Japan — Edo (Tokyo), early 19th century; Yohei Hanaya credited with inventing nigirizushi in 1824; yatai street food culture drove rapid adoption; earthquake and rebuilding cycles spread Edo-trained sushi chefs nationally
Edomae sushi (江戸前寿司) — literally 'in front of Edo' (Tokyo Bay) sushi — is the original form of nigirizushi, developed in early 19th century Tokyo (then Edo) as a street food. Unlike contemporary restaurant sushi, original Edomae sushi was pressed and handed to customers from yatai (street stalls), using preserved and marinated fish from Tokyo Bay — the 'edomae' referred not just to geography but to the suite of preservation techniques used: shime (vinegar-curing for mackerel and white fish), kombu-jime (kelp pressing for white fish), kobujime, zuke (soy marinating for tuna), and nitsume (sweet reduction sauce glazed over eel and shellfish). The size was designed to be eaten in two bites.
Edomae technique was developed to address the pre-refrigeration reality: the fish from Tokyo Bay needed preservation and flavour enhancement to be safely served raw. Zuke (醤油漬け) — tuna marinated in soy sauce — was the technique applied to bluefin tuna (which was originally considered a lower-class fish, the opposite of today's premium status). The neta (toppings) were smaller and more sharply seasoned than contemporary sushi; the shari (rice) was warmer and more vinegar-forward. Contemporary edomae sushi chefs at elite establishments like Saito, Sushi Sho, and Harutaka maintain variations of these historic techniques.
To experience authentic edomae sushi in Tokyo: seek omakase-only establishments that maintain classic techniques (Sukiyabashi Jiro, now primarily for counter seats at the branch). The 'second-generation' edomae chefs are applying the preservation and fermentation techniques to new ingredients and combinations while maintaining the technical philosophy. Study the traditional neta sequence: white fish (shiromi) first, then shellfish (shellfish season permitting), then tuna (maguro), then fatty tuna (otoro), then cooked neta (eel, egg).
Conflating all Japanese sushi with 'edomae' — Osaka's oshi-zushi (pressed sushi) and scattered chirashi-zushi are equally legitimate distinct regional traditions with earlier historical origins. Assuming the most expensive, minimally processed tuna is always superior — historically marinated zuke tuna was considered the premium preparation; raw tuna is a modern preference enabled by refrigeration. Ignoring the smaller, 'two-bite' sizing principle of authentic edomae — contemporary US-export sushi's large single-bite portions are a modern departure.
Tsuji, Shizuo — Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art; Ono, Jiro — Sukiyabashi Jiro documentation; Davidson, Alan — The Oxford Companion to Food