Japan is a country culturally rich, both through its history, its gastronomy, and its craftsmanship.

The history of Japanese gastronomy

Centuries of isolationism have allowed it to develop traditions unique to it, unmatched elsewhere. These markers of Japanese identity are still carefully preserved and passed on with care to future generations. Each step of your journey will thus, undoubtedly, be marked by a new discovery.

Japanese cuisine is one of the richest and most refined in the world. It is marked by Buddhist vegetarian traditions. Its great diversity also makes it an international reference. Japanese culinary art is characterized by its simplicity, naturalness, and refinement.

While people generally don’t come to Japan for the first time for its gastronomy, they often return to taste dishes that can't be found elsewhere, like fugu (pufferfish), kame-no-té (turtle-foot-like crustacean), umibudo (seaweed known as green caviar or sea grapes). These products are consumed at their source.

The flavors are numerous and classified into five categories: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami, a Japanese term that could be translated as “savory taste.” Japanese cuisine is also defined by various cooking methods: sautéed, grilled, fried, stewed, on the griddle, barbecue, and of course raw.

Price ranges vary from very cheap to luxury, depending on the products, the quality of the restaurants, and the success of the chefs, reflecting the immense importance that Japanese people attach to their cuisine.

Characteristic Products

Bentō

A dish prepared in a wooden box (thin cardboard or plastic) generally composed of rice with a salted plum in the middle (umeboshi), a small omelet, chicken or fish, and vegetables. It is mainly sold in stations (ekiben), each station having its specialty.

A little before noon, bentō sellers set up on sidewalks in business districts or in front of administrations. The bentō is sold at an affordable price, generally between 500 ¥ and 850 ¥.

Chanko-nabe

This is a special soup for sumo wrestlers that they eat only in the morning and evening. Not recommended for those on a diet!

Donburi

A rice dish covered with various ingredients. Katsudon is a breaded pork dish served in a bowl of rice with an egg and grilled onions. The equivalent with chicken and egg is called oyakodon donburi (“parent-child”), with beef gyūdon, with tempura tendon and ebidon with shrimp (ebi: shrimp).

Fugu (pufferfish)

Fugu contains a deadly poison that must be removed before cooking or eating it raw. This preparation can only be accomplished by a duly qualified specialist.

Fans experience great thrill since a mistake could be fatal to them. But what do Japanese recognize in fugu as the ultimate delicacy? There is no particular taste that stands out... Some non-Japanese say that fugu is bland, which isn’t wrong. It is sobriety itself, minimalism. But with attention, a slightly sweet flavor reveals itself.

It's “this miracle of taste” that delights the Japanese. Fugu itself mirrors this sensation since it's made up of fine translucent slices. A fugu dish can cost between 5,000 and 10,000 ¥ per person, but it’s worth it. It's eaten in nabe (cooked with vegetables), but it's preferable to enjoy it as sashimi. It can be enjoyed with hirezake sake (sake containing the fugu fin).

Kaiseki ryōri

In 1449, shōgun Yoshimasa Ashikaga constructed a tea pavilion part of Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion) in Kyōto. He prepared the tea ceremony with special utensils and solemnly developed what would become not only an art but a genuine cult.

Kaiseki ryōri is ceremonial cuisine that developed from the tea ceremony in the 18th century. It was used to fill practitioners' stomachs before they drank matcha green tea, somewhat aggressive for the stomach.

Noodles: soba, udon and rāmen.

Soba are buckwheat noodles. They are consumed hot in soup (kake soba) or cold with nori (seaweed) dipped in soy sauce (zaru soba). Yakisoba are pan-fried noodles.

Udon are thick wheat noodles consumed in beef or pork soup. They are said to originate from Takamatsu on Shikoku Island.

Rāmen are Chinese-origin noodles developed in Fukuoka eaten in soup. These dishes share being inexpensive (less than 1,000 ¥) and eaten while slurping air simultaneously.

Oden

Oden is a kind of stew made from various ingredients cooked in fish broth. It consists of eggs, radish, turnips, various crushed mixed and fried ingredients (ganmodoki), fish paste (tsumire or hampen), konnyaku (boiled taro crushed and firmed again), konbu (kelp roll), grilled fish paste (chikuwa) etc. This dish is generally served in winter and remains very popular.

Okonomiyaki

It's a sort of flour pancake cooked with pork (buta), squid (ika), vegetables (yasai) or mixed (mikkusu), topped with a thick sweet brown sauce, mayonnaise, soy sauce and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). In an okonomiyaki restaurant usually, the customer cooks their dish on the hot plate themselves but gets advice from staff...

