Tohoku, Japan
Imo-ni
芋煮
Yamagata's autumn taro hot pot with beef, konnyaku, and burdock in a soy or miso broth.
eastern-asia
Japan
Explore 264 foods connected to Japan, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
264 foods12 leading categories2 Essentials guides
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Tokyo Essentials
10 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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Traditional foods from Japan.
264 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
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Chubu, Japan
Inago no tsukudani
いなごの佃煮
Inago no tsukudani, rice grasshoppers simmered in soy and sugar, is a named Nagano preserve and a genuine collectible.
Tohoku, Japan
Inaniwa Udon
稲庭うどん
Akita's hand-stretched, thin, smooth udon, dried and boiled to a silky, slightly chewy texture.
Japan
Inarizushi
稲荷寿司
Sushi rice stuffed into a pouch of sweet-savory fried tofu skin (abura-age), a vegetarian favorite.
Ise, Japan
Ise udon
伊勢うどん
Ise udon, thick soft noodles served with only a spoonful of dark tare and no broth, is a named regional form structurally unlike every other udon.
Izumo, Japan
Izumo Soba
出雲そば
Shimane's dark buckwheat soba, ground shell-included, served in stacked lacquered bowls (warigo).
Japan
Japanese cheesecake
スフレチーズケーキ
Japanese soufflé cheesecake, the jiggling airy cake baked in Japan and exported worldwide as a phenomenon, is a named Japanese invention.
Japan
Japanese Curry Rice
カレーライス
Mild, thick, slightly sweet curry over rice, introduced via the British Navy in the 19th century.
Japan
Japanese Potato Salad
ポテトサラダ
Japanese potato salad is a mashed, creamy salad with Kewpie mayonnaise, cucumber, and other crisp additions, served in izakaya and convenience stores; it is distinct from German potato salad.
Japan
Japanese Whisky
ジャパニーズウイスキー
Whisky modeled on Scotch, refined by Suntory and Nikka since the 1920s, now world-renowned.
Chubu, Japan
Jibachi senbei
地蜂せんべい
Jibachi senbei, wasp larvae baked into rice crackers by a single Nagano preservation society, is singular and place-bound.
Hokkaido, Japan
Jingisukan
ジンギスカン
Hokkaido's lamb barbecue, grilled on a dome-shaped skillet with vegetables, named after Genghis Khan.
Hokkaido, Japan
Kaisendon
海鮮丼
A bowl of rice topped with assorted fresh sashimi, varying by season and region.
Japan
Kaki Fry
カキフライ
Kaki fry, panko-crumbed oysters fried and eaten with tonkatsu sauce, is a named Japanese winter dish with its own menus.
Kansai, Japan
Kaki no Ha Sushi
柿の葉寿司
Nara's sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, which preserve the fish and add a subtle aroma.
Japan
Kakiage
かき揚げ
A mixed tempura fritter of shredded vegetables and small shrimp, fried as a thin disc.
Japan
Kakigōri
かき氷
Shaved ice drizzled with flavored syrup, a beloved summer treat with countless flavor combinations.
Kyushu, Japan
Kakuni
角煮
Pork belly cubes slowly braised in soy, mirin, and sake until meltingly tender, with daikon and egg.
Japan
Kamaboko
かまぼこ
Kamaboko, the steamed fish cake with its pink-edged loaf and its Odawara and Sendai producers, is a named Japanese product bought as itself and a fixed osechi component.
Japan
Kamameshi
釜飯
Rice cooked in an individual iron pot with chicken, seafood, mushrooms, and vegetables.
Japan
Karaage
唐揚げ
Bite-sized chicken marinated in soy, ginger, and garlic, then lightly floured and deep-fried.
Japan
Karintō
かりんとう
Karinto, fried dough sticks lacquered in dark brown sugar, is a named traditional Japanese confection sold by weight.
Japan
Kashiwa-mochi
柏餅
Kashiwamochi, mochi wrapped in an oak leaf and eaten at Children's Day, is a named calendar sweet with a fixed May window.
Tokyo, Japan
Katsu Sando
カツサンド
A sandwich of breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu) with shredded cabbage between soft white bread.
Japan
Katsudon
カツ丼
Rice bowl topped with a breaded pork cutlet simmered with egg and onion in sweet soy broth.
Japan
Katsuo no Tataki
鰹のタタキ
Skipjack tuna lightly seared over straw, sliced and served with ponzu, garlic, and shiso.
Japan
Katsuobushi
鰹節
Dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna, shaved into flakes for dashi and toppings.
Japan
Kayu
粥
Okayu, rice porridge cooked thin and eaten plain or with umeboshi, is a named Japanese dish with a fixed cultural role in illness and in the seven-herb New Year rite.
Japan
Kazunoko
数の子
Kazunoko, herring roe cured whole and eaten for its crunch, is a named osechi component with a fixed New Year meaning.
Japan
Kinpira
きんぴら
Kinpira gobo, burdock and carrot shredded and stir-fried in soy, sugar and chilli, is a named Japanese side dish present in almost every bento.
Kyoto, Japan
Kintsuba
きんつば
A Kyoto sweet: a rectangular block of sweet bean paste coated in a thin wheat-flour skin.
Tohoku, Japan
Kiritanpo
きりたんぽ
Akita's mashed rice pressed onto cedar skewers and toasted, eaten as is or in nabe.
Tohoku, Japan
Kiritanpo Nabe
きりたんぽ鍋
Akita's hot pot with rice cylinders (kiritanpo), jidori chicken, burdock, and maitake mushrooms.
Nagoya, Japan
Kishimen
きしめん
Kishimen, the flat ribbon noodle of Nagoya served in a pale broth, is a named regional form distinct from udon in shape and texture.
Tohoku, Japan
Kitakata Ramen
喜多方ラーメン
Fukushima regional ramen with thick, wavy noodles in a clear soy-pork broth, known for morning ramen culture.
Kansai, Japan
Kitsune Udon
きつねうどん
Udon topped with a large, sweet simmered fried tofu pouch (abura-age), beloved across the Kansai region.