Food & Drink
Sushi, ramen, dashi and the manners of the Japanese table.
135 entriesTap a title to open the full entry: three lengths of English explanation, the questions people actually ask, ready-made phrases and audio.
Essential（79）
- Annual EventsEssential osechiおせち料理the New Year food packed in stacked boxes
- Annual EventsEssential yatai夏祭りの屋台festival food stalls
- Annual EventsEssential matsuri no yatai祭りの屋台the food and game stalls at a festival
- Annual EventsEssential toshikoshi soba年越しそばNew Year's Eve noodles
- Food & DrinkEssential ankoあんこsweet red bean paste
- Food & DrinkEssential itadakimasuいただきますwhat we say before eating
- Food & DrinkEssential inari-zushiいなり寿司sushi rice stuffed in a sweet fried tofu pouch
- Food & DrinkEssential unagiうなぎfreshwater eel, grilled and glazed
- Food & DrinkEssential onigiriおにぎりa rice ball with a filling
- Food & DrinkEssential okonomiyakiお好み焼きa savory pancake you often cook yourself
- Food & DrinkEssential ochazukeお茶漬けrice with tea or broth poured over it
- Food & DrinkEssential otoshiお通しthe small dish an izakaya serves automatically as a seat charge
- Food & DrinkEssential kakigoriかき氷shaved ice
- Food & DrinkEssential katsudonカツ丼the pork cutlet rice bowl students eat before an exam
- Food & DrinkEssential curry riceカレーライスJapanese curry
- Food & DrinkEssential shabu-shabuしゃぶしゃぶbeef swished in hot broth
- Food & DrinkEssential sukiyakiすき焼きbeef simmered at the table
- Food & DrinkEssential soba and udonそばとうどんthe two traditional Japanese noodles
- Food & DrinkEssential takoyakiたこ焼きoctopus batter balls
- Food & DrinkEssential chanko nabeちゃんこ鍋the hearty hot-pot meal associated with sumo stables
- Food & DrinkEssential chirashi-zushiちらし寿司sushi rice topped or mixed with a variety of ingredients
- Food & DrinkEssential tonkatsuとんかつbreaded deep-fried pork cutlet
- Food & DrinkEssential beer gardenビアガーデンthe rooftop beer gardens that open only for the summer
- Food & DrinkEssential furikakeふりかけa dry seasoning sprinkled over rice
- Food & DrinkEssential manjuまんじゅうthe steamed bun filled with sweet bean paste
- Food & DrinkEssential ramenラーメンChinese-style noodle soup, remade in Japan
- Food & DrinkEssential wasabiわさびJapanese horseradish grated from a fresh root
- Food & DrinkEssential ichiju sansai一汁三菜one soup and three dishes, the standard shape of a Japanese meal
- Food & DrinkEssential ekiben駅弁station lunch boxes
- Food & DrinkEssential kaiten-zushi回転寿司conveyor belt sushi
- Food & DrinkEssential nori海苔the sheets of dried seaweed used for rice balls and sushi rolls
- Food & DrinkEssential katsuobushi鰹節dried, smoked and fermented bonito, shaved into flakes for stock
- Food & DrinkEssential gyudon牛丼beef over rice
- Food & DrinkEssential izakaya居酒屋the Japanese pub where food comes first
- Food & DrinkEssential kushikatsu串カツskewered, breaded and deep-fried food
- Food & DrinkEssential konbu昆布the kelp that gives Japanese stock its savory depth
- Food & DrinkEssential zoni雑煮the New Year soup with rice cakes in it
- Food & DrinkEssential sashimi刺身raw fish served without rice
- Food & DrinkEssential nimono煮物Japanese home-style simmered dishes
- Food & DrinkEssential sushi寿司vinegared rice with fish or other toppings
- Food & DrinkEssential yakizakana焼き魚grilled fish with salt
- Food & DrinkEssential yakitori焼き鳥grilled chicken skewers
- Food & DrinkEssential yakiniku焼肉grill-it-yourself barbecue
- Food & DrinkEssential shoyu醤油soy sauce
- Food & DrinkEssential tabehodai食べ放題an all-you-can-eat meal with a time limit
