Japanese food names: 寿司 (sushi), ラーメン (ramen) and more
Japanese food names are usually a cooking method or an ingredient plus a dish type, such as 寿司 (すし, sushi, “sushi”), ラーメン (rāmen, “ramen”) and 天ぷら (てんぷら, tenpura, “tempura”). The word for food is 食べ物 (たべもの, tabemono, “food”), and Japanese cuisine as a whole is 和食 (わしょく, washoku, “Japanese food”).
This guide gives the name, the kanji and the reading for the dishes you will meet most. They are grouped as rice, noodles, sushi, grilled and fried food, soups and hot pots, side dishes, street food, sweets and drinks. For a cooked dish, or cooking in general, the word is 料理 (りょうり, ryōri, “cooking”).
If you can't read kana yet, you can still use this page: every word has its reading and a sound you can tap. When you are ready, start with what hiragana is and see how long hiragana and katakana take to learn.
Washoku is a way of eating
In 2013, UNESCO added "Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year" to its list of intangible cultural heritage. It describes washoku as a social practice: skills, knowledge and traditions around producing, preparing and eating food. It is about a way of eating, and not one list of dishes.
The traditional meal is often described as 一汁三菜 (いちじゅうさんさい, ichijū sansai, “meal consisting of soup, rice and three dishes (esp. namasu, nimono and yakimono)”): steamed rice, miso soup and three side dishes. The groups below are the dishes that fill that meal, and the ones that stand alone.
How Japanese food names are built
Most Japanese food names are small parts joined together, and once you know a few parts you can read a lot of menus.
Many names are a cooking method plus an ingredient. 焼き鳥 (やきとり, yakitori, “yakitori”) joins 焼き (grilling) and 鳥 (bird), so it is grilled chicken on a skewer. 唐揚げ (からあげ, karaage) is a deep-fried food, usually chicken. Others end in a word for the dish type. A bowl of rice with a topping ends in 丼 (donburi), a hot pot ends in 鍋 (nabe), and a noodle dish often ends in 麺 (men) or in the noodle's own name.
Sushi has a sound change that surprises beginners. On its own it is すし, but in a compound the second word is read ずし, as in 握り寿司 (にぎりずし, nigirizushi, “nigirizushi”). The dictionary readings show this, and it is a normal pattern in Japanese compounds.
Three kinds of vocabulary mix in food names:
- Native Japanese words, usually in kanji or hiragana, such as 味噌汁 (みそしる, misoshiru, “miso soup”) and お好み焼き (おこのみやき, okonomiyaki, “okonomiyaki”).
- Dishes with Chinese roots, such as ラーメン and チャーハン. The dictionary glosses them as "Chinese-style noodles" and "Chinese-style fried rice", and both are usually written in katakana.
- Western-style dishes, often in katakana, such as コロッケ (korokke, “croquette”) and ハンバーグ (hanbāgu, “Hamburg steak”). The dictionary calls this whole style 洋食 (ようしょく, yōshoku, “Western food”). The page on what katakana is explains why these words are written that way.
A last tip: the same food can be written in kanji on one menu and in kana on the next. The dictionary lists 鰻 (eel) as a word that is usually written in kana, so you will often see うなぎ as well. Don't be thrown when a dish looks different from the one in this guide.
