Sushi has a long history in Japan and it has been evolving for more than thousands of years. While the regular nigiri sushi and sushi rolls are common all over Japan, each prefecture has its own style of sushi with different types of topping (neta), sushi with wrapping, and many more variations of how the sushi is made and displayed. You can plan a trip that travels across Japan and tries out all the different types of sushi in Japan since each prefecture/city has its own special fish that’s found locally or a special way of making sushi. In fact, it is said there are over 40 different kinds of sushi in Japan.

In this article, you can find out some of the different types of sushi in Japan. With a few of the more significant types of sushi in Japan that will be thoroughly looked into. If you do ever visit Japan, you should definitely try them out. And share with it us on our Facebook Page!
Now, let us find out more about the different kinds of sushi in Japan!

Sushi in Japan

Japan is the country that made sushi shine bright and popularize it all over the world. Sushi is part of the Japanese culture and Japanese people are very proud of it. There is a wide range of different kinds of sushi in Japan, and in each prefecture, there is sushi that is unique to that location. There are at least 47 different kinds of sushi in Japan! Get ready to learn about some delicious and interesting sushi in Japan.

Sushi from Capital of Japan: Tokyo

Nigiri or Edomae

Tokyo or Edo has one of the most well-known sushi, nigiri sushi aka edomae sushi. Nowadays, when people think of sushi in Japan, they are thinking about nigiri sushi. The nigiri sushi actually has a very interesting origin story. In fact, Tokyo or Edo had three major sushi, which are Edomae (nigiri), Kenukisushi and Matsugasushi.

Within the two popular kinds of sushi from Edo, Matsugasushi, and Edomae(Yohei) are both nigiri sushi. There were two sushi masters that created/invented the nigiri sushi Sakaiya Matugorou and Hanaya Yohei. It is hard to tell who exactly invented the nigiri sushi, however, both were very popular types of sushi.

Learn more about nigiri sushi!

Kenukisushi

The Kenukisushi is a type of oshizushi (traditional sushi in Japan) that is individually wrapped with bamboo leaves. It has a strong vinegar taste and the fish is also fermented. The name can be directly translated to hair plucking sushi, which symbolized the fact all the bones of the fish are plucked and removed. Currently, in Tokyo, Japan there is a Kenukisushi specialized shop that has been passed down for 12 generations.

Unique Sushi from Chiba

The Datemakizushi is a very interesting sushi roll. Instead of using nori like the traditional sushi rolls in Japan, it is typed of rolled omelet (Tatemaki). Tatemaki is mixed with white fish meat, shrimp and egg, creating this fluffy yet sweet omelet. There is also the Futomaki Matsurizushi, which is very thick sushi (like a sushi burrito) with less ingredient and more design sushi roll. Futomaki Matsurizushi has multiple thin sushi wrapped inside thicker sushi.

Wrapped Sushi

Sushi wrapped with leaves is a very common type of sushi in Japan. In fact, sushi from many prefectures are wrapped sushi with seafood that is native to that area and the leaves too.

Places in Japan with Wrapped Sushi

If you like unique wrapped sushi in Japan or curious to try it out. Here are a few prefectures that offer their special and unique wrapped sushi:

• Nagano’s Sasazushi = Square shaped sushi often paired with a type of salmon, spices and a thin slice of lemon for flavor. It is then wrapped with indigenous bamboo leaves.
• Persimmon Leaf wrapped sushi = Kakinohazushi is wrapped sushi that can be found in Nara, Wakayama, Ishikawa and Tottori prefectures. Each place serves the sushi a bit different, with different kinds of neta.
• Meharizushi = From Wakayama and Mie prefectures, the Meharizushi is wrapped with edible vegetables, like cabbages or other big leaves veggies.
• Houbazushi = This is sushi can be found in Gifu, Nara, and Nagano, Japan. This sushi is quite unique since the rice is are not tightly pressed together like the rest of the sushi in Japan. It has a loose form but still wrapped by Japanese magnolia leaves.

Many of the wrapped sushi in Japan is somewhat similar.

Narezushi: the original sushi of Japan

Narezushi is fermented fish and rice dish. Narezushi is considered one of the oldest sushi in Japan. This dish has a very unique scent to it.

• One of the most famous narezushi is Funazushi. Funazushi is one of the oldest sushi in Japan, and currently can be found in Biwako in Shiga Prefecture.
• Kaburazushi is very peculiar sushi, where fish and carrot are being stuffed into a turnip and then fermented. It is very similar to a pickled dish in Japan and often eaten with alcohol.

Noteworthy Sushi in Japan

• Osakazushi is the most popular sushi before the birth of edomae sushi. Osaka sushi or also known as Oshizushi was very popular all over Japan when it was first invented. Many other sushi is based on the idea of osakazushi.
• Masuzushi is a special kind of sushi that is often sold in a train station in Japan. It is a souvenir from Toyama. It has a pizza like an appearance, and it is vinegared trout over sushi rice.
• Sakezushi, as mentioned, this dish uses sake. Sake is mixed in with salt and rice to make this scatter sushi over rice. This sushi is native to Kagoshima, Japan.

Conclusion

There are so many different kinds of sushi in Japan. There are still a lot more kinds of sushi in Japan and if I were to write about them all in one post it would be a long post. If you are interested in knowing more about sushi, please do check out our other articles about sushi in Japan. You never will know what you will find, and next time if you do visit Japan, you can always check out these amazing and new kinds of sushi in Japan.

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