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6 Min
29/12/2025
Japan takes everything up a notch, and its sushi is no exception. What was once made to serve travellers as convenient little snacks packed with nutrition is today an edible art. Seriously, sushi looks too good to eat! So, what are the stories, secrets, and regional varieties of these impeccable bite-sized umami morsels?
Hop to your nearest sushi place and you can familiarise yourself with the likes of nigiri, maki, California roll, uramaki, and temaki sushi. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for the many sushi varieties that thrive in Japan. Japanese food varies with the season, most of it reflecting the seasonal colours and flavours, and sushi is no exception. But besides the climate, the region also influences the sushi, flavoured by whatever local produce is available in abundance. Here are some regional sushi types cherished in Japan which you might not find away from its shores.
Near the end of the Edo era, sushi chef Hanaya Yohei revolutionised sushi by creating hand-moulded bite-sized pieces of fish atop vinegared rice for quick service to travellers. ‘Edomae’ literally refers to seafood caught in Edo Bay (now Tokyo Bay), and the style emphasises using local Tokyo Bay fish rather than prioritising absolute freshness. Traditional Edomae technique involves specific preparation methods – ingredients like anago (saltwater eel), kohada (yellowfin tuna), and zuke maguro (tuna marinated in soy sauce). Seasonal specialities range from spring clams like aoyagi and torigai to winter yellowtail and sea bream.
Izushi represents one of Japan's most unique sushi traditions, hailing from the historic castle town in Hyogo Prefecture. This regional speciality breaks conventional sushi rules by incorporating local mountain vegetables and river fish rather than ocean seafood. The preparation involves wrapping sushi rice and ingredients in persimmon leaves, which impart a subtle flavour. The persimmon leaf wrapping technique dates back centuries, when refrigeration was unavailable, and helped preserve the food during transport. Modern Izushi maintains this leaf-wrapping tradition even though it's no longer necessary.
This pressed sushi masterpiece originated in Osaka’s Kansai region and represents the region's preference for layered, compressed sushi over Tokyo's hand-formed nigiri style. Oshizushi is crafted using a special rectangular wooden box called an oshibako, where ingredients are layered with sushi rice and pressed to create a dense, firm block. The most famous variety is battera, featuring vinegar-marinated mackerel pressed with sushi rice and topped with delicate kombu kelp layers. The wooden pressing boxes (oshibako) have been used for centuries and require specific wood types that don't impart unwanted flavours to the sushi.
Hakodate's position alongside the Tsugaru Straits in Hokkaido provides access to exceptional seafood quality, creating a distinctive sushi culture that emphasises fresh ingredients and generous portions. The city's morning markets are legendary for their kaisendon (seafood bowls) featuring uni (sea urchin), scallops, shrimp, and salmon roe. This sushi thus uses scallops, sea urchin, and crabs. The preparation style is notably less formal than Tokyo's Edomae tradition, focusing on showcasing ingredient quality over technique. Local specialities include kaisen chirashi featuring multiple types of roe, butter-seared scallops, and seasonal snow crab preparations.
Anago (saltwater eel) sushi represents one of Edomae sushi's most technically challenging preparations, requiring masterful cooking techniques. The eel is carefully cleaned, butterflied, and simmered in a sweet soy-based sauce called tsume. Traditional preparation involves specific scoring techniques to prevent the eel from curling during cooking, and the timing must be precise to avoid overcooking. Anago differs significantly from unagi (freshwater eel) in its lighter, more flavorful, and firmer texture. Master sushi chefs pride themselves on their anago preparation, as it demonstrates technical skill and understanding of traditional cooking methods.
‘Bara’ means scattered or mixed, reflecting the dish's integrated approach to combining ingredients. Barazushi, also called gomoku chirashi in some regions, is the Kansai region's answer to chirashi sushi, filled with vegetables and small cubes of cooked seafood rather than sashimi slices. In Kyushu, particularly Fukuoka, barazushi features sushi rice mixed with fish, vegetables, and sweetened omelette. This mixed-style approach creates a colourful, festive dish that differs significantly from Tokyo's arrangement-focused chirashi. Traditional ingredients include shiitake mushrooms, carrots, lotus root, bamboo shoots, and various preserved items that can be prepared in advance for celebrations.
Once primarily associated with traditional occasions, sushi today is increasingly simplified or catered rather than made at home. Younger generations are embracing more casual and creative forms of sushi at home parties, and it’s becoming a common choice at weddings or anniversaries, too. Despite these shifts, it continues to be a cherished part of Japanese cuisine.
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