Rice and rice dishes: ご飯 (gohan), おにぎり (onigiri) and 丼 (donburi)
Rice is the base of a Japanese meal, and the three foundations of the cuisine are rice, wheat and soybeans. The word shows it: ご飯 (ごはん, gohan, “cooked rice”) means cooked rice and also a meal. That is why 朝ご飯, 昼ご飯 and 晩ご飯 are breakfast, lunch and dinner.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ご飯 | ごはん | gohan | cooked rice | Plain steamed rice; also the word for a meal |
| おにぎり | おにぎり | onigiri | onigiri; rice ball (often triangular, sometimes with a filling and wrapped in nori) | A rice ball, often triangular, often with a filling and wrapped in nori |
| 梅干し | うめぼし | umeboshi | umeboshi; pickled dried ume; pickled dried plum | Pickled plum; a typical onigiri filling, like salmon |
| 丼 | どんぶり | donburi | donburi; bowl of meat, fish, etc. served over rice | A bowl of rice with a topping; also the bowl itself |
| 牛丼 | ぎゅうどん | gyūdon | gyudon; rice covered with sliced beef, usu. with fried onion | Sliced beef over rice |
| カツ丼 | カツどん | katsudon | katsudon; pork cutlet served on top of a bowl of rice | A pork cutlet on rice |
| 親子丼 | おやこどん | oyakodon | oyakodon; bowl of rice topped with chicken and egg (or other parent-child ingredient pairing) | Chicken and egg on rice; the name means parent and child |
| 天丼 | てんどん | tendon | tempura donburi; tempura served over a bowl of rice | Tempura on rice |
| 海鮮丼 | かいせんどん | kaisendon | seafood donburi | Seafood on rice |
| カレーライス | カレーライス | karēraisu | curry and rice; rice and curry; curry rice | Japanese curry on rice |
| オムライス | オムライス | omuraisu | omurice; fried rice wrapped in or topped with omelette | Fried rice wrapped in or topped with an omelette |
| チャーハン | チャーハン | chāhan | Chinese-style fried rice | Fried rice with vegetables and meat |
| お茶漬け | おちゃづけ | ochazuke | ochazuke; rice with tea poured on it | Tea poured over rice, with toppings; a simple comfort food |
| お粥 | おかゆ | okayu | thin rice porridge; watery cooked rice; rice gruel | Rice porridge, often served to people who are unwell |
The rice bowl is a whole family of dishes. The 丼 ending means a bowl of rice with something on top, and the front part tells you what: beef (牛), a pork cutlet (カツ), chicken and egg (親子), tempura (天) or seafood (海鮮). 親子丼 means "parent and child" bowl, a playful way to describe the chicken and the egg in one dish.
Japanese curry is worth a note. Wikipedia's page on Japanese curry says it first appeared in cookbooks in 1872 and was most likely introduced by the British Royal Navy. Japan Guide calls it a very popular dish. The dictionary also lists カレー as short for curry and rice, so on a menu カレー alone often means the whole dish.
Two more dishes have foreign roots. チャーハン is Chinese-style fried rice, and オムライス, which Wikipedia says apparently began in Tokyo, is a Western-style omelette with fried rice. In a 2026 survey, チャーハン was the favourite rice dish in Japan: more on that below.
Noodles: ラーメン (rāmen), うどん (udon) and そば (soba)
Noodles are a meal in their own right. Three of the best-known are soba, which is thin, brown and made from buckwheat, udon, which is thick, white and made from wheat, and ramen, which is yellow, Chinese-style wheat noodles in a hot soup.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ラーメン | ラーメン | rāmen | ramen; Chinese-style noodles | Chinese-style noodles in a hot broth with toppings |
| うどん | うどん | udon | udon; thick Japanese wheat noodles | Thick wheat noodles, often in a hot soy and dashi broth |
| 蕎麦 | そば | soba | soba; Japanese buckwheat noodles | Buckwheat noodles, served hot or cold |
| 素麺 | そうめん | sōmen | sōmen; fine white noodles | Thin white wheat noodles, often served chilled in summer |
| ざるそば | ざるそば | zarusoba | zaru soba (soba served on a bamboo draining basket with dipping sauce) | Cold soba on a bamboo draining basket, with dipping sauce |
| きつねうどん | きつねうどん | kitsuneudon | udon with deep-fried tofu | Udon topped with sweet fried tofu; kitsune means fox |
| 焼きそば | やきそば | yakisoba | yakisoba; fried noodles, usu. with vegetables and meat | Fried noodles with vegetables and meat |
| 焼きうどん | やきうどん | yakiudon | fried udon | The same idea with udon |
| 冷やし中華 | ひやしちゅうか | hiyashichūka | chilled Chinese noodles | Cold ramen-style noodles with toppings |
| つけ麺 | つけめん | tsukemen | cold Chinese noodles served with a dipping sauce separately | Noodles dipped in a strong sauce |
Ramen is the best known abroad, and its history is Chinese in origin. The more plausible theory is that Chinese immigrants brought it to Japan in the late 19th century, with Yokohama's Chinatown as its starting point. Rairaiken, which opened in Asakusa, Tokyo, in 1910, is usually named as the first specialist ramen shop.
