Asia · Traditional

Japanese cuisine

Japanese cuisine combines close attention to season, texture and presentation with a wide range of everyday foods, from rice bowls and noodles to grilled fish, hot pots, pickles and modern yōshoku dishes. The cooking often looks restrained, but stock, fermentation, knife work and timing provide considerable depth.

Explore recipes Build a Japanese menu Wine pairings

Food history

Why Japanese cuisine is worth exploring

Japanese food developed through an island culture shaped by rice agriculture, Buddhism, court traditions, fishing and centuries of contact with China, Korea and later Europe. Soy foods, fermentation and seasonal presentation became deeply embedded, while dishes such as tempura and curry show how imported ideas were adapted into recognisably Japanese forms.

Why it is famous

Sushi, sashimi, ramen, tempura, yakitori, soba, udon, tonkatsu, curry rice and kaiseki are some of the foods that have made Japanese cuisine recognisable around the world. Explore further and the picture becomes much richer, with local dishes and everyday combinations that rarely travel as widely as the famous names.

Regional food story

Hokkaido is known for seafood and dairy; Kansai for lighter seasoning and traditions around Kyoto and Osaka; Osaka for takoyaki and okonomiyaki; Kyushu for pork-rich ramen and distinctive local dishes; Okinawa has a food culture shaped by its subtropical climate and Ryukyuan history.

How to cook it

Flavours, ingredients and menu ideas

Signature ingredients

Across Japanese kitchens, ingredients such as rice, soy sauce, miso, dashi, seaweed, tofu, sesame, ginger, daikon, mushrooms, fish and seasonal vegetables provide many of the familiar flavours. Geography and tradition decide the final result, which is why the same staple can produce very different dishes within one country.

Cooking style

Japanese cooking is attentive to season, cut, texture and presentation. Techniques may be simple, but precision matters: clear dashi, properly cooked rice, clean frying, controlled grilling and thoughtful use of pickles and condiments.

Build a menu

For a home menu, combine rice or noodles with one main dish, a vegetable side, pickles and soup. A more celebratory meal can move through sashimi, grilled or simmered food and a delicate sweet, keeping portions modest and the flavours varied.

Starters Mains Desserts

Cook by course

Japanese recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Japanese starters

Edamame with Sea Salt

Edamame with Sea Salt is a distinctive Japanese starter rooted in Japanese izakaya and seasonal soybean…

Starter 10 mins

Hiyayakko

Hiyayakko is a distinctive Japanese starter rooted in Japanese summer home cooking, celebrated for chill…

Starter 10 mins

Sunomono

Sunomono is a distinctive Japanese starter rooted in Japanese vinegar-dressed side-dish traditions, cele…

Starter 20 mins

Miso Soup

Miso Soup is a distinctive Japanese starter rooted in Japanese household and temple food traditions, cel…

Starter 22 mins

Agedashi Tofu

Agedashi Tofu is a distinctive Japanese starter rooted in Edo-period tofu cookery, celebrated for silken…

Starter 30 mins

Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is a distinctive Japanese starter rooted in Japanese kaiseki and household cooking, celebrat…

Starter 43 mins

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a distinctive Japanese starter rooted in Osaka street-food culture, celebrated for octopus…

Starter 1 hr

Gyoza

Gyoza is a distinctive Japanese starter rooted in Japanese adaptation of Chinese jiaozi, celebrated for…

Starter 1 hr 15 mins

Main courses

Japanese main courses

Zaru Soba

Zaru Soba is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Japanese buckwheat noodle traditions, celebrated for…

Main 23 mins

Gyudon

Gyudon is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in late nineteenth-century urban Japan, celebrated for thin…

Main 25 mins

Kaisen Don

Kaisen Don is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in coastal fish markets and sushi culture, celebrated f…

Main 25 mins

Oyakodon

Oyakodon is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Tokyo donburi restaurants, celebrated for chicken and…

Main 30 mins

Chicken Teriyaki

Chicken Teriyaki is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Japanese glaze-and-grill techniques, celebrate…

Main 35 mins

Yakisoba

Yakisoba is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in twentieth-century festival and street food, celebrated…

Main 35 mins

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Meiji-era yōshoku cooking, celebrated for breaded pork…

Main 40 mins

Unadon

Unadon is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Edo-period eel restaurants, celebrated for glazed grille…

Main 40 mins

Omurice

Omurice is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in early twentieth-century yōshoku cafés, celebrated for o…

Main 45 mins

Saba Shioyaki

Saba Shioyaki is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Japanese everyday fish cookery, celebrated for ma…

Main 47 mins

Ebi Tempura

Ebi Tempura is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Edo-period tempura culture, celebrated for prawns…

Main 50 mins

Katsudon

Katsudon is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Japanese donburi culture, celebrated for pork cutlet…

Main 50 mins

Nabeyaki Udon

Nabeyaki Udon is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Japanese clay-pot noodle culture, celebrated for…

Main 50 mins

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Osaka and Hiroshima, celebrated for cabbage batter…

Main 50 mins

Yakitori

Yakitori is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Japanese street stalls and izakaya, celebrated for chi…

Main 50 mins

Nikujaga

Nikujaga is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Meiji-era naval and household cooking, celebrated for…

Main 55 mins

Karaage

Karaage is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Japanese adaptation of Chinese frying methods, celebrat…

Main 1 hr

Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Meiji-period beef-eating culture, celebrated for thin…

Main 1 hr

Japanese Curry Rice

Japanese Curry Rice is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Meiji-era adaptation of British-introduced…

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Takikomi Gohan

Takikomi Gohan is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Japanese seasonal rice cooking, celebrated for r…

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Chikuzenni

Chikuzenni is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Fukuoka and northern Kyushu, celebrated for chicken…

