The difference is simple: sushi is defined by its seasoned rice, while sashimi is thinly sliced fish or seafood served without rice. Many visitors assume sushi means raw fish, but that is not what makes a dish sushi.
This guide explains both, lists the main types you will see on menus in Japan, and covers how to order and eat each one.
Table of Contents
The Short Answer
Sushi is built on shari, rice seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. The topping or filling can be raw or cooked fish, vegetables or egg. Sashimi is fresh fish or seafood sliced thin and served on its own, usually with soy sauce and wasabi.
Sushi vs Sashimi Compared
| Sushi | Sashimi | |
|---|---|---|
| Defining ingredient | Seasoned (vinegared) rice | Sliced fish or seafood, no rice |
| Raw fish? | Not always. Cooked seafood, vegetables and egg are common | Often raw, but some items such as octopus are usually boiled before slicing |
| How it is served | Nigiri, rolls, hand rolls or rice bowls | Slices arranged on a plate, often with garnish |
| How it is eaten | By hand or chopsticks, dipped lightly in soy sauce | With chopsticks, with soy sauce and wasabi |
| Role in a meal | Can be a full meal | Often an appetiser or a course alongside rice and soup |
The definitions above follow Japanese Taste.
A Short History of Sushi
Sushi began as preservation, not as a restaurant dish. Fun Japan explains that its ancestor is narezushi, fish fermented with rice, which developed in Southeast Asia and is said to have been introduced to Japan in the Nara period, around 710–794. In the earliest versions the rice was a fermenting agent rather than part of the meal. A local version, funazushi from Shiga Prefecture, is still eaten as a delicacy, according to TableCheck.
The hand-pressed nigiri that most visitors picture is much younger. It is called Edomae sushi, meaning Edo-style, after the old name for Tokyo, and TableCheck credits a chef named Yohei Hanaya with inventing it. It was enjoyed as fast food in Edo, and Spirits of Sushi dates the term Edomae-zushi to the Bunka-Bunsei period (1804–1830). After the Second World War, sushi was for a time a luxury because seafood was expensive and rice was scarce, TableCheck adds.
That history explains why vinegared rice defines sushi today: many food historians describe vinegar as the quick way to reproduce the sourness that fermentation once gave the dish.
The Main Types of Sushi
- Nigiri: a small mound of rice topped with fish or another ingredient.
- Maki: rice and fillings rolled in nori seaweed and sliced.
- Temaki: a cone-shaped hand roll.
- Chirashi: a bowl of rice with ingredients scattered on top.
- Oshizushi: pressed sushi, formed in a mould, a style associated with Osaka and the Kansai region
- Inarizushi: pouches of seasoned fried tofu (abura age) filled with sushi rice
Not every topping is served plain. Fun Japan notes that toppings such as conger eel and mantis shrimp are coated with a salty-sweet sauce called tsume, and that Edomae sushi is sometimes brushed with boiled soy sauce, so taste a piece before reaching for the soy dish. A history essay by Spirits of Sushi argues that, in principle, the fish in classic Edomae sushi is prepared rather than served simply raw, for example by curing, marinating or simmering.
Common Sashimi
A sashimi plate usually features several kinds of fish, such as tuna, salmon or white fish, plus other seafood. Cuts and presentation depend on the fish and the chef. Menus often list sashimi as an assortment, so you can sample several kinds in one order.
Sashimi in Detail
Sashimi is defined by what it lacks. Pogogi points out that sashimi is never sushi, because the moment vinegared rice is added the dish becomes sushi, and that sashimi is not limited to fish: horse meat is served as sashimi in some regions. Nigiri looks like sashimi on rice, and functionally it is, but the rice is what makes it sushi.
A sashimi plate typically arrives with shredded daikon (tsuma), a shiso leaf and wasabi, according to Pogogi. Pour a modest amount of soy sauce into the dish and avoid stirring the wasabi into it, which keeps the flavour of the fish clean.
Because sashimi and most nigiri toppings are raw, sourcing matters more than with any cooked dish. Choose places with a steady turnover of fish, and tell the staff if you want to avoid raw items.
On price and nutrition, Toast says sashimi tends to cost more for premium cuts, while nigiri delivers more variety and value. Sashimi is lower in calories and carbohydrates, and nigiri is the more filling choice.
