Hanaya Yohei (1799 - 1858.06.10 [Kansei 11 - Ansei 5]) 華屋 与兵衛（花屋 与兵衛). Born in the Echizen-country (Fukui-han, or present Fukui Pref.) and came up to Edo (Tokyo) when he was nine year-old to work as a servant under apprenticeship at a ‘fuda-sashi’ (rice broker/warehouse and banker.)

After experiencing several other occupations, he lived at Ryogoku area in and around the period of Bunsei (1818 - 1830) of the Edo era. Then, he worked hard as a sushi peddler day and night, he finally opened his own shop named ‘Yohei-zushi’ and it was a great success by virtue of the new type of sushi of the time, Nigiri-zushi.

Yohei’s nigiri-zushi, a nouveau style, became so famous and it earned great reputations of people across the Edo cities, as well as Matsuga-zushi who also ran a same kind of shop at Atake, Fukagawa, so that Yohei is often referred to as one of the originators or successful founders of the present Nigiri-zushi style in the Sushi History in Japan.

This is the oldest illustration of Hanaya Yohei’s sushi - KAWABATA Gyokusho’s drawing around 1877 ([Meiji 10]). This picture was replicated and reassembled from the Gyokusho’s each original single pieces by an unidentified artist.

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