The Ultimate Guide to Sushi! Learn the History, Terminology, and Etiquette to Fully Enjoy Japan’s Most Famous Food! Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Reservation Guide-

Update-Date: Jun 3, 2025

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Categories: Sushi

The Ultimate Guide to Sushi! Learn the History, Terminology, and Etiquette to Fully Enjoy Japan’s Most Famous Food!

Almost everyone who comes to Japan wants to try sushi. So, check out this guide of the most common terms, manners, and customs that you’ll encounter at a sushi restaurant! There's also a list some of the best sushi restaurants in Japan. By the end, you’ll be enjoying sushi like a pro!

The History of Sushi

The history of sushi goes back more than 1,000 years. It’s said that its roots lie in an ancient method of preserving fish and meat from southeast Asia, which was introduced to Japan through China. Originally, the recipe did not include vinegar. Instead, the dish was prepared by rubbing seafood or meat with salt and marinating it inside cooked rice for several months. This caused the rice to ferment and preserve the food within. In other words, sushi rice was originally a preservative, not a food. Back then, this dish was known in Japan as "nare zushi," which is said to have survived in the form of "funa zushi," a food still served around the coast of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture.

During the Muromachi Period (1336 - 1573), the recipe for sushi was tweaked, with the marinating time cut short and the rice being served as a part of the meal. Only the wealthiest people in the country got to enjoy it, but around the early Edo Period (1603 - 1868), sushi became popular among commoners as well. Then, in the early 18th century, the predecessor of modern sushi made with vinegared rice, known as [hayazushi] (fast sushi), was born. This eventually evolved into the now-familiar nigirizushi - hand-formed sushi with seafood toppings - in the early 19th century.

Types of Sushi

When picturing sushi, most people think of the nigiri zushi variety, where seafood is placed on top of vinegared rice, but there are many other kinds out there.

For example, there is maki zushi, which are sushi seaweed rolls with various fillings; chirashi zushi, where sushi rice is decorated elegantly with a variety of seafood or eggs; inari zushi, where vinegared rice is wrapped in sweet-and-spicy deep-fried tofu; and oshi zushi, a dish in which sushi rice is pressed in a rectangular box or mold and topped with seafood (like mackerel or conger eel), tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), and other ingredients.

Then there are subtypes of maki zushi like gunkan-maki, which is made by wrapping a strip of nori (seaweed) around a piece of rice and topping it with delicate ingredients like salmon roe or sea urchin. Another type of maki zushi is the California roll, which is made with vinegared rice on the outside and seaweed, avocado, and other ingredients on the inside.

As you can see, this dish that has become one of Japan’s most famous foods exists in several forms, and it’s still evolving to this day.

Sushi Terminology

You’re going to hear a lot of terms you might not be familiar with during a visit to a sushi restaurant. Here are some of the most common ones below so that you won’t be caught off guard. Memorize them and have the best sushi experience possible!

- Kan: A counting word for nigiri zushi. Ex: One kan of nigiri zushi, two kan of nigiri zushi, and so on.
- Shari: Vinegared rice. The word literally means "bones left after cremation" because of the rice’s white color.
- Namida or Sabi: Wasabi. The condiment is sometimes called "namida," which literally means "tears," because it’s so spicy, it can make you cry.
- Murasaki: Soy sauce. The word literally means "purple," the supposed color of the condiment.
- Neta: Sushi topping.
- Gyoku: Egg omelette.
- Kappa: Cucumber. A kappa-maki is a type of maki zushi with cucumber.
- Tekkamaki: A seaweed roll with red tuna meat.
- Gari: Thinly sliced ginger marinated in vinegar. Used as a palate cleanser between different servings of sushi.

Avoid a Faux Pas with This Etiquette Guide to Fine Sushi Dining

High-class sushi restaurants have different rules than casual conveyor-belt sushi restaurants. To make sure you don’t cause trouble to the restaurant or other guests, there are a few things you should know to enjoy fine sushi dining as much as possible.

<Sushi table manners>
- Eat the sushi as soon as it’s served.
Not enjoying a topping when it’s at its freshest is considered an insult to the chef. For maximum flavor and to not be rude, you must eat the sushi immediately after it’s been served.
- Dip the topping, not the rice, in just a little bit of soy sauce.
If you dip the rice in too much soy sauce, it will ruin the taste of the topping and cause the rice to fall apart. Dip a small corner of the topping in the condiment to enhance its flavor. Make sure to not take it off the rice, though, as that’s also considered a faux pas.
- Start with light flavors.
During fine sushi dining, you start with something light like white fish before moving to stronger flavors like red tuna meat, fatty tuna, shellfish, and unagi (eel). You end the meal with something refreshing like kappa-maki. However, this is not a hard rule, and it’s OK to order only the things you want or to ask for an [omakase] course where the chef chooses your sushi for you.
- Both hands and chopsticks are OK.
It doesn’t matter whether you eat sushi with your hands or with chopsticks. The choice is up to you.