Ramen is usually sorted by its seasoning: 塩 (しお, shio, “salt”), 醤油 (しょうゆ, shōyu, “soy sauce”) and 味噌 (みそ, miso, “miso”). A fourth name, 豚骨 (とんこつ, tonkotsu), describes the broth instead: a rich pork-bone soup. Menus mix the two ideas, so you will see 塩ラーメン, 醤油ラーメン, 味噌ラーメン (みそラーメン, misorāmen, “miso ramen”) and とんこつラーメン. Instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando of Nissin in 1958.
Soba and udon names follow a simple pattern: the topping, then the noodle. 天ぷらそば is tempura soba, and きつねうどん is udon with sweet fried tofu. You can build most noodle names this way.
Many people slurp noodles, and it is not rude. Japan Guide says slurping is considered evidence of enjoying the meal, while Fluent in 3 Months says it is acceptable but not required.
Sushi and sashimi names: 寿司 (sushi) and 刺身 (sashimi)
Sushi is rice flavoured with vinegar, and it does not have to include raw fish. The defining part is the vinegared rice, and raw seafood is only the most common topping. The dictionary describes sushi as a range of dishes made with vinegared rice combined with fish, vegetables, egg and so on.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 寿司 | すし | sushi | sushi; range of dishes made with vinegared rice combined with fish, vegetables, egg, etc. | The general word: vinegared rice with fish, vegetables, egg and more |
| 刺身 | さしみ | sashimi | sashimi (raw sliced fish, shellfish or crustaceans) | Raw sliced fish or shellfish with no rice, served with soy sauce and wasabi |
| 握り寿司 | にぎりずし | nigirizushi | nigirizushi; hand-pressed vinegared rice topped with seafood | A hand-pressed block of rice with the topping on top |
| 巻き寿司 | まきずし | makizushi | makizushi; rolled sushi; sushi roll | Rice and fillings rolled in nori, then sliced |
| 太巻き | ふとまき | futomaki | futomaki; thick roll of makizushi | A thick roll of makizushi |
| 手巻き寿司 | てまきずし | temakizushi | hand-rolled sushi (usu. cone-shaped) | Hand-rolled sushi, usually cone-shaped |
| 軍艦巻き | ぐんかんまき | gunkanmaki | battleship sushi; gunkan maki; sushi made by wrapping a strip of nori around a rice ball with a topping | A strip of nori round a rice ball, with a loose topping |
| ちらし寿司 | ちらしずし | chirashizushi | chirashi; chirashizushi; sushi rice in a box or bowl with a variety of ingredients sprinkled on top | Sushi rice in a bowl or box, with ingredients scattered on top |
| いなり寿司 | いなりずし | inarizushi | inarizushi; sushi wrapped in fried tofu | Sushi rice in a pouch of sweet fried tofu |
| 押し寿司 | おしずし | oshizushi | oshizushi; sushi rice and other ingredients pressed in box or mould (mold) | Sushi rice and ingredients pressed in a mould |
| 回転寿司 | かいてんずし | kaitenzushi | conveyor belt sushi; sushi-go-round; sushi train | A sushi restaurant where plates travel on a belt |
Nigiri is what most people picture, and it is a younger invention than you might think. The modern form is believed to have been created by Hanaya Yohei in Edo around 1824. Older sushi was fermented fish stored in rice, and a form of it is thought to have started in Southeast Asia.
Sushi's kanji are a small puzzle. The dictionary lists 寿司 and 鮨 as spellings, along with a few more. 寿司 is an ateji, kanji chosen for their sound, and the word itself is linked to an old form of the adjective for "sour". Don't read 寿司 for its meaning: it is read for sound.
