Sushi Isn’t Eaten All the Time

Is there a dish that is more associated with Japan than sushi? It's the one food that everyone knows is eaten in Japan, and it's incredibly popular in the West. In the US alone, sushi is valued about $22 billion. That much rice is a lot. So Japan must have an even larger industry, right?

Although it is popular in Japan, sushi is not as common as it is in North America. Sushi has traditionally been considered a special occasion food in Japan. It's not lunch on a Tuesday; rather, it's something for a birthday or dinner party with friends.

We are familiar with sushi in the West because it gained popularity here, much like ramen did. But to boil down Japanese food to sushi is like to boiling down American food. But to boil down Japanese food to sushi is akin to boiling down American food to hot dogs. Even while it may be symbolic in the eyes of the world, people do not often eat this every day or even every week. The variety of Japanese cuisine is astounding. According to a survey of Japanese citizens done in Japan, the majority eat sushi once every three months or so. Only 25% of those polled reported eating sushi more than once a month.