Bonito has been eaten by the Japanese since ancient times, and there is evidence showing that people ate it as long ago as the Jomon period (as exemplified by the Hachinohe ruins in Aomori Prefecture).
カツオ自体は古くから日本人の食用となっており、縄文時代にはすでに食べられていた形跡がある（青森県の八戸遺跡など）。