Local Dishes

1. 寿司

   Sushi

   Sushi

   Usage

   Umbrella term for vinegared rice with seafood. Ranges from counter-served nigiri to conveyor-belt and boxed sushi

   Grammar Note

   Written three ways — 鮨, 鮓 and 寿司 — all read "sushi". Shop signs use all three

2. 刺身

   Sashimi

   Sashimi (sliced raw fish)

   Usage

   Raw seafood sliced thin, eaten with soy sauce and wasabi. Menus in western Japan may write "otsukuri" instead

3. 天ぷら

   Tenpura

   Tempura

   Usage

   Seafood or vegetables in a light batter, deep-fried. Eaten with dipping sauce or salt; the all-vegetable version is "shōjin-age"

   Grammar Note

   Also written 天麩羅. This app writes "Tenpura" (modified Hepburn keeps n before p); the spelling "tempura" is also common

4. ラーメン

   Rāmen

   Ramen

   Usage

   Wheat noodles in broth, named by the soup base: shōyu, miso, shio or tonkotsu. Registered as a regional dish of Hokkaidō

5. うどん

   Udon

   Udon (thick wheat noodles)

   Usage

   Thick wheat noodles, served hot in broth or cold with dipping sauce. Sanuki udon from Kagawa is the best known

6. そば

   Soba

   Soba (buckwheat noodles)

   Usage

   Buckwheat noodles, served cold (zaru) or hot (kake). Note that buckwheat allergy can be severe

   Grammar Note

   Written 蕎麦 in kanji. The word also names noodles made without buckwheat, as in "chūka soba" (ramen) and "Okinawa soba"

7. とんかつ

   Tonkatsu

   Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet)

   Usage

   Pork coated in panko and deep-fried. "Rōsu" is the fattier loin cut, "hire" the lean fillet

   Grammar Note

   Written 豚カツ, とんかつ or トンカツ; shops use all of them about equally

8. 唐揚げ

   Karaage

   Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)

   Usage

   Marinated chicken dusted with flour or starch and deep-fried. Found in izakaya, bentō boxes and convenience stores alike

   Grammar Note

   Written 空揚げ or 唐揚げ; shops mostly use 唐揚げ

9. 焼き鳥

   Yakitori

   Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers)

   Usage

   Skewered grilled chicken. You will be asked to choose "tare" (sweet soy glaze) or "shio" (salt)

   Grammar Note

   In Muroran and Bibai (Hokkaidō) the same word covers pork skewers, registered there as a regional dish

10. すき焼き

    Sukiyaki

    Sukiyaki

    Usage

    Beef and vegetables simmered in a sweet soy broth at the table, then dipped in raw beaten egg

11. しゃぶしゃぶ

    Shabushabu

    Shabu-shabu

    Usage

    Thin slices of meat swished through hot broth and dipped in sauce — usually sesame sauce or ponzu

12. お好み焼き

    Okonomiyaki

    Okonomiyaki (savory pancake)

    Usage

    Batter with cabbage and meat cooked on a hotplate. Registered as a regional dish in both Ōsaka and Hiroshima

    Grammar Note

    Hiroshima layers the ingredients rather than mixing them and adds noodles; locals treat it as a different dish from the Ōsaka style

13. たこ焼き

    Takoyaki

    Takoyaki (octopus balls)

    Usage

    Ōsaka street food: octopus in a dashi batter cooked in a hemispherical griddle. The centre stays extremely hot

14. 餃子

    Gyōza

    Gyoza (pan-fried dumplings)

    Usage

    Minced pork and vegetables in a thin wrapper. Japan favours the pan-fried version; boiled and steamed ones also exist

    Grammar Note

    A Chinese loanword read "gyōza". Most versions contain garlic, worth checking if you have dietary or religious restrictions

15. カレーライス

    Karē raisu

    Curry rice

    Usage

    Japanese-style thick curry, usually mild. Also called simply "karē" or "raisu karē"

16. 牛丼

    Gyūdon

    Gyudon (beef bowl)

    Usage

    Simmered beef and onion over rice. Chain shops often serve it around the clock

    Grammar Note

    "Donburi" means a bowl of rice with a topping; as a suffix it is read "-don"

17. カツ丼

    Katsudon

    Katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl)

    Usage

    Tonkatsu simmered with onion in a sweet-savoury broth, bound with egg and served over rice

18. 親子丼

    Oyakodon

    Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl)

    Usage

    Chicken and onion simmered and bound with egg over rice. The name means "parent and child" — chicken and egg

19. 天丼

    Tendon

    Tendon (tempura rice bowl)

    Usage

    Tempura over rice with a thick sweet sauce. Prawn, vegetables and whiting are the usual toppings

    Grammar Note

    Short for "tenpura donburi". Menus often abbreviate tempura to just 天, as in "ten-soba" (soba with tempura)

20. うな重

    Unajū

    Unaju (grilled eel over rice)

    Usage

    Kabayaki-grilled eel on rice in a lacquered box. An expensive dish, usually from specialist restaurants

    Grammar Note

    Written 鰻重 in kanji. The same dish served in a round bowl is called "unadon"

21. おにぎり

    Onigiri

    Onigiri (rice ball)

    Usage

    Hand-formed rice with a filling, wrapped in nori. A convenience-store staple; salmon, kelp and pickled plum are typical

    Grammar Note

    "Omusubi" means the same thing. "Onigiri" is the polite form of "nigirimeshi"

22. 味噌汁

    Misoshiru

    Miso soup

    Usage

    Dashi broth with miso dissolved in it, normally included with a set meal. Tofu, wakame and clams are common additions

    Grammar Note

    Politely "o-misoshiru" or "omiotsuke". The broth usually contains bonito or dried sardine, so vegetarians should check

23. 茶碗蒸し

    Chawanmushi

    Chawanmushi (savory steamed egg custard)

    Usage

    Egg thinned with dashi and steamed with chicken, prawn, ginkgo nut and shiitake. Eaten hot with a spoon

24. おでん

    Oden

    Oden (simmered winter hotpot)

    Usage

    Daikon, konnyaku, fish cakes and eggs simmered in dashi — a winter dish, also sold beside convenience-store registers

    Grammar Note

    Called "kantō-daki" in western Japan. The broth is fish- or chicken-based, so vegetarians should check

25. 焼きそば

    Yakisoba

    Yakisoba (stir-fried noodles)

    Usage

    Steamed wheat noodles stir-fried with meat and vegetables. A festival-stall staple, usually seasoned with a sweet-tangy sauce

    Grammar Note

    Despite the name, it uses Chinese-style wheat noodles, not buckwheat — a common source of confusion for people with buckwheat allergy

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