is more sushi eaten in Japan alone, or in the entire rest of the world?

Hello plan9!

Actually, more sushi is consumed in my home than in Japan.

OK, I'm exaggerating.  But not by much. ;)

It should probably come as no surprise that hard data concerning this
is rather obscure.  However, based on the sheer size of the rest of
the world in comparison with Japan, and anectdotal evidence pointing
to the rapidly increasing demand for sushi elsewhere, it can
reasonably be assumed that more sushi is consumed in the entire rest
of the world than in Japan alone.

Take the US, for example.  Sushi is growing rapidly in popularity
here:

"Sushi consumption at US restaurants increased 40% in the past five
years according to the National Restaurant Association. More than
1,100 supermarkets have sushi bars in their meal solutions sections.
Advanced Fresh Concepts which manages 900 sushi bars in 900
supermarkets nationwide are adding bars at a rate of 100 to 150 more
per year."

Guide to the Food Sector in Chicago
http://atn-riae.agr.ca/info/us/e3188.htm

And have a look at the Sushi World Guide, showcasing 3001 sushi
restaurants, submitted by readers in 870 cities worldwide.

Sushi World Guide
http://sushi.to/

Not to be outdone, The Sushi Bar lists 4000 sushi restaurants
worldwide, and boasts an enormous links section:

The Sushi Bar
http://www.thesushibar.com/sushi.shtml

Neither list is complete.  Three sushi restaurants in my area alone
aren't there (I plan to fix that), so I'm certain they're missing
plenty elsewhere, too.

Further evidence of the worldwide popularity of sushi is noted in the
following paragraph, which discusses implications of the global
popularity of sushi and the perception that such popularity would
diminish sushi's cultural roots:

"Just because sushi is available, in some form or another, in
exclusive Fifth Avenue restaurants, in baseball stadiums in Los
Angeles, at airport snack carts in Amsterdam, at an apartment in
Madrid (delivered by motorcycle), or in Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, or
Moscow, doesn't mean that sushi has lost its status as Japanese
cultural property."

How Sushi Went Global
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/issue_novdec_2000/essay-bestor.html

I hope this is what you were looking for!

Best regards!

missy "here fishie fishie fishie" -ga

Search strategy:  Bookmarked sushi sites

---

Clarification of Answer by missy-ga on 14 Jun 2002 16:50 PDT

I can't believe I forgot the Sushi FAQ!

http://www.sushifaq.com/

...which includes definitions, terminology, etiquette and more!

---

Clarification of Answer by missy-ga on 16 Jun 2002 13:20 PDT

Hi plan9,

I wish you had asked me to find the other figures for you, before
rating the question!  I would have been happy to provide further
information!

No matter, I shall point you in the direction of China, just as an
example of how ferd's "do the math" is nothing but a red herring (no
pun intended).

Consider China's population - 1,261,832,482 (July 2000)
Source:  http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/ch/popula.html

vs. 

Japan's population - 126,549,976 (July 2000)
Source:  http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/ja/popula.html

It's true that Japanese per capita fish consumption is 17.1 kg or 37.7
lbs.  Contrast that, however, with per capita fish consumption in
China:

21.5 kg or 47.3 lbs.
Source:  http://www.lib.noaa.gov/china/policy.htm

So let's multiply it out - population x per capita consumption in
pounds = total consumption in pounds

Japan:  126,549,976 x 37.7 = 4,770,934,095.2 lbs. total annual
consumption

China:  1,261,832,482 x 47.3 = 59,684,676,398.6 lbs total annual
consumption

China alone can out-eat Japan when it comes to fish by 12 times as
much!  Aside from having a distinct population advantage, the Chinese
also consume nearly ten pound of fish more *per person* than the
Japanese.

If *one country* can out-eat Japan, wouldn't it be reasonable to
assume that all the rest combined can?  (Amusing example:  Have you
ever watched an American teenager at a sushi bar?  It's enough to make
you think *one kid* can out-eat Japan!).

In spite of the fact that sushi does not necessarily need to have raw
fish (or any fish at all, for that matter!  See: cucumber rolls.),
most varieties of sushi do include fish in some form or another. 
Japan is not eating it all by themselves, and they seem to be at a
disadvantage to try to consume even half of it on their own.

Tell the guy arguing with you to pay up.  ;)

missy-ga

Very impressed by the thoroughness and enthusiasm of missy-ga's
answer, but still not conclusive (I need to settle a heated late night
debate). Ferd-ga's is not nearly so convincing - it is true that the
term 'sushi' needs defining but it clearly relates to raw, and not
cooked fish.  The figures for fish consumption in Japan are
meaningless to me unless you can tell me the comparable figure for the
rest of the world - I can't 'do the math' without it. Both answers
have conflicting conclusions, which is a shame!

Actually, the term sushi must be clearly defined before this could be
answered to satisfaction.  If the question is simply referencing "raw
fish" instead of "sushi" specifically, then consumption in the rest of
the world would be higher than in Japan. (But, I reckon, a good
portion of the consumption of raw fish may very well take place in
Japanese restaurants around the world.)

While it's not possible to determine whether fish was consumed raw or
cooked, per capita consumption of fish in Japan for the year 1999 was
17.1kg or 37.7lbs; so consumption by Japan as a country would be
approximately 4billion 524million pounds. You do the rest of the math.

Sushi definitions:

Nigiri-sushi: raw fish piece on a bit of rice
Maki-sushi: fish piece, etc. rolled in rice and dried seaweed

--above items together are often referred to as sushi in the U.S.--

Sashimi: raw fish pieces with no rice.  This is not sushi, but often
eaten
at sushi shops

Basically, anything using sushi-meshi (sushi rice: rice prepared with
a
bit
of vinegar, sugar and flavoring) is referred to as sushi.

Oshi-sushi: pressed sushi with often marinated raw fish, eaten in west
Japan
Chirashi-sushi: Bowl or more of rice topped with various traditional
toppings, not limited to fish.  Fish may be raw or cooked in this
case.

There are a myriad more varieties of sushi in Japan.  Therefore, if
the
question refers in general to sushi, then sushi consumption in Japan
would
be greater in Japan than the rest of the world.

In fact sushi does not clearly relate to raw fish, as Plan9 says -
Ferd is right to say that it is basically anything involving sushi
rice. When the Japanese eat sushi it can involve practically anything,
but mainly vegetables - such as celery, avocado, carrots and so on -
cooked meat and eggs (strips of omelette). If it's rolled up in sushi
rice, with maybe a bit of seaweed, and dipped in wasabi (fantastic
stuff) and that revolting sweet soy sauce, then it's sushi!