Japanese Food

Across Japan, there is more Japanese food than one can count. Referred to in Japanese as 和食 (washoku) or 日本食 (nihonshoku), there is Japanese food that originated in Japan, and even Japanese food referred to as 和洋折衷 (wayō-secchu), which is a blend of both Japanese and Western cuisine. Because of this, giving a single definition of what Japanese food is is difficult. Even though there is Japanese food with hundreds of years of history behind it, there is also Japanese food that doesn’t have much history behind it.

Japanese food can be enjoyed in many countries and is now made by people of many different races. In recent years, Japanese food such as ラーメン (ramen) and 寿司 (sushi) has particularly gained popularity abroad. There are even takes upon traditional Japanese dishes (such as the infamous California roll) that the Japanese would find unusual. Japanese food is gaining popularity abroad, but this cuisine can be expensive. Even at upscale Japanese restaurants abroad, there is a lot of Japanese food that you won’t find on the menu.

As mentioned above, it’s difficult to describe what Japanese food is. However, there is lots of quintessential Japanese food. Through the articles below I hope that you can get a better sense of what exactly Japanese food is and the origins of each.