Japanese food
Discover the diversity of Japanese cuisine, popular beverages, and key food labels in Japan. Learn about allergens and how food labeling helps identify ingredients for those with food allergies, ensuring safe and informed choices.
Osechi Ryori: What to Know about Japan’s New Year's Food
This page contains affiliate links. New Year’s in Japan is a time of tradition, symbolism, and fortune. There are many rituals that take place around this time, a lot of which represent bringing good…
Nabe: Japanese Hot Pot Dishes to Melt Your Heart
This page contains affiliate links. Nabe, or hot pot, is a key part of Japanese cuisine. While the term ‘hot pot’ may be more commonly associated with Chinese food, there is a range of hot pot dishes…
What Is Natto: A Look at Japan’s Polarizing Superfood
This page contains affiliate links. Due to its unique taste and texture, natto is one of Japan’s most polarizing foods. It is a popular traditional Japanese food that many people either love or hate,…
3 Popular Ways to Consume Ginger in Japan
This page contains affiliate links. This article is contributed by 供TOMO. If you have ever been to Japan or if you like Japanese cuisine, you might have noticed that ginger is an essential ingredient…
Food Additives in Japan: Everything You Need to Know
In a world of pre-packaged food and extensive food processing, trying to stay healthy and largely commit to natural foods can be a difficult task. This is even true in Japan, where ingredient lists an…
4 Caffeine-Free Alternatives to Coffee in Japan
This page contains affiliate links. This article is contributed by 供TOMO. Coffee is everywhere in Japan: you can find it in convenience stores, supermarkets sometimes have their own coffee machine you…
How to Read Japanese Nutrition Labels
Japanese supermarkets, or konbini, along with vending machines offer a variety of delicacies, with eye-catching and colorful packages. However, you may also become particularly aware of the language g…
Food Culture Differences Between Kanto and Kansai
This page contains affiliate links. Did you know that there are differences in flavoring between Kanto (Tokyo area) and Kansai (Osaka area) in Japan? People from Kansai region tend to prefer light sea…
5 Benefits of Japanese Brown Rice Coffee
This page contains affiliate links. This article is contributed by 供TOMO. “Brown rice coffee”, “Brown rice tea”, “Genshin coffee”... If you have ever been looking for a caffeine-free drink in Japan, y…
Wagashi: Traditional Japanese Sweets
This page contains affiliate links. Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets with a great balance of artistic expression and adherence to tradition. Often made to accompany green tea, they can be seen…
Free English Websites for Japanese Food Recipes
One of the challenges of cooking Japanese food is finding good recipes. Getting your hands on an authentic Japanese cookbook in English can be difficult even if you know where to look. Luckily, in thi…
Gluten-Free in Japan: What to Know When Eating Out
This page contains affiliate links. Celiac disease is rare in Japan and gluten-free diets are not broadly known, so there isn’t a widespread understanding of which foods do and don’t include gluten an…
What Is Japanese Seaweed? A Guide to Japan's Essential Ingredient
This page contains affiliate links. Seaweed is considered an integral part of the Japanese diet and is widely used in Japanese cuisine. There is a range of potential health benefits to seaweed, includ…
What is Shojin Buddhist Cuisine? Try it at Minobusan
This article is contributed by KAKURINBO. Located in Minobu (population approx. 10,000) in southern Yamanashi Prefecture, Minobusan is a Buddhist enclave that is home to Kuonji, the head temple of the…
Japanese Green Tea - Exploring the Most Popular Types
This page contains affiliate links. Green tea has long been an integral part of Japanese culture and it accounts for nearly all of the tea produced in Japan. Japanese green tea is one of the most cons…
50+ Ways to Say Meat in Japanese: Beef, Pork, Chicken & More
With many Japanese foods achieving worldwide popularity, it is common to want to delve deeper into the cuisine and flavors that can be found in Japan. To help you on your culinary adventure, we’ve put…
Pick the right fish for your dish - How to read seafood labels in Japan
Expats in Japan often shop at local supermarkets. But unfortunately, the food labels are not in English. Japanese seafood labels are especially difficult to understand and select for your particular d…
Mago wa Yasashii: Japanese Key to Healthy Eating
This page contains affiliate links. Japan is known for its rich cultural traditions, technological advancements, as well as delicious and healthy food. However, it would be a mistake to assume that al…
Japanese Apples: A Look at What Makes Them So Special
In Japan, apples are very popular as gifts, especially as souvenirs from apple-growing regions. There are many different types of Japanese apples and they often differ from those available in Western…
Japanese Mushrooms: Nutritious and Delicious
This page contains affiliate links. Mushrooms ("kinoko" in Japanese) play an important role in Japanese cuisine and are widely used in various delicious dishes such as nabe (Japanese hot pot), oden, o…
