World-famous Japanese cuisine and its origins

Japanese food has been attracting attention from all over the world since the sushi boom started in the United States in the 1980s. The number of Japanese restaurants has increased rapidly around the world.

At the heart of the sushi boom was a rolled sushi called California roll, invented by Japanese Americans.

As sushi became more established in countries where it had not been customary to eat raw fish, original Japanese-style nigiri sushi also became popular. But even though it was a step forward that Japanese food spread around the world, it was mostly limited to sushi... And there's so much more!

In 2013, Japanese cuisine was added to the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list, and Japanese food other than sushi gradually got international attention. Therefore, let's have a look at Japanese dishes that are popular not only in Japan but also overseas.

Ramen is said to be the most satisfying food for foreign tourists visiting Japan. There are as many specialty shops throughout Japan as there are stars, and the taste varies from region to region. By the way, the top 10 prefectures with the most ramen shops per 100,000 people are all in the north.

Beside ramen, okonomiyaki, representing cheap and delicious food, is also popular. Its origin is said to be in Sen no Rikyu in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, in the 16th century. In 1955, however, it began to be sold as an 'Osaka specialty' and gained popularity once again.

When it comes to fried food in Japan, tempura is famous, but tonkatsu is rapidly gaining popularity overseas, especially in Europe and the United States. The pork cutlet is not an ancient Japanese dish though. It was born by arranging the French côtelette in a Japanese style during the Meiji era, in the late 19th century, when the country had just opened itself to the world.

This dish has been known as 'wagyu' in Europe and the US for a long time. It was created after repeated breeding of native cattle in the Edo period. The dish boasts softness, the sweetness of the sashimi, and the strenght of its aroma. Some people overseas seem to think that wagyu beef comes from cows listening to opera, drinking beer, and receiving massages, but this is by no means a common breeding method.

If there's one food that Japanese people love and can't stop eating, it's fried chicken. After World War II, poultry farms were built all over the country due to national policy. Oita, the region with the largest number of poultry farms, is said to be the birthplace of the specialty.

At Tokyo's Tsukiji Market, many foreign tourists line up to buy freshly made fluffy tamagoyaki. The reason why it is slightly sweet and soft is because it contains plenty of sweet dashi (thickened soup). It has been eaten since the Meiji era.

Takoyaki represents Japan's B-class food. It was born in Osaka in 1935. If you ask the local people whether it's true that everyone in Kansai has a takoyaki machine, they will probably say yes because it is a regular item on the family menu. The dough balls are filled with minced octopus, tempura, pickled ginger, and green onion.

Along with sushi, this dish is known worldwide as a Japanese delicacy. But actually, it originated in Portugal. Tempura was introduced to Japan by Portuguese missionaries and merchants who arrived in the mid-16th century.

Japanese people love sukiyaki, but people from countries that don't have the habit of eating raw eggs find it difficult to eat sukiyaki. In Japan, it spread around the end of the Edo period (in the 19th century). The reason why sukiyaki with beef is now mainstream is that it was Emperor Meiji's favorite dish.

Udon, the Japanese soul food, was introduced in China during the Nara period, in the 8th century. Kanto udon is seasoned with dark soy sauce, giving the soup a dark color, while Kansai uses light soy sauce to enjoy the taste of the soup stock, keeping the color light.

Soba has a long history dating back to even before the Nara period, but surprisingly it is not well known overseas. Basically, Japanese soba are noodles that use more than 30% buckwheat flour. The only difference between 'mori soba' and 'zaru soba' is the presence or absence of seaweed topping.

Onigiri is a Japanese sandwich, fast food, and soul food. It has a long history and has existed in Japan since the time rice cultivation was introduced. Grilled rice balls, coated with soy sauce or miso, are also very popular.

The sweet and spicy seasoning of yakitori has also been embraced by people overseas. It is a dish that has existed since the Heian period, in the 8th to the 12th century, and the original form of the current yakitori cooking method was refined in the Edo period (17th to 19th century).

Born around the Meiji era, this Japanese confectionery is shaped like a sea bream, which is a symbol of auspiciousness. The basic filling is bean paste, but recently it has also had an increasing number of Western confectionery types such as custard and chocolate, as well as unusual items such as cheese and bacon.

It is said that the Japanese have been eating eel since the Jomon period, centuries before the Common Era (year 0), but most people started eating it in earnest in the Edo period. It is very popular for its high protein and nutritional value, but it is now an endangered species.

Since around 2010, matcha has gained worldwide recognition. The tea itself was introduced in China in the Edo period, but over a long period of time, the Japanese established their own style of drinking tea in which powdered tea was added to hot water and stirred.

Natto tends to be the food that foreigners dislike the most. Made with fermented soybeans, it is a highly representative Japanese food that has existed since the Yayoi period (around the beginning of the Common Era). The dish is said to be very good for health, and many people believe that the secret to the longevity of Japanese people lies in natto.