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Sushi in the United States, 1945–1970

Sushi in the United States, 1945–1970
Sushi in the United States, 1945–1970
Sushi first achieved widespread popularity in the United States in the mid-1960s. Many accounts of sushi's US establishment foreground the role of a small number of key actors, yet underplay the role of a complex web of large-scale factors that provided the context in which sushi was able to flourish. This article critically reviews existing literature, arguing that sushi's US popularity arose from contingent, long-term, and gradual processes. It examines US newspaper accounts of sushi during 1945–1970, which suggest the discursive context for US acceptance of sushi was considerably more propitious than generally acknowledged. Using California as a case study, the analysis also explains conducive social and material factors, and directs attention to the interplay of supply- and demand-side forces in the favorable positioning of this “new” food. The article argues that the US establishment of sushi can be understood as part of broader public acceptance of Japanese cuisine.
40-62
House, Jonas
d12ff336-7b23-4143-8c47-2b2bc072352e
House, Jonas
d12ff336-7b23-4143-8c47-2b2bc072352e

House, Jonas (2018) Sushi in the United States, 1945–1970. Food and Foodways, 26 (1), 40-62. (doi:10.1080/07409710.2017.1420353).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Sushi first achieved widespread popularity in the United States in the mid-1960s. Many accounts of sushi's US establishment foreground the role of a small number of key actors, yet underplay the role of a complex web of large-scale factors that provided the context in which sushi was able to flourish. This article critically reviews existing literature, arguing that sushi's US popularity arose from contingent, long-term, and gradual processes. It examines US newspaper accounts of sushi during 1945–1970, which suggest the discursive context for US acceptance of sushi was considerably more propitious than generally acknowledged. Using California as a case study, the analysis also explains conducive social and material factors, and directs attention to the interplay of supply- and demand-side forces in the favorable positioning of this “new” food. The article argues that the US establishment of sushi can be understood as part of broader public acceptance of Japanese cuisine.

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Published date: 2 January 2018

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 504899
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/504899
PURE UUID: 1d740593-754a-4907-8040-31a4d77fa55c
ORCID for Jonas House: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6003-8276

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Date deposited: 22 Sep 2025 16:40
Last modified: 23 Sep 2025 02:22

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Author: Jonas House ORCID iD

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