- Food & DrinkEssential oyakodon親子丼chicken and egg on rice, and the name nobody expects
- Food & DrinkEssential daifuku大福the pounded rice cake wrapped around sweet bean paste
- Food & DrinkEssential teishoku定食a set meal built around rice, soup and a main dish
- Food & DrinkEssential tempura天ぷらlightly battered deep-fried seafood and vegetables
- Food & DrinkEssential karaage唐揚げJapanese fried chicken
- Food & DrinkEssential tofu豆腐bean curd
- Food & DrinkEssential nabe鍋the shared hot pot at the center of the table
- Food & DrinkEssential nihonshu日本酒Japanese rice wine
- Food & DrinkEssential natto納豆fermented soybeans
- Food & DrinkEssential kome米rice as the center of the meal
- Food & DrinkEssential bento弁当a packed meal in a box
- Food & DrinkEssential matcha抹茶powdered green tea
- Food & DrinkEssential miso味噌fermented soybean paste
- Food & DrinkEssential miso soup味噌汁the soup served with almost every Japanese meal
- Food & DrinkEssential mochi餅pounded rice cake
- Food & DrinkEssential tamagoyaki卵焼きthe rolled omelette, sweet or savory depending on where you are
- Food & DrinkEssential tachigui soba立ち食いそばstanding soba stalls for a fast, cheap meal
- Food & DrinkEssential ryokucha緑茶Japanese green tea
- Food & DrinkEssential washoku和食traditional Japanese cuisine
- Food & DrinkEssential donburi丼ものa bowl of rice with something cooked served on top
- Food & DrinkEssential gyoza餃子pan-fried dumplings
- MannersEssential finishing your food残さず食べるleaving nothing on the plate
- MannersEssential tabearuki食べ歩きeating while walking
- MannersEssential chopstick taboos箸のタブーthings you must never do with chopsticks
- MannersEssential slurping noodles麺をすするwhy noodles are eaten noisily
- MannersEssential men wo susuru oto麺をすする音slurping noodles out loud
- Modern JapanEssential oshibori and free waterおしぼりと水the wet towel and water that arrive before you order
- Modern JapanEssential konbiniコンビニthe Japanese convenience store
- Modern JapanEssential depachikaデパ地下the department store food hall
- Modern JapanEssential family restaurantファミリーレストランthe all-purpose chain restaurant, and the drink bar
- Modern JapanEssential shokkenki食券機the meal ticket machine at the door
- PlacesEssential Tsukiji and Toyosu築地と豊洲the old fish market street and the new wholesale market
- PlacesEssential Dotonbori道頓堀the canal-side street in Osaka with the running-man sign
- School LifeEssential kyushoku給食school lunch
Standard（50）
- ConceptsStandard hara hachibunme腹八分目eating to eighty percent full
- CraftsStandard magewappa曲げわっぱa bentwood box made from a thin sheet of cedar
- Annual EventsStandard kagamimochi鏡餅と鏡開きthe stacked New Year rice cakes
- Annual EventsStandard nanakusa七草がゆthe seven-herb porridge eaten on January 7th
- Annual EventsStandard doyo no ushi土用の丑の日the day everyone eats eel
- Annual EventsStandard kashiwamochi and chimaki柏餅とちまきthe two sweets eaten on Children's Day, east and west
- Food & DrinkStandard anpanあんぱんthe sweet bean bun that made bread Japanese
- Food & DrinkStandard odenおでんa winter stew of fish cakes, daikon and eggs
- Food & DrinkStandard konnyakuこんにゃくa jelly-like food made from a starchy tuber
- Food & DrinkStandard gotochi gourmetご当地グルメlocal specialty foods, and the towns that market them
- Food & DrinkStandard sashisusesoさしすせそthe order in which the five basic seasonings go into a Japanese dish
- Food & DrinkStandard somenそうめんvery thin cold noodles
- Food & DrinkStandard taiyakiたい焼きfish-shaped cake with bean paste
- Food & DrinkStandard champonちゃんぽんthe Nagasaki noodle dish invented for Chinese students
