolution for people to create and enjoy sushi with their familiar foodstuffs andflavors in the course of being spread widely among general society. Not only in the U.S., but alsoin Latin America and Europe, sushi is not the same as that in Japan. While incorporating theessence of Japanese style, various forms of sushi were created with a flexible mindset and tookroot in different places.

Learning about the mainstream of sushi culture in JapanAs I have talked about the trends of sushi around the world, maybe you gained an impression like
“Sushi overseas sounds a bit strange,” or “It’s very different from the real sushi in Japan.”
However, is nigiri-zushi, which is the authentic sushi that springs to mind, really a tradition thatwas handed down from ancient times without its form and recipe being unchanged? From here
on, let’s look back at history and track the changes of sushi that took place one after another,according to movements among ordinary people.

The origin of the acidic taste of in sushi isfermentation; Hon-nare
It is said that sushi was introduced to Japan more than 1300 years ago, from the current Southeast
Asia via China. It was originally a food made from fermented fish and rice.
Back then, rice was used merely for fermentation and was not for eating, so it was wiped off fromthe fish when eating. Such fermented sushi, which is the original style of sushi, is called hon-nare.
One of the existing foods that is most similar to hon-nare is funa-zushi, a specialty product of
Shiga Prefecture. The acidic taste of sushi comes from this traditional style of old fermented sushi.

Why not shorten the fermentation time and eat sooner! The change to nama-nareEntering the age of the samurai, such as the Kamakura Era and Muromachi Era, ordinary people
start eating rice, and many changes were induced to sushi as well.
Back then, rice was very valuable. Based on a very common-sense approach that you shouldn’t
throw away such a precious foodstuff when eating, or you can’t wait as long as six months to eat
sushi, people thought of a way to shorten the fermentation period and eat rice with the fish. That
resulted in a sushi called nama-nare. Although it still looks quite different, it can be called theP3mainstream sushi of modern times, with rice and fish eaten together.

From fermentation to sushi using vinegar; Emergence of haya-zushi
The idea that the acidic taste generated from fermentation is the key to sushi was maintained
thereafter. However, from the desire of ordinary people to eat sushi even sooner, they thought ofa way to make the acidic taste more quickly. Through trial and error, they came up with usingvinegar.
Entering the Edo Period, sushi changed from fermented food to food using vinegar, based on an
idea by ordinary people, and became enjoyed widely. In contrast to fermented sushi, sushi using
vinegar is called haya-zushi, leading to the modern sushi using vinegared rice.

The form of sushi invented in the Edo Period has been handed down tomodern times
Nigiri-zushi, which is what we imagine when hear the word “sushi,” is the latest style in the long
history of sushi, and it was born after going through major changes from sushi in the past. Makizushi and chirashi-zushi, which are the popular styles of sushi along with nigiri-zushi, are also
relatively new styles in the history of sushi.
In the past there were two different types of sushi: one was sugata-zushi, which uses a whole fish
fermented with rice, and hako-zushi, which was made by stuffing a fillet of fish and rice inside abox, but the wisdom and ideas of the common people also greatly changed the form of sushi.

Maki-zushi stems from the playful mind of ordinary people
The origin of maki-zushi is sugata-zushi.
Sugata-zushi was made by stuffing fish with rice. However, with the development of food culture
among ordinary people in the Edo Period, a new style of wrapping a fish with rice was born fromthe playful mind of people in Edo. However, the surface of uncovered rice sticks to your hands,
which triggered the idea of wrapping the entire roll with nori or a pickled leaf vegetable. That was
the prototype of maki-zushi, which is a roll of foodstuff and rice wrapped with nori.

Chirashi-zushi was a result of cutting corners
Chirashi-zushi developed from hako-zushi, which was also generated from an idea by ordinarypeople. Hako-zushi was made by filling a large box with fish and rice and pressing them, and thenremoving the sushi from the box after a while and cutting it into pieces for serving. However, it
required great care to neatly cut the large piece of pressed sushi to serve on a dish. Ordinary people
tried to “cut corners,” by eating directly out of the box instead of removing it from the box andcutting it. Gradually, people even stopped pressing the sushi, resulting in chirashi-zushi, which
you make inside a serving bowl from the beginning.

