I think there is still the impression that sushi is just a bunch of raw fish with a bit of white rice, but that’s only one variety of such sushi. Nigirizushi (握り寿司) is probably the most well known outside of Japan. It’s a type of sushi where vinegared rice is pressed into a cylinder shape with a seafood topping placed on top of the rice. The usual toppings include salmon (しゃけ), shrimp (えび),  and other seafood, including non seafood items like sweetened egg wrapped in dry seaweed.

Oshizushi (押し寿司) is a variety of sushi that it especially popular in Osaka (大阪), which is a city in the Kansai Region (関西地方) of Japan. To make this variety of sushi a rectangular box called an oshibako is used. The bottom of the oshibako is covered with toppings, which are then covered again with rice. When the rice and toppings are taken out of the box, you get a very neat and rectangular shape of sushi piece that is further cut into smaller, rectangular pieces.

Gunkanmaki (軍艦巻) is a type of sushi where nori (のり) or seaweed forms the outer covering of the sushi. The typical toppings inside the nori wrapping include tobiko (とびこ), sea urchins (うに), and natto (なっとう). The toppings for Gunkanmaki tend to be very soft like tobiko, which is a type of caviar and natto, which is a type of sticky and soft soybean mash. As a result the structure of the outer nori prevents the toppings from spilling over.

Temarizushi (手まり寿司) is a type of sushi that novice sushi makers can make at home. It’s a variety of sushi where the rice is shaped in the form of a round and small ball. The ball is made by placing some rice in plastic wrap. The plastic wrap is rolled into a ball by pressing it into the palm of the hand. Then the topping is placed on top. Some toppings include seafood items like octopus (たこ) or squid (いか). Sometimes a bit of wasabi (わさび), is spread on the rice to keep the topping from falling off the rice.

Temaki (手巻) is a variety of sushi where the nori is shaped like an ice cream cone, and all the rice and toppings are inside the cone. Since temaki is cone-shaped, most people choose to eat this with their fingers instead of using chopsticks. One piece of advice for making temaki is to be careful of letting the moisture of the rice and toppings reach the nori. The moisture can make the temaki soggy and hard to chew, so it’s best to eat the temaki as soon as it is prepared.