- Food & DrinkStandard dorayakiどら焼きtwo small pancakes with sweet red bean paste between them
- Food & DrinkStandard monjayakiもんじゃ焼きthe runny Tokyo griddle dish you eat straight off the hotplate
- Food & DrinkStandard onsen tamago温泉卵the egg cooked the other way round
- Food & DrinkStandard kaiseki懐石料理the formal multi-course meal, and the two different things called kaiseki
- Food & DrinkStandard amazake甘酒the sweet rice drink, with and without alcohol
- Food & DrinkStandard kissaten喫茶店the old-style Japanese coffee shop
- Food & DrinkStandard eating fish魚を食べる文化how much fish Japan eats, and how that is changing
- Food & DrinkStandard ehomaki恵方巻the uncut sushi roll eaten facing a set direction at Setsubun
- Food & DrinkStandard sansai and mushrooms山菜ときのこwild vegetables and mushrooms from the mountains
- Food & DrinkStandard dashi出汁the stock at the base of Japanese cooking
- Food & DrinkStandard shochu焼酎a distilled Japanese spirit
- Food & DrinkStandard shokuhin loss食品ロスfood that could have been eaten but was thrown away
- Food & DrinkStandard ishiyakiimo石焼き芋sweet potatoes roasted in hot stones, sold from a truck
- Food & DrinkStandard sekihan赤飯red rice steamed with azuki beans
- Food & DrinkStandard dagashi駄菓子the cheap sweets children buy with their own money
- Food & DrinkStandard dango団子rice flour dumplings on a skewer
- Food & DrinkStandard chawanmushi茶碗蒸しsavory steamed egg custard
- Food & DrinkStandard tsukemono漬物Japanese pickles served alongside rice
- Food & DrinkStandard nanban-gashi南蛮菓子the sweets the Portuguese brought in the 1500s
- Food & DrinkStandard japanese whisky日本のウイスキーhow Japan started making whisky, and why the old bottles vanished
- Food & DrinkStandard umeboshi梅干しsalted pickled plums
- Food & DrinkStandard umeshu梅酒plum liqueur, and the one alcohol Japanese households legally make
- Food & DrinkStandard mugicha麦茶cold barley tea
- Food & DrinkStandard miso dengaku味噌田楽tofu or vegetables on skewers, grilled with sweet miso
- Food & DrinkStandard meibutsu-gashi銘菓と土産菓子the local sweets people buy as souvenirs
- Food & DrinkStandard yoshoku洋食Western-style dishes invented in Japan
- Food & DrinkStandard tamago kake gohan卵かけご飯raw egg over hot rice
- Food & DrinkStandard hiyashi chuka冷やし中華the cold noodle dish that appears for one season only
- Food & DrinkStandard wagashi和菓子traditional Japanese sweets
- Home & LivingStandard shichirin七輪the small portable charcoal grill
- Home & LivingStandard Japanese kitchen日本の台所what a Japanese kitchen has and lacks
- Life EventsStandard okuizomeお食い初めthe first meal ceremony at 100 days
- Modern JapanStandard whaling捕鯨why Japan resumed commercial whaling, and how little whale is actually eaten
- Modern JapanStandard tachinomi立ち飲みthe standing bar, where you drink fast and cheap
- Seasons & NatureStandard the sea and fishing海と漁業how Japan eats from the ocean
- Pop CultureStandard kissaten morning service喫茶店とモーニングthe free breakfast set old-style coffee shops add to the price of a single coffee
Advanced（6）
- BuddhismAdvanced shojin ryori精進料理Buddhist temple cuisine
- Food & DrinkAdvanced tokorotenところてんseaweed jelly pushed into noodles, sweet in the west and sour in the east
- Food & DrinkAdvanced yakatabune屋形船the roofed boat you eat and drink on
- Food & DrinkAdvanced kuri kinton栗きんとんtwo different sweets with the same name
- Seasons & NatureAdvanced shiohigari潮干狩りdigging for clams at low tide
- ShintoAdvanced shinsen and naorai神饌と直会the food offered to a deity and the meal shared afterwards