Originally, “sushi” was a form of preserving fish, introduced to Japan in the 8th century from Southeast Asia; this involved wrapping a piece of gutted fish in fermented rice. This allowed for fish to be stored for several months, but surprisingly, the rice was thrown away. Later, the preserved fish was eaten with rice, Japan’s staple food, and was called nare-zushi, which can still be found today.
Over the years, nare-zushi evolved according to each region’s specialities; in Osaka, oshi-zushi became popular, while Shiga is still renowned for its funa-zushi from Lake Biwa.
Haya-zushi, or “quick sushi,” was invented during the early 19th century by Hanaya Yohei (there is a Japanese chain restaurant named after him), and this is the form of sushi that is known worldwide today, now called nigiri-zushi. Fresh fish from Edo Bay (present day Tokyo) was eaten with vinegared rice, and sushi yatai (food stalls) emerged all over Tokyo. It has been theorized that this form of sushi became popular throughout Japan due to the 1923 Kanto Earthquake, which resulted in the Tokyo sushi chefs evacuating back to their hometowns and spreading the sushi culture there.
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