Main 1 hr 20 mins

Nigiri Sushi

Nigiri Sushi is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Edo, now Tokyo, in the nineteenth century, celebra…

Main 1 hr 55 mins

Shoyu Ramen

Shoyu Ramen is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Tokyo-style ramen culture, celebrated for soy-seaso…

Main 7 hr

Saikyo Yaki Black Cod

Saikyo Yaki Black Cod is a distinctive Japanese main rooted in Kyoto's Saikyo miso tradition, celebrated…

Main 24 hr 12 mins

Desserts

Japanese desserts

Kakigori

Kakigori is a distinctive Japanese dessert rooted in Japanese summer festival culture, celebrated for fi…

Dessert 20 mins

Anmitsu

Anmitsu is a distinctive Japanese dessert rooted in Meiji-era Tokyo sweet shops, celebrated for agar jel…

Dessert 35 mins

Mitarashi Dango

Mitarashi Dango is a distinctive Japanese dessert rooted in Kyoto shrine-linked wagashi tradition, celeb…

Dessert 45 mins

Daifuku Mochi

Daifuku Mochi is a distinctive Japanese dessert rooted in Edo-period wagashi traditions, celebrated for…

Dessert 50 mins

Dorayaki

Dorayaki is a distinctive Japanese dessert rooted in modern Japanese confectionery, celebrated for two h…

Dessert 50 mins

Taiyaki

Taiyaki is a distinctive Japanese dessert rooted in Meiji-era Tokyo street sweets, celebrated for fish-s…

Dessert 50 mins

Matcha Roll Cake

Matcha Roll Cake is a distinctive Japanese dessert rooted in modern Japanese patisserie, celebrated for…

Dessert 57 mins

Japanese Purin

Japanese Purin is a distinctive Japanese dessert rooted in twentieth-century kissaten and home desserts…

Dessert 1 hr

Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Japanese food

When pairing wine with Japanese food, match the structure of the dish first: fresh whites for seafood and herbs, medium reds for tomato, spice or roast meat, sparkling wines for fried or salty starters, and sweet or fortified wines for desserts.

Red

Beaujolais / Gamay

Juicy light red with cherry, raspberry and low tannin. Excellent slightly chilled with charcuterie, poultry, pâté, saus…

Grape: Gamay Region: Beaujolais, Loire, Switzerland

Red

Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux

Structured red with blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and firm tannins. Best with roast beef, lamb, steak, rich gravies and…

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Bordeaux, Napa, Coonawarra, Maipo

Red

Malbec

Plush, dark red with blackberry, plum, cocoa and smooth tannins. Excellent with beef, charred meat, pies and smoky dish…

Grape: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Cahors

Red

Pinot Noir / Burgundy

Elegant red with red cherry, earth, spice and fine tannins. Great with duck, mushroom, poultry, pork and lighter beef d…

Grape: Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder Region: Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago, Baden

Red

Spätburgunder

German Pinot Noir with red cherry, earth and gentle spice. Excellent with pork, sausages, roast poultry, mushroom sauce…

Grape: Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir Region: Baden, Ahr, Pfalz

Red

Syrah / Shiraz

Peppery, dark-fruited red with savoury spice and medium-to-firm tannins. Great with grilled meat, pepper, smoke, sausag…

Grape: Syrah, Shiraz Region: Northern Rhône, Barossa, South Africa

White

Albariño / Vinho Verde

Fresh coastal white wine with citrus, peach, sea-spray minerality and bright acidity. Excellent with seafood, salt cod…

Grape: Albariño, Alvarinho, Loureiro, Arinto Region: Rías Baixas, Minho, Vinho Verde

White

Assyrtiko

Greek white with piercing acidity, lemon, salt and volcanic minerality. Ideal for tzatziki, feta, seafood, grilled fish…

Grape: Assyrtiko Region: Santorini, Macedonia, Crete

Local beers

Japanese beers

Wine can lead the meal, but local beer tells another story: what people drink in bars, restaurants and shops alongside everyday food.

Explore local beers

Asahi Super Dry

Dry lager 5% ABV

Asahi Breweries

Japan’s iconic dry lager, crisp and widely sold nationwide.

Sapporo Premium Beer

Lager 4.9% ABV

Sapporo Breweries

A classic Japanese lager associated with Hokkaido brewing heritage.

Kirin Ichiban

Lager 5% ABV

Kirin Brewery

A major Japanese lager known for its first-press brewing method.

Suntory The Premium Malt’s

Pilsner-style lager 5.5% ABV

Suntory

A premium Japanese malt beer found in bars, restaurants and convenience stores.

Orion Draft Beer

Lager 5% ABV

Orion Breweries

Okinawa’s signature lager and a strong regional favourite.

Food stories

Articles linked to Japanese recipes

Explore the wider stories behind ingredients, cooking methods, celebrations and national dishes.

Food story

The Best Pancakes, Crêpes and Flat Cakes Around the World

Batter becomes breakfast, dessert, street food and celebration in crêpes, pancakes, blini, dosa, okonomiyaki and potato…

Food story

Why Fried Rice Became a Global Favourite

Fried rice is thrift, speed and wok skill in one dish, built around yesterday’s rice and whatever the kitchen can offer…

Food story

The Best Stuffed Vegetable Recipes Around the World

Stuffed vegetables turn peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, vine leaves and cabbage into complete meals filled w…

Plan the full table

Build a Japanese menu

Keep Japanese short-grain rice, soy sauce, mirin, sake, rice vinegar, kombu, katsuobushi, miso and noodles as foundations. Buy tofu, fish and vegetables as fresh as possible, and choose the correct rice and miso for the dish. A sharp knife and a fine-mesh strainer are often more useful than decorative serving ware.

Open menu builder Meal planner