See the Japanese Dining Etiquette video below.
https://savorjapan.com/contents/manners/japanese-dining-etiquette/

<How to dress>
- Do not put on perfume or cologne.
Strong fragrances will ruin the taste of sushi, especially if you’re sitting at a counter right in front of the chefs. Also make sure that your hair or laundry products don’t give off any strong odors.
- Refrain from smoking.
Just like perfume, the odor of cigarette smoke can ruin the taste of sushi. Please refrain from smoking shortly before entering a fine dining sushi restaurant.

Recommended Sushi Restaurants

In this section, here are some recommended sushi restaurants in Japan!

Sushi Onikai (Naka-Meguro)

Sushi Onikai is located just a 3-minute walk from Naka-Meguro Station, one of Tokyo’s most famous cherry blossom spots. They only serve an "Omakase Course" (11,000 JPY (plus tax)) of sushi and other culinary delights. Popular dishes include the Shrimp Tempura with Nori/Seaweed which is freshly-made shrimp tempura from the first-floor Tempura Miyashiro restaurant, wrapped delicately in rice and nori seaweed, as well as the Soy Marinated and Smoked Seasonal Fresh Fish, which is prepared right in front of you. However, because the owner prepares the menu based on the most delicious ingredients they can get at the time, you never really know what you’ll get at Sushi Onikai before you actually get there, which is all part of the fun!

Housed on the second floor of a renovated traditional Japanese house built 100 years ago, Sushi Onikai has the feel of a secret clubhouse. The counter only seats 10 people, so make sure you make a reservation before visiting.

Sushi Onikai

Open: [Tuesday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm)
Closed: Irregular
Average price: [Dinner] 12,000 JPY
Access: 3-minute walk from Nakameguro Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line
Address: 2F, 2-18-11, Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Map
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Sushi Sho (Hakone-Yumoto)

Established in 2019, Sushi Sho is located just a 7-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto Station, the gateway to the popular Hakone Onsen hot spring town in Kanagawa Prefecture. In addition to seasonal ingredients and delicious nigiri zushi, the restaurant has also won praise for its skillfully prepared sushi courses, so if you ever visit it, be sure to order the Chef's Choice Course (17,600 JPY) (reservation needed, book up to 12:00 pm the day before). Sushi Sho boasts fresh ingredients that are shipped directly to the restaurant from ports all over Japan. It’s also very particular about its rice, only cooking it in hot spring water from Kyushu.

The restaurant is part of the boutique Hotel ZAGAKUKAN owned by the Kinnotake Group, which operates luxury inns in Hakone. Despite that and its close location to the station, Sushi Sho feels like a secret hideaway where guests can enjoy peace and quiet as well as delicious food.

Sushi Sho

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday] 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm), Course L.O. 8:00 pm, The Chef's Choice Course is available by reservation only (by 12:00 pm the day before) [Sunday, National Holidays] 11:30 am - 5:30 pm (L.O. 4:00 pm)

Closed: Wednesday, Thursday
Average price: [Dinner] 20,000 JPY / [Lunch] 10,000 JPY
Access: 7 minute walk from Hakone Yumoto Station on the Odakyu Line / Hakone Tozan Railway
Address: 642-1, Yumoto, Hakonemachi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Map
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Tokyo Sushi ITAMAE SUSHI Akasaka Branch

ITAMAE SUSHI is a restaurant lets guests enjoy masterpieces using jewel-like ingredients, such as bluefin tuna shipped from the tuna broker Yamayuki, in a refined space. The most popular item is the Strongest Bluefin Tuna set. This recommended dinner time menu lets one eat and compare tuna items in a variety of styles. It includes Fatty Collar Bone Tuna (2 pieces), Medium Fatty Tuna (3 pieces), Lean Tuna (5 pieces), Minced Tuna Roll, and Hand Rolled Tuna and Pickled Daikon Radish. The Hadate Box Sea Urchin also comes highly recommended. It is a bold masterpiece that serves just-caught, fresh Hokkaido sea urchin in boxes.

Tokyo Sushi ITAMAE SUSHI Akasaka Branch

Open: [Monday-Friday] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm (L.O. 1:30 pm) / [Tuesday-Saturday] 11:30 am - 3:30 am (L.O. 3:00 am) / [Monday, Sunday, National Holidays] 11:30 am - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,500 JPY
Access: 1-minute walk from Akasaka-mitsuke Station, 6-minute walk from Exit #2 of Akasaka Station on Chiyoda Line
Address: 1F, Taisuikan Bldg., 3-10-1, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Map

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We hope that you have enjoyed this journey into the fascinating world of sushi. Memorize the lessons from this article before visiting a high-class sushi restaurant, and use our tips to get the most out of your next sushi experience in Japan! Bon appetit!

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

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