Some of the local Japanese delicacies!
Sushi
Everybody knows what sushi is. Well if you don't, sushi is one of the most common Japanese dishes. Sushi is a dish that contains rice (white rice, flavoured with seasoned rice vinegar). There a lots of different kinds of sushi; nigirizushi (hand formed sushi), makizushi (rolled sushi) and chirashi (sushi rice topped with raw fish). Sushi is very popular in Japan and even more popular in countries around the world.
Donburi
Donburi is a bowl of plain cooked rice with other foods on top. It is served at specialty restaurants and it is also a common dish on all restaurant menus. Popular varieties of Donburi include; gyudon (stewed beef), katsudon (tonkatsu), tendon (tempura), oyakodon (chicken and egg), tekkadon (maguro), and kaisendon (raw seafood).
Rice balls
Rice balls (Onigiri) are made of cooked rice wrapped in seaweed, lightly seasoned with salt and has fillings of umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum), okaka (dried bonito shavings and konbu), or salmon. Rice balls are popular and inexpensive snacks available at restaurants and convenience stores.
kare raisu
Kare Raisu (Curry Rice) is a meal of cooked rice with a Japanese curry sauce, served with additional toppings such as tonkatsu. Although curry isn't a native Japanese spice, but it is used in Japan for centuries. Kare Raisu is a very popular and inexpensive.
Chazuke
Chazuke consists of hot water, tea and fish stock poured over rice, being garnished with umeboshi, grilled salmon or pickles. Chazuke is a popular dish to eat after drinking.
kayu
Kayu, or okayu, is Japanese rice porridge made from slow cooking rice in heaps of water. Kayu us garnished with umeboshi and commonly served to sick people because they can easily digest it.
yakizakana
Yakizakana means grilled fish. Many varieties of fish are used to make Yakizakana including; mackerel (saba), salmon (sake), mackerel pike (sanma), horse mackerel (aji), Okhotsk atka mackerel (hokke), sea bream (tai) and sweetfish (ayu).
soba
Soba are Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour. It is as thick as spaghetti and is served hot or cold with various toppings.
udon
Udon are Japanese noodles made of wheat flour. Udon are thicker than soba and are also served either hot or cold and with toppings such as; fried tofu (kitsune udon), tempura(tempura udon), and mountain vegetables (sansai udon).
ramen
Ramen is Chinese style noodles prepared in a soup with various toppings. Ramen is one of the many popular dishes that were originally introduced from China but have become completely Japanized over time.
Somen
Like Udon noodles, somen are Japanese noodles made of wheat flour, but they are much thinner than Udon and Soba. Somen are usually eaten cold and are considered a summer speciality.
yakisoba
Yakisoba are grilled or fried Chinese style noodles mixed with pieces of meat, cabbage, carrots, or other vegetables, and garnished with red ginger.
oden
A nabe dish prepared with various fish cakes, daiko, boiled eggs, konyaku and kombi seaweed , which is then slow simmered in a soy sauce soup. Oden is popular in winter.
sukiyaki
Sukiyaki prepared with thinly sliced meat, vegetables, mushrooms, tofu and shirataki (konyaku noodles), which is then simmered in a sweet soy sauce broth. The pieces of food are dipped into raw beaten egg before being eaten.
shabu shabu
Shabu shabu is Japanese style meat where pieces of thinly sliced meat, seafood, vegetables , mushrooms and tofu, are cooked by being dipped in a hot soup. Shabu Shabu are bite sized pieces which are then dipped in a ponzu citrus or seasame sauce before you eat the Shabu Shabu.
chanko nabe
Chanko nabe is the traditional staple diet of sumo wrestlers. There are lots of varieties of chanko nabe, which can be tried at several specialty chanko nabe restaurants and in the sumo district in Tokyo.
yakitori
Yakitori are skewered grilled chicken pieces seasoned with salt or sauce. NEarly wevery parts of a chicken is used in Yakitori (including organs).
tonkatsu
Tonkatsu are deep fried pork cutlets. Tonkatsu is usually served with shreded cabbage on top of cooked rice. its also a common addition to Japanese style curry rice (katsu kare).
yakiniku
Yakiniku literally means "grilled meat" and are bite-size pieces of meat - mostly beef and pork - which are served on a grill at the table.
nikujaga
Nikujaga is a popular dish of sweet stewed meat (niku) and potatoes (jagaimo).
teppanyaki
Teppanyaki is when eat, seafood and vegetables are prepared on a large iron griddle (teppan) around where the diners are seated, the chef will prepare your dish right in front of you.
hiyayakko
Hiyayakko is tofu (usually soft tofu) garnished with grated ginger, katsuobushi (shaved bonito flakes), and green onions and then seasoned with soy sauce.
yudofu
Yudofu are tofu pieces boiled in a clear, mild soup and dipped into soy sauce or ponzu (citrus sauce) before being eaten. Yudofu is usually served during the colder months.
agedashidofu
Agedashidofu is made of lightly breaded tofu which is fried and served hot is a soy sauce broth; commonly garnished with green onions or grated daikon.
miso soup
Miso soup is made by dissolving miso paste in fish stock (dashi). Common additions include wakame seaweed, small pieces of tofu, and sliced aburaage, etc.
Korokke
Korokke has its origins in the croquettes which were introduced to Japan in the 19th century. Korokke consist of a filling that is breaded and deep fried, and are eaten with a worcestershire tonkatsu sauce and shredded cabbage. They come in many varieties depending on the filling, the most common of which is a mix of minced meat and mashed potatoes.
omuraisu
Omuraisu, short for omelete rice, is fried rice wrapped in a thin egg omelete. Omuraisu is usually shaped like an American football and may be garnished with ketchup or demi-glace sauce. It is a common diner or cafe food, although specialty omuraisu restaurants also exist.
hayashi raisu
Hayashi rice is Japanese style hashed beef stew, thinly sliced beef and onions in a demi-glace sauce served over or along side cooked rice. It resembles kare raisu, and, like kare raisu, is also eaten with a spoon.
hambagu
Hambagu is Japanese style hamburger steak (as opposed to hambaga, which are hamburgers in a bun). Hambagu is usually served on a plate along side vegetables and rice or bread, and seasoned with a demi-glace sauce.
bento
Bento, or boxed meals, are inexpensive, single portion take out meals served in a box. They usually consist of small portions of meat, vegetables, fish, or pickles together with rice. Bento come in both hot and cold varieties and are sold at specialty restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores, and are a favorite item at train stations (ekiben) and airports (soraben).
tempura
Tempura consists of seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, or meat coated with batter and deep fried. The resulting food has a light, but crispy texture, that may be seasoned with salt or dipped in a light sauce before eating. Tempura was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese in the 16th century, and has become one of Japan's most famous dishes internationally.
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki is a type of pancake where various ingredients such as seafood, vegetables and meat are mixed into a batter and grilled. Okonomiyaki specialty restaurants have a large hotplate built into the table where the patrons cook their own food.
monjayaki
Monjayaki is a Kanto Region specialty that is similar to okonomiyaki; however, the batter used is much thinner than okonomiyaki resulting in a moister, less uniform dish. Monjayaki is often served at okonomiyaki restaurants.
gyoza
Gyoza are dumplings stuffed with a filling made of minced vegetables and ground meat. Gyoza were introduced to Japan from China. Japanese gyoza are usually prepared by frying them, and they are commonly served as a side dish to ramen.
chawanmushi
Chawanmushi is savory steamed egg custard that usually contains pieces of chicken, shrimp, fish cake and a ginko nut mixed inside. It is served in a small, lidded cup, and eaten with a spoon.
Pictures and Information are from http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2035.html.