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Nigiri-zushi was a result of improving the efficiency of work
It is believed that nigiri-zushi was also developed from hako-zushi.
Although hako-zushi is removed from the box and cut into pieces before serving, people thoughtof improving the efficiency of work by pressing sushi with your hands instead of using tools.
Gradually, a recipe to press a bite-sized ball of rice with your hands and serve it directly wascreated. It is believed that this led to the emergence of modern nigiri-zushi as we see now.

Trend of sushi culture in modern Japan
With the variation of sushi expanding dramatically, nigiri-zushi gained great popularity among
the busy people in Edo as a convenient fast-food that was sold in food stalls and could be eaten
while standing. Chefs specializing in making sushi started to appear, and the style of Edomaenigiri, using seafood caught near Edo, diffused throughout Japan. Gradually, the image of nigirizushi as a common style of sushi was established.
Thereafter, from the end of World War II to modern days, sushi culture in Japan can be divided
generally into three genres.
One is high-class sushi, using premium ingredients and served in sophisticated restaurants wherecustomers and sushi chefs face each other over a counter. Second is the “sushi train” stylerestaurants, where you can enjoy sushi casually and quickly at a reasonable price. Third ishomemade sushi enjoyed as an event food on special occasions in the region and seasonal events.
Sushi has such a profound character that can be changed flexibly according to people’s needs inany era.

Discover the appeal of sushi in this era of globalization
Through its history as long as 1300 years, sushi in Japan has gone through many majorinnovations according to the trend of the times. It is a food that has been popular among ordinary
people, realizing “food fusion” repeatedly in terms of ingredients, form, and recipe. On the other
hand, it is also interesting that the sushi before such innovation has not become obsolete, and you
can find and taste many forms of old-style sushi if you desire. You can say that the appeal of sushi
lies in its rich variation and flexibility.
Based on such understanding of the history of sushi, the fusion of sushi abroad is definitely not astrange phenomenon. It can rather be recognized as a familiar change that is characteristic to sushi.
The word “sushi” has now become a common word used globally, despite various originalchanges added in each country, and sushi, originating in Japan, is enjoyed worldwide as adelicious, healthy food. Those are facts that we can be greatly proud of.
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Bibliography
Kyoko Mochizuki, Yukako Saito, Masao Tamada (2013). “Gakkenn Manga de Yokuwakaru series82, The secret of Kaiten Sushi.” Gakken Inc.
Kyoko Mochizuki, Hitoshi Ogino (2017). “Gakkenn Manga de Yokuwakaru series 127, The secretof Maki Sushi.” Gakken Inc.
Terutoshi Hibino (1997). “The style of Sushi.” Taiko sya.
Terutoshi Hibino (1999). “Visited the history of Sushi.” Iwanami Shoten, Publishers.
Terutoshi Hibino (2015). “The secret of Sushi.” Kinnohoshi Co., Ltd.

Nobuhisa Namimatsu (2019). “Transformation and Globalization of Traditional Food “Sushi.” THE
BULLETIN OF THE INSTITUTE OF JAPANESE CULTURE KYOTO SANGYOUNIVERSITY 24 37-78, 2019-03-25[Translated from Japanese]

Websites
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (2013). “Washoku, as an UNESCO Intangible
Cultural Heritage.”https://www.maff.go.jp/j/keikaku/syokubunka/ich/#:~:text=%E5%B9%B3%E6%88%9025%E
5%B9%B412%E6%9C%88,%E3%81%AB%E7%99%BB%E9%8C%B2%E3%81%95%E3%
82%8C%E3%81%BE%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E3%80%82 (Accessed, 7 December 2022)[Translated from Japanese]
Yosushi. https://yosushi.com/ (Accessed, 7 December 2022)
Wasabi. https://www.wasabi.uk.com/ (Accessed, 7 December 2022)

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