Sashimi is the opposite of the "sushi means raw fish" mistake. 刺身 is the raw fish alone, with no rice, served with a dipping sauce and simple garnishes. Beside it you will often find わさび (wasabi, “wasabi (Wasabia japonica)”) and 醤油 (しょうゆ, shōyu). The sheets that wrap many rolls are 海苔 (のり, nori, “nori”).
The fish and toppings you will see at a sushi counter are worth knowing. Many of them are usually written in kana in the dictionary, so a menu may show かに, さば or イカ as well as the kanji:
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| マグロ | マグロ | maguro | tuna (Thunnus spp.; esp. the Pacific bluefin) | Tuna; usually written マグロ or まぐろ |
| トロ | トロ | toro | fatty cut (esp. of tuna belly) | The fatty cut of tuna belly |
| 鮭 | さけ | sake | salmon (Salmonidae spp.) | Salmon; read さけ or しゃけ |
| いくら | いくら | ikura | salted salmon roe | Salmon roe; usually written in kana |
| 鯖 | さば | saba | mackerel (esp. the chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus) | Mackerel; usually written in kana |
| 穴子 | あなご | anago | conger eel (esp. the common Japanese conger, Conger myriaster); garden eel | Conger eel; usually written in kana |
| 海老 | えび | ebi | prawn; shrimp; lobster | Prawn or shrimp; usually written in kana |
| 烏賊 | イカ | ika | cuttlefish; squid | Squid; usually written in kana |
| 蛸 | タコ | tako | octopus | Octopus; usually written in kana |
| 蟹 | かに | kani | crab | Crab; usually written in kana |
| うに | うに | uni | sea urchin | Sea urchin; usually written in kana |
| 帆立 | ほたて | hotate | Japanese scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis); Yesso scallop | Scallop; usually written ホタテ |
| 卵 | たまご | tamago | (hen's) egg | Egg; the same word as 卵, usually read たまご |
Grilled and fried foods: 焼き鳥 (yakitori), 天ぷら (tempura) and とんかつ (tonkatsu)
This group covers many of the dishes foreign visitors recognise: food on skewers, food in batter, food fried in a crust. The names are often a cooking word plus an ingredient.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 焼き鳥 | やきとり | yakitori | yakitori; chicken pieces (or sometimes beef or pork offal) grilled on a skewer | Chicken pieces, sometimes offal, grilled on a skewer |
| 焼肉 | やきにく | yakiniku | yakiniku; Japanese dish of grilled meat similar to Korean barbecue | Grilled meat, similar to Korean barbecue |
| 焼き魚 | やきざかな | yakizakana | grilled fish | Grilled fish |
| うなぎ | うなぎ | unagi | eel (esp. the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica) | Freshwater eel, grilled and sauced |
| 蒲焼き | かばやき | kabayaki | kabayaki; loach or eel dipped and broiled in soy-based sauce | Eel or loach broiled in a soy-based sauce |
| 天ぷら | てんぷら | tenpura | tempura; deep-fried fish and vegetables in a light batter | Fish and vegetables in a light batter, deep-fried |
| とんかつ | とんかつ | tonkatsu | tonkatsu; breaded pork cutlet | A breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet |
| 唐揚げ | からあげ | karāge | deep-frying food lightly coated in flour or potato starch; deep-fried food (esp. chicken) | Bite-sized pieces, floured and fried |
| 串カツ | くしカツ | kushikatsu | kushikatsu; deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables | Skewered meat and vegetables, breaded and fried |
| コロッケ | コロッケ | korokke | croquette | A breaded, deep-fried croquette |
| 卵焼き | たまごやき | tamagoyaki | rolled egg; rolled omelette (omelet) | A rolled omelette |
| ハンバーグ | ハンバーグ | hanbāgu | Hamburg steak; hamburger steak | A hamburger steak served without a bun |
| 餃子 | ギョーザ | gyōza | gyoza; pot sticker; crescent-shaped pan-fried dumplings stuffed with minced pork and vegetables | Crescent-shaped dumplings of pork and vegetables |
Tempura has a story that is partly known and partly legend. Wikipedia traces the cooking method to Portuguese missionaries in Nagasaki in the 16th century. One common explanation of the name is the Latin tempora, a term for Christian fasting periods when people ate fish instead of meat, but other explanations exist, so treat it as a story and not a settled fact. What is clearer is the Edo period: the batter became simple, with just flour, eggs and water, and tempura was sold as street food outdoors because frying indoors was banned for fear of fire.
