The rice-based food culture of Japan began with the introduction of wet rice cultivation more than 2,000 years ago. Meals are eaten 3 times a day, with the basic style including rice, a bowl of soup (miso soup or sui-mono) and two or three side dishes, with green tea sipped at the end of the meal. The tradition of rice served with seasonal vegetables and fish and other seafood reached a high level of sophistication in the Edo period (1600-1868) and remains the core of native Japanese cuisine. Share
When choosing words to describe the Japanese diet, "nature" & "harmony" are the best fit. It is important never to kill the natural flavor of the ingredients. The ingredients must be in harmony to make the dish; and the dish in harmony with other dishes to make the meal. The meal itself must be in harmony with nature and the surroundings, including the person who is dining.
With a premium placed upon freshness and natural flavor, the most valued of foods are eaten at their prime, or shun. Japanese people celebrate spring by eating bamboo shoots, tuna, and herring; early summer with bonito; and autumn with chestnuts and the prized mushroom matsutake. Eating the ingredients at their shun is believed to be ideal for health as well.
The importance of shun also contributes to the Japanese fascination with local specialty foods. An important part of the trip for any long-distance traveler in Japan is the changing selection of localized bento (lunch boxes) available at each station along the way. Once at a destination, it is understood that one will enjoy certain regional specialties. Visitors to Osaka will naturally stop at a street stall for tako-yaki, octopus in batter skillfully cooked into a perfect little ball shape. Some travelers will go to Hiroshima for no other reason than to eat okonomiyaki, a combination of meat and vegetable ingredients cooked in batter on a hot grill. Hokkaido is known for a range of fresh dairy products, and a visitor will want to try the cheeses and add a bit of butter to the local salt-flavored ramen as well as to a baked potato.
The association of certain places with certain foods also plays a big part in the tradition of omiyage—souvenir gift-giving. The need to purchase omiyage for family members and friends back at home is always foremost in the mind of a Japanese traveler. A tourist returning from Kyoto will be happily welcomed back if they bring a box of the thin bean-filled mochi dessert known as otabe. A businessman will win favor with the office staff if he remembers to pick up some ningyo yaki at Tokyo Station.
Japan as a nation is known for its skill in adopting and adapting the best of other cultures, and naturally this is reflected in its cuisine. Since Japan opened to the world in the mid-19th century it has developed a diverse food culture that borrows from its neighbors in Asia and throughout the world. Many of these adaptations, such as ramen noodles originally from China, are worthy enough to have been re-adopted back to their native country in their newly adapted Japanese form. Other dishes are examples of early “fusion” cuisine, such as the ever-popular “curry rice” which is a combination of Indian curry and beef stew introduced by British experts in the previous century.
Japanese share their passion for fresh ingredients and deliberate food preparation with the Italians and the French. High quality French and Italian restaurants can be found throughout Japan, and even those cooking just for the family will studiously recreate gourmet European dishes. You will also find uniquely Japanese dishes with native ingredients like natto and tarako added to pasta.
In recent decades as more Japanese citizens travel abroad and more people from around the world settle in Japan, a greater variety and more authentic presentations of foods from distinctive cuisines like Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia are available. Many Japanese people are also learning to enjoy and appreciate the lively flavors and styles of cuisines from Latin countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Peru. The creations of Japanese chefs and home cooks resulting from these interactions is certainly something to look forward to in coming years.
