MATSUTAKE -- mushroom --










MATSUTAKE is famous among Japanese as expensive delicacy in autumn.
It is one of the precious mushrooms.

Especially the one made in Japan is so expensive.
Recently the one which is imported from Korea, China is major than domestic one.
The imported one is cheaper than domestic.

MATSUTAKE is good for its aroma.
Always Japanese likes aroma as much as taste.

Do not forget to check out its price at restaurant before you order!

UNADON -- broiled eel bowl --

There are specialty restaurants which serve eel mainly.

It is quite difficult to cook eel.

It is said that it takes for 3years to learn on skewers, 8years to split, whole life to broil.

At outside the eel restaurant, it smells nice by the smoke.

It costs about JPY2000 for UNADON.

Please also try the soup cooked with eel's liver.

KAISENDON -- seafood bowl --

It is served at SUSHI restaurant.

KAISENDON is good for the visitor, because the price is very clear, it is around JPY2000.

Inconveniently at some SUSHI restaurant the price is not clear before checking out.

KAISEN includes several kinds of seafood, basically tuna, salmon roe, squid, prawn, etc.

Always the Japanese horseradish, Wasabi, is put together in the bowl.

I usually make it melt with soy sauce and put on the bowl.

Be careful to take too much Wasabi!!

OYAKODON --parental bowl --

In this bowl, the main are chickens and eggs, those means parent, called OYAKO.

This is also the one of the classical bowl in Japan.

You can find this at SOBA or UDON restaurant.

Sometime they serve as a combination of OYAKODON with SOBA or UDON.

It is usually reasonable.

The taste of OYAKODON depends on each restaurant policy, so if you can find the satisfied one, you are so lucky!!

GYUDON -- beef bowl --

Beef and onion are topped on the bowl.

Those are boiled well with special sauce.

In Japan the restaurant which serve GYUDON is very popular.

You can see that at anywhere.

The price is reasonable, which is around JPY400.

It is kind of fast foods like a McDonald's.

TENDON -- rice bowl topped with tempura --







Normally TENDON includes tempura of prawn at least.
And more, edible leaf, fishes, vegetables are topped as tempura.
TENDON needs its sauce, which taste is very important.

It is not so easy to cook tempura at home because of the difficulty to handle cooking oil.
The result of tempura depends on the action with cooking oil.

Recently there are also many restaurants at which we can order to take out TENDON with reasonable price.

Let’s take TENDON before its hot is gone.

DOMBURI -- bowl rice --

There are plenty kinds of bowl rice in Japan.

Tendon -- tempura

Gyudon -- beef

Butadon -- pork

Oyakodon -- chicken and egg

Tamagodon -- egg

Chukadon -- chinese cuisine

Currydon -- curry

Steakdon -- steak

Kaisendon -- seafood

Unidon -- sea urchin

Ikuradon -- salmon roe

and more...

Let me introduce typical bowl rice from next story.

TEMPURA -- deep fried --





This is also Japanese famous food.

Whatever you like can be fried as tempura.

The one you choose is covered with beaten egg and bread crumbs, then put into the oil.

The popular food is prawn, fish and vegetables.

Of course fresh one is good.


But usually tempura is expensive when you have it at the restaurant.
It is not so difficult to cook at your home (or friend's home), it makes you exciting!

Let's have a tempura party!

How to choose SUSHI restaurant



In the case you are invited to SUSHI restaurant, you are very lucky!
You do not need to worry about choosing restaurant.
If you go there by yourselves, keep in your mind those advices.

1. Choose crowded restaurant
This is most important thing.
It means the fish is always fresh.

2. Can recognize the price clearly
When you can not find the price list outside, it is better to avoid there.
You find the one, check it of "NAMI-NIGIRI" as a barometer.
If it is up to JPY1200, the restaurant might be safety to your wallet.

3. Avoid the one located on the main street
Those restaurants tend to charge high, because of their house rent fee.
Check the one behind the main street.

I hope these advices are helpful for you!

SHUN -- in season --

Any food has its best season.
Of course fish also has it.
For example squid's best season is MAY.

When you go to SUSHI restaurant, please pay your attention to each fish's season.
Mostly the recommended menu is stuck in the restaurant, so you can find it easily.
If you go to expensive SUSHI restaurant, you could not find any information on the wall, so you should ask the staff or master.

TSUKIJI -- fish market --







The largest fish market in Japan is TSUKIJI, which is located in TOKYO.

At here, tourist can look in the market for sightseeing.


Be careful for the off day information.
Sunday is closed, saying strictly, dealing is off but we can go and just see into the market.
Only some shops are opened outside the market.

If you want to see the dealing, you have to go there before 5AM.
Also you can eat fresh fish in the market, but most of the restaurant will be closed till noon.

The market is very wide, so it is better to get the map before you go there.
Further more if you have Japanese friends, he (she) will help you greatly.
Sometime the words among the market's professionals are difficult to understand.

SUSHI - continue -

You can order to take out SUSHI.

If you have your favorite SUSHI, you can order a la carte.

Otherwise you can also order per person you like.

In case of that, SUSHI is picked up by restaurant.

It is enjoyable that having take-out SUSHI in our house with watching TV, talking with friends, drinking wines, listening music.

How to eat SUSHI - continue -

As a great supporting player, the pickled ginger is important.
We call it Gari.

It makes our mouth neutralizing from the fat.
So if you like fatty one, you do not need to take it.

But it is not good to take too much.

Another supporter is Agari, it means hot green tea, Ocha.
If you like alcohol you may order the one, but not so, Agari is better.
Of course it is free of charges.

Let us enjoy with Gari and Agari!

How to eat SUSHI


Basically it depends on you.
You may eat whatever you want.

But Let me introduce the way which is good among Japanese.
It is wisdom to make you be satisfied more.

First you begin to eat from Shiromi-category, which is for example sea bream, halfbeak, etc.
Those have low fat.

Next is shellfish category.
Abalon, ark shell, cockle, shell ligament, etc.

Otherwise ika & tako are also good.

Next is Akami-category.
Tuna, bonito, yellowtail, those are with tasty fat.

Last one is Makimono, which means made with dried seaweed.
For example, sea urchin, salmon roe, kappa maki, etc.

This is the orthodox way.
It brings you more nice tasting.