とんかつ is a breaded pork cutlet. The dictionary lists it as 豚カツ, とんかつ and トンカツ, so you may see the second half in hiragana or katakana. 豚 is the character for pig.
Two spellings of the word for chicken matter on menus. In 焼き鳥 it is 鳥, the ordinary character for a bird. In the word for chicken meat, 鶏肉, it is 鶏. Both are in the dictionary, and both are read tori.
Fried chicken is a clear favourite. In an August 2025 Nichirei Foods survey of 14,000 people, reported by Nippon.com, respondents chose their favourites from 30 side dishes. 唐揚げ came first with 67.4 per cent, and the report says it had ranked first for the five previous years. Hamburg steak, gyoza and yakiniku followed at about 64 per cent each.
Soups, hot pots and simmered dishes: 味噌汁 (misoshiru), おでん (oden) and 鍋 (nabe)
Soup is one part of the classic meal. The everyday soup is miso soup, and the base of much Japanese soup and simmered food is 出汁 (だし, dashi, “dashi”), a stock made from fish and kelp.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 味噌汁 | みそしる | misoshiru | miso soup | Miso in dashi, with tofu, seaweed or vegetables; served with a meal |
| 豚汁 | とんじる | tonjiru | pork miso soup; miso soup with pork and vegetables | A heartier miso soup with pork and vegetables |
| 鍋 | なべ | nabe | stew; hot pot | The pot, and any dish cooked in one at the table |
| すき焼き | すきやき | sukiyaki | sukiyaki; thin slices of beef, cooked with various vegetables in a table-top cast-iron pan | Thin beef and vegetables in a sweet soy broth |
| しゃぶしゃぶ | しゃぶしゃぶ | shabushabu | shabu-shabu; hot pot dish where thinly sliced meat is boiled quickly and then dipped in sauce | Thin slices of meat swished in hot broth and dipped in sauce |
| ちゃんこ鍋 | ちゃんこなべ | chankonabe | chankonabe; fish, meat, and vegetable stew traditionally served to wrestlers | A stew traditionally served to sumo wrestlers |
| おでん | おでん | oden | oden; dish of various ingredients, e.g. egg, daikon, potato, chikuwa, konnyaku stewed in soy-flavored dashi | Egg, daikon, konnyaku and fish cake stewed in dashi |
| 肉じゃが | にくじゃが | nikujaga | nikujaga; meat and potato stew | Stewed meat and potatoes |
| 冷奴 | ひややっこ | hiyayakko | cold tofu (served with condiments) | Chilled tofu with toppings such as ginger and bonito flakes |
| 茶碗蒸し | ちゃわんむし | chawanmushi | chawanmushi; savoury steamed egg custard with chicken, mushrooms, etc. (savory) | A savoury steamed egg custard |
鍋 means a pot, and by extension a stew or hot pot. Many hot pots are named for the cooking style, as in すき焼き and しゃぶしゃぶ, or for who eats them, as in ちゃんこ鍋, the sumo stew.
The two famous beef hot pots differ in how they cook. In sukiyaki the thin beef and vegetables simmer in a pan with a sweet soy sauce mixture. In shabu-shabu you swish thin meat in a light stock at the table and dip it. The dictionary classes しゃぶしゃぶ as an onomatopoeic word.
おでん is a pot of ingredients stewed in a light soy-flavoured dashi: egg, daikon, potato, fish cake and konnyaku. Many people think of it as a cold-weather dish.