Pastries (o-kashi)

Generally, restaurants do not serve desserts except for ice cream. However, most cafes offer a selection of Western-style cakes. Japanese sweets often disappoint Westerners even those used during tea ceremonies. These are very sweet and many are variations on the same theme: mochi (sticky rice paste) filled with anko (red bean paste). Mochi are eaten at the beginning of the year.

Robata-yaki

It's like a rustic country inn. Cooks prepare meals over an open fire under customers' eyes. You just need to indicate desired ingredients and the "chef" executes. The atmosphere is friendly and often invites unknown customers to start conversations.

Sashimi

Sashimi is thinly sliced raw fish or shellfish. It's usually served as a starter for a traditional meal because the delicate flavor of fish can be disturbed by already cooked food flavors.

In this dish too Japanese refinement reaches its peak. The choice of ceramics ingredients vegetables arranged around or below slices textures work juxtaposing or confronting themselves granularity bluish porcelain highlighting smooth fish wrap all contribute ensuring extremely rich culinary aesthetics.

Fish must be perfectly fresh. In some restaurants fillets even sliced off live fish taken from aquarium before being put back into water still living but slimmed... Sashimis should be dipped into soy sauce (shōyu) possibly mixed with wasabi before consumption.

For those uncomfortable with chopsticks good news sushis one few dishes possible eat fingers Prices vary widely depending establishment frequented (from 3 000 to 10 000 ¥).

Some words remember order: Eel: unagi • Scallop: hotate • Crab: kani • Shrimp: ebi • Japanese omelet: tamago • Sea urchin: uni • Mackerel: saba • Salmon: sake • Cuttlefish: ika • Tuna: maguro • Fatty tuna: toro.

Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is a dish of meat and vegetables cooked in front of customers on the table Beef sliced into thin strips Vegetables tofu then cooked in broth soy sauce sweet rice wine (mirin) sugar Different ingredients sometimes dipped into raw egg yolk.

Tempura

It's fried seafood vegetables crustaceans This cooking style exported Japan by Portuguese traders missionaries 16th century Preparation requires flour egg yolks water This batter called koromo. Ingredients then coated batter plunged vegetable oil Oil must clear renewed often as possible Delicious Count from 2 000 to 10 000 ¥

Teppan-yaki Japan foreigners go teppan-yaki quality dinner spectacle Chef cooks grill clients art dexterity seafood beef vegetables

Yakitori Initially yakitori bamboo splints skewered small pieces chicken grilled charcoal Now exist different meat yakitori Yakitori restaurants inexpensive (from 3 000 to 4 000 ¥)

Some words remember order: gyū-niku: beef pieces • kawa: chicken skin • rebā: chicken liver • shiitake: Japanese mushrooms • tama-negi: white round onions • tebasaki: chicken wings • tsukune: chicken meatballs • yakitori: chicken skewers

Drinks **Beer (biiru) Beer appeared Japan late 19th century Since it's become country's most popular drink Sometimes accompanies most delicate meals rather than sake Known Japanese beer brands Kirin Asahi Sapporo Yebisu Suntory others some localities Cans cost 250 ¥ vending machines approximately 500 ¥ restaurants **Sake (nihon shu) In Japanese sake called nihon shu. Nothing related digestive drinks possible drink Asian restaurant Europe It's not strong alcohol fermented rice wine 17° Over 2 500 varieties exist Most pure rare called junmaishu sake prepared pure Yamanishiki rice most common sanbaizōshu, between two honjozōshu contains not more than 25% added alcohol Besides national brands thousands small producers make own nihon shu (jizake) trying carve market Nihon shu either karakuchi dry amakuchi sweet Can consumed hot atsukan cold reishu **Shōchū Alcohol at 30° drunk hot water oyu-wari soda lemon chūhai chū-hi **Whisky In few years Japan became fourth world producer two major groups Suntory Nikka Temperate climate purity water peat presence especially Hokkaido island Japanese whiskies moreover elaborated more traditionally Scotland Finally grain whisky always made corn whereas Scotland replaced wheat Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 elected best whisky world 2014! Vintage 1980 reaches €7 000!

What to eat street? Normally impolite eat street standing walking prohibited public transport However during festivals whole streets occupied street vendors (yatai) Then opportunity taste takoyaki egg-based dough balls filled octopus Also taiyaki crepe-like filled sweet red bean paste molded sea bream shape luck symbol yakisoba stir-fried noodles Finally yakiimo sweet potatoes cooked stone bed like roasted chestnuts