Hanaya Yohei’s 1824 nigiri sushi shop was in Ryogoku, a Tokyo neighborhood associated with the birthplace of modern nigiri sushi.
During the Edo period, Ryogoku was a busy district near the Sumida River and a popular area for food stalls and entertainment. Hanaya Yohei is generally credited with developing or popularizing nigiri-zushi there: hand-pressed vinegared rice topped with seafood.
The sushi of the 1820s was larger than modern pieces and used fish from nearby Edo Bay. Because refrigeration did not exist, toppings were often marinated, salted, or lightly cooked rather than simply served raw. This is why “nigiri sushi” should not automatically be equated with untreated raw fish.
Asakusa, Shinjuku, and Ginza are also famous Tokyo districts, but they are not the neighborhood linked to Hanaya Yohei’s 1824 shop.