Two ingredients appear throughout this group. 味噌 (みそ, miso, “miso”) is a fermented condiment usually made from soybeans, and 豆腐 (とうふ, tōfu, “tofu”) is bean curd. Both are made from soybeans, one of the three foundations of the cuisine.
Side dishes, pickles and lunch boxes: 納豆, 漬物 and 弁当
Rice and soup come with small side dishes, and three of them are on almost every list of Japanese foods.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 納豆 | なっとう | nattō | natto (fermented soybeans) | Fermented soybeans, a common breakfast topping for rice |
| 漬物 | つけもの | tsukemono | tsukemono (pickled vegetables) | Pickled vegetables |
| 弁当 | べんとう | bentō | bento; Japanese box lunch | A Japanese box lunch |
| 駅弁 | えきべん | ekiben | boxed lunch bought at a station (often a local specialty) | A bento sold at a station |
納豆 is fermented soybeans. Japan Guide lists it among the toppings for a breakfast rice, along with a raw egg and soy sauce. 漬物 are pickled vegetables, and they often sit beside the rice on a tray.
A 弁当 is a boxed meal. Japan Guide describes the usual bento as rice with meat, vegetables and pickles. You can make one at home or buy one, and the 駅弁 is the bento bought at a station, often a local speciality.
Street food and snacks: たこ焼き (takoyaki), お好み焼き (okonomiyaki) and たい焼き (taiyaki)
Street food and snacks are often made on a griddle or in a special pan. The word 屋台 (やたい, yatai, “cart (esp. a food cart)”) covers food carts and stalls, and it is also used for festival floats, so context decides.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| たこ焼き | たこやき | takoyaki | takoyaki; octopus dumplings | Round balls of batter with a piece of octopus, with sauce and bonito flakes |
| お好み焼き | おこのみやき | okonomiyaki | okonomiyaki; savoury pancake fried on an iron griddle with vegetables, meat and/or seafood and topped with various sauces and condiments | A savoury pancake with cabbage, meat or seafood, and sauce |
| たい焼き | たいやき | taiyaki | fish-shaped pancake filled with bean jam | A fish-shaped cake, usually with red bean paste |
| 団子 | だんご | dango | dango; dumpling (usu. sweet); doughboy | Sweet dumplings of rice flour, often on a stick |
| 焼き芋 | やきいも | yakiimo | roasted sweet potato; baked sweet potato | A roasted sweet potato |
| 枝豆 | えだまめ | edamame | edamame (green soybeans) | Green soybeans, a common item on menus |
| 煎餅 | せんべい | senbei | (Japanese) rice cracker; senbei | A Japanese rice cracker |
Takoyaki was developed in Osaka. A street vendor named Tomekichi Endo is credited with inventing it in 1935, and his shop, Aizuya, is said to still operate. Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake fried on an iron griddle with vegetables, meat or seafood. The name begins with お好み, a polite word for your choice or preference, and ends with 焼き, so it is roughly "grilled as you like it".
Snacks are a good place to notice how often the word ends in 焼き. たこ焼き, お好み焼き, たい焼き and どら焼き (どらやき, dorayaki, “dorayaki”) are all a kind of grilled or griddled food, and the front part names the filling or the shape. The たい in たい焼き is the name of the sea bream (鯛), the fish the cake is shaped like.