How to Eat Each One
- Nigiri: you can eat it by hand or with chopsticks. Dip the fish side, not the rice, in a little soy sauce.
- Sashimi: use chopsticks. Add a small amount of wasabi to the fish and dip lightly in soy sauce.
- Ginger: eat the pickled ginger between pieces as a palate cleanser, not on top of the fish.
- Order: if you can, move from lighter fish to richer or stronger-flavoured ones.
- Pour a modest amount of soy sauce into the dish and do not stir the wasabi into it, as Pogogi advises
- Keep nigiri whole where you can, because the aim is to preserve the balance of rice and fish, according to Toast
Ordering Tips for Visitors
- If you want cooked options, look for items such as egg, eel, shrimp or vegetable rolls.
- If you want to avoid raw fish entirely, say so when ordering, since sashimi and many nigiri are raw.
- Check for allergens such as shellfish, fish and soy sauce (which contains wheat).
- Prices vary widely by restaurant style, so check the menu or the price shown at the door.
For where to eat in Tokyo, see our guides to the sushi capital of Japan and the best places to eat sushi in Tokyo.
Omakase and Sitting at the Counter
At a sushi counter you can order piece by piece or choose omakase, which means leaving the selection to the chef. We explain the term in our guide to kaiseki and how it differs from omakase.
Seasonality drives what is served. TableCheck’s guide to sushi profiles toppings such as tai (sea bream), awabi (abalone), kohada and maguro (tuna), and the best choices change through the year, so ask the chef what is at its best. Counter seats are usually the best way to see how sushi is made, because each piece is formed and served in front of you.
How We Would Order a First Sushi Meal
For a first sushi meal in Japan, we would start gently and build up. A cooked piece such as egg, eel or shrimp is an easy opening, as this guide suggests, followed by a few pieces of nigiri you can see being made. If you want to taste the fish on its own, we would add a small sashimi plate and compare it with the same fish as nigiri.
| Step | What we would order | What we would learn |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egg, eel or shrimp nigiri | How shari, the seasoned rice, tastes with a cooked topping |
| 2 | A sashimi assortment | How the fish tastes without rice, with a little wasabi and soy |
| 3 | The same fish as nigiri | How the rice changes the balance, the difference this guide is about |
| 4 | Omakase, if you enjoy it | How a chef paces a meal through the season |
If you plan to eat omakase, our kaiseki guide explains how it differs, and for the cash you may need at small counters, see how much yen to bring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sushi always raw fish?
No. The rice is what defines sushi. Toppings and fillings can be cooked fish, vegetables or egg.
Is sashimi always raw?
Usually, but not always. Octopus, for example, is often boiled before it is sliced.
Is sashimi served with rice?
No. Sashimi is served without rice, though it is often eaten as part of a meal that includes rice and soup.
What is the difference between nigiri and sashimi?
Nigiri is a small mound of rice with a topping, so it is sushi. Sashimi is the sliced fish alone.
Which is better for beginners?
Cooked options such as egg, eel or shrimp nigiri, or a simple roll, are an easy start. Ask the staff for recommendations.
Which is healthier, sushi or sashimi?
Sashimi is lower in calories and carbohydrates because it has no rice, according to Toast, while nigiri is more filling. Sauces, fried fillings and mayonnaise-based rolls change the picture, so check what is actually on the plate.
Which costs more, sushi or sashimi?
Sashimi tends to cost more for premium cuts of fish, while nigiri offers more variety and value, according to Toast. Prices vary widely by restaurant style, so check the menu or the price shown at the door.
Why is nigiri called Edomae sushi?
Edomae means Edo-style, after the old name for Tokyo. TableCheck says the hand-pressed style was enjoyed as fast food in Edo and credits a chef named Yohei Hanaya with inventing it.
What was the original form of sushi?
Narezushi, fish preserved with fermented rice. Fun Japan says it is thought to have reached Japan in the Nara period, and TableCheck notes that funazushi from Shiga Prefecture is a version still eaten today.
Sources and Last Check
Facts on this page were checked against the sources below on October 9, 2026. Prices, opening hours and rules can change, so confirm with the operator before you go. Images on this page are illustrative and are not photos from a specific visit.
