Long before sushi became one of Japan’s most famous exports, the Japanese appetite for fish was already leaving evidence behind—in their teeth. Researchers examining centuries-old dental plaque from ordinary people buried in Osaka found traces of red sea bream, salmon, other fish, meat, and plants, revealing what commoners were eating as sushi culture flourished during the Edo period.
The findings suggest that people outside Japan’s elite had access to a surprisingly wide range of foods, including some transported over long distances. The study was led by Yoko Uchida-Fukuhara of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI. Researchers examined eight adults from the Ofuka-cho archaeological site, also known as the Umeda Cemetery. The burial ground served commoners in premodern Osaka.
The individuals date to the Edo period, which lasted from 1603 to 1868. Japan experienced political stability and economic growth during this time. Food culture also expanded. Cookbooks became more common, while street vendors sold dishes such as soba noodles and sushi to ordinary residents.
Dental calculus reveals individual meals
Historical records provide considerable information on Edo-period food, but much of the evidence comes from documents linked to samurai, wealthy merchants, and other higher-status groups. That leads to the basic question of what ordinary people could actually afford and eat.
Researchers thus turned to dental calculus to find an answer. Dental calculus is hardened plaque that forms on teeth. As it mineralizes, proteins and other microscopic material from food can become trapped within and be preserved for centuries. Scientists increasingly make use of similar biological techniques to reconstruct ancient diets. In another study, researchers utilized chemical analysis of human bones to investigate prehistoric diets in Greece, showing how human remains can reveal foods that written records cannot.
The Osaka team combined protein analysis of dental calculus with carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bone collagen. Isotope analysis provided a broader picture of diet, while proteins allowed researchers to identify individual food groups more precisely. They detected thirty-eight food-related proteins from seventeen different biological groups. Fish proteins appeared in seven of the eight subjects, while plant proteins were found in six. Proteins from non-human mammals appeared in four.
High-grade fish consumed by ordinary people
Fish provided some of the study’s strongest evidence of Osaka’s diverse food system. Researchers identified proteins from nine fish groups, including red sea bream, mackerel, pufferfish, flatfish, anchovy relatives, and salmonids. Red sea bream stood out. Researchers found its proteins in six of the eight individuals.
Historical sources described red sea bream as a high-grade fish during the Edo period. Yet its presence in 75% of the people studied suggests that at least some forms of the prized fish were accessible to commoners.
Ancient teeth are revealing what ordinary Japanese people ate as sushi culture took off.
Researchers found traces of red sea bream, salmon, meat and plants in dental calculus from Edo-period commoners in Osaka, showing a surprisingly diverse diet. pic.twitter.com/QxH0G9kIIN
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) August 28, 2026
The importance of fish in past societies is not unique to Japan. Archaeological and historical evidence shows that ancient Greeks were also particularly fond of fish, including sea bream, mackerel, and anchovies. Fish trade could connect consumers with resources caught well beyond their immediate surroundings.
Availability in Osaka probably depended on size, quality, and season. Historical accounts indicate that red sea bream became particularly abundant during March and April. People also exchanged the fish as gifts. The finding does not show if the fish was eaten raw or served as sushi. The protein evidence identifies the food source but cannot establish the method of preparation.
Salmon provides another important clue. Salmonids do not naturally live in Osaka’s coastal waters. Their proteins therefore point to food arriving from farther away. During the Edo period, ships brought marine products from areas such as present-day Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan coast to Osaka. The city became such a vital distribution center that it was known as the “Kitchen of the Realm.”
Meat appeared despite cultural restrictions
The researchers also discovered evidence that commoners consumed mammals even though meat consumption was publicly discouraged in premodern Japan due to Buddhist beliefs and conceptions of impurity. Proteins associated with the genus Sus, which likely represented wild boar, as well as badgers and dolphins, appeared in four of the eight individuals.
Historical evidence shows that meat was occasionally enjoyed under the justification of “medicinal consumption.” Wild animal meat could be presented as having health benefits, allowing people to consume it despite social restrictions. Dolphins occupied a different category. Edo-period Japanese generally regarded them as fish, meaning they were not subject to the same restrictions.
Researchers also detected cottonseed proteins in an individual. They revealed the finding may reflect cottonseed oil, heated by-products, medicinal use, or accidental exposure rather than the regular consumption of raw seeds.
Osaka’s food network shaped everyday diets
The study involved only eight people, and researchers caution that the results cannot represent every commoner who lived in Osaka. The absence of a particular protein also does not mean an individual never consumed the particular food.
Still, the findings provide direct evidence that ordinary residents had access to foods ranging from prestigious local fish to products carried across long-distance trade routes. The research adds to a growing body of archaeological work showing how food can reveal everyday life. In another study, ancient DNA from Japan revealed major population changes over thousands of years, demonstrating how biological evidence is reshaping researchers’ understanding of the country’s past.
As sushi stalls and other forms of popular food culture grew during the Edo period, Osaka’s extensive markets and transport networks appear to have placed a wide range of ingredients within reach of commoners. According to the researchers, ordinary consumers were not simply watching Japan’s culinary culture develop around them but were also helping shape it.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
