When is International Sushi Day?
International Sushi Day 2027 is on Friday
Friday, June 18, 2027
June 18 every year. That's in 244 days.
until International Sushi Day begins, in your time zone
International Sushi Day is an informal food day for sushi, the Japanese dish of vinegared rice paired with seafood or vegetables. It began on social media in 2009 and is now marked by restaurants and sushi fans in many countries.
About International Sushi Day
Sushi started as a way to preserve fish, not as a delicacy. Historian Alexander Lee, writing in History Today in 2019, explains that the earliest form probably began between the fifth and third centuries BC in rice paddies along the Mekong River, where fish were salted and packed in rice to ferment for months. The rice was thrown away and only the fish eaten. The method spread into China and eventually to Japan, where the earliest reference appears in the Yōrō Code of 718. Over the following centuries Japanese cooks shortened the fermentation until the rice became part of the meal, and by the mid-1600s vinegar was replacing fermentation altogether.
The style most people picture today took shape in Edo, now Tokyo, in the 1820s or 1830s: slices of cured or cooked fish on vinegar-seasoned rice, sold from street stalls as fast food. Popular legend credits a chef named Hanaya Yohei. Refrigeration later made raw fish practical, and after World War II sushi spread across the Pacific. In the 1960s cooks in California created the inside-out roll, one of many variations that followed.
International Sushi Day did not start in Japan. Media reports, including a 2022 article in the Mexican newspaper Publimetro, say it was created in 2009 by Chris DeMay, who ran a sushi page on Facebook, to encourage people around the world to try the dish and to bring its fans together on one day. It has no official status from any government or Japanese food body.
Sources: History Today: A Short History of Sushi (Alexander Lee, March 2019, archived), Publimetro México: Día Internacional del Sushi, cuándo y por qué se celebra (June 16, 2022). How we check dates.
How to mark International Sushi Day
- Make simple rolls at home with seasoned sushi rice, nori and fillings such as cucumber, avocado, cooked shrimp or egg.
- Visit a sushi counter and ask the chef to explain the difference between nigiri, maki and sashimi as you order.
- Check a sustainable seafood guide for your region before buying fish, and ask restaurants where theirs comes from.
- Learn how to make the vinegar seasoning for sushi rice from rice vinegar, sugar and salt.
- If you're pregnant or have a weakened immune system, ask your doctor about raw fish and choose cooked or vegetable sushi if advised.
International Sushi Day dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Wednesday, June 18, 2025 |
| 2026 | Thursday, June 18, 2026 |
| 2027 | Friday, June 18, 2027 |
| 2028 | Sunday, June 18, 2028 |
| 2029 | Monday, June 18, 2029 |
| 2030 | Tuesday, June 18, 2030 |
| 2031 | Wednesday, June 18, 2031 |
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Frequently asked questions
When is International Sushi Day 2027?
International Sushi Day 2027 is on Friday, June 18, 2027. It falls on June 18 every year. In 2028, it is on Sunday, June 18, 2028.
Who started International Sushi Day?
Media reports credit Chris DeMay, who ran a sushi page on Facebook, with starting it in 2009. It is an informal day without official backing.
Is sushi originally from Japan?
Its oldest form, fish fermented in rice, likely began in Southeast Asia along the Mekong River and reached Japan through China. The vinegared-rice sushi known today developed in Japan, especially in Edo in the early 1800s.
Is International Sushi Day a public holiday?
No. International Sushi Day is an observance, not a public holiday, so schools, banks, government offices and most businesses keep their normal hours.