Japanese sweets: 和菓子 (wagashi), 餅 (mochi) and 大福 (daifuku)
Traditional Japanese sweets are called 和菓子 (わがし, wagashi, “wagashi”), and the group includes mochi and dango.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 餅 | もち | mochi | mochi; small rice cake made from glutinous rice | A small cake pounded from glutinous rice |
| 大福 | だいふく | daifuku | rice cake stuffed with bean jam | Soft mochi round a sweet bean filling |
| どら焼き | どらやき | dorayaki | dorayaki; dessert sandwich of two small sweet pancakes and red bean paste | Two small pancakes with red bean paste between them |
| 羊羹 | ようかん | yōkan | yōkan; jellied dessert made from red bean paste, agar, and sugar | A firm jelly of red bean paste, agar and sugar |
| 饅頭 | まんじゅう | manjū | manjū; steamed yeast bun with filling | A steamed bun with a sweet filling |
| かき氷 | かきごおり | kakigōri | shaved ice (usually served with flavored simple syrup); Italian ice; snow cone | Shaved ice, usually with flavoured syrup |
Mochi is tied to the calendar. The UNESCO entry on washoku describes how Japanese families pound rice cakes and prepare special dishes for the New Year, and the dictionary has a word for those dishes, おせち料理 (おせちりょうり, osechiryōri, “osechi”). UNESCO adds that each component of those dishes carries symbolic meaning.
Sweet bean paste is the great filling. The dictionary's entries for 大福 (rice cake stuffed with bean jam), どら焼き (two pancakes with red bean paste) and 羊羹 (jellied red bean paste, agar and sugar) all point to it. 大福 is also an ordinary word meaning "great fortune".
Japanese drinks: お茶 (ocha), 抹茶 (matcha) and 日本酒 (nihonshu)
Tea is the everyday Japanese drink, and the word is お茶. In the dictionary, it means tea, especially green or barley tea, and it also means a tea break and the tea ceremony.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| お茶 | おちゃ | ocha | tea (esp. green or barley) | The general word for tea |
| 緑茶 | りょくちゃ | ryokucha | green tea; Japanese tea | Japanese green tea |
| 煎茶 | せんちゃ | sencha | green tea; green leaf tea; non-powdered tea (as opposed to matcha) | Green tea from whole steamed leaves, not powdered |
| 抹茶 | まっちゃ | matcha | matcha; powdered green tea | Powdered green tea |
| ほうじ茶 | ほうじちゃ | hōjicha | roasted green tea | Green tea that has been roasted |
| 麦茶 | むぎちゃ | mugicha | barley tea | Tea made from barley |
| 日本酒 | にほんしゅ | nihonshu | sake (rice wine); saké | What people outside Japan call sake |
| 焼酎 | しょうちゅう | shōchū | shōchū; Japanese spirit distilled from sweet potatoes, rice, etc. | A distilled spirit made from sweet potato, rice and other things |
| ビール | ビール | biiru | beer | Beer |
| ラムネ | ラムネ | ramune | ramune; type of lemon soda sold in a Codd-neck bottle | A lemon soda sold in a Codd-neck bottle |
| 甘酒 | あまざけ | amazake | amazake; sweet drink made from fermented rice or sake lees | A sweet drink made from fermented rice |
There is one trap in this list. 酒 (さけ, sake, “alcohol”) is read さけ (sake) and means alcohol in general in Japanese. What English calls "sake" is 日本酒 in Japan, literally "Japanese alcohol".
Matcha and sencha are both green tea but differ in form. Matcha is the powdered kind, and sencha is made from whole steamed leaves: the dictionary defines 煎茶 as non-powdered tea, as opposed to matcha. The places that serve drinks have their own names too, such as 居酒屋 (いざかや, izakaya, “izakaya”), a pub that serves many small dishes.
What are the most popular Japanese foods?
There is no agreed ranking of Japan's most popular dishes, and different surveys give different answers. Rice is the staple of Japanese food, and ご飯 means both "rice" and "meal", but no source here ranks a single most eaten dish. Wikipedia's page on Japanese curry says that by 2000, curry was a more frequent meal than sushi or tempura, so "most eaten" is not a simple question.
Nichirei Foods ran two online surveys of 14,000 people across Japan, reported by Nippon.com. In June 2026 the favourite rice dish was チャーハン (egg fried rice) at 69.9 per cent, ahead of おにぎり at 63.0 per cent and カツ丼 at 60.1 per cent. Respondents could choose more than one, so the figures add up to far more than 100. In August 2025, the favourite side dish of 30 options was 唐揚げ, as the grilled and fried section says.
Those surveys cover rice dishes and side dishes only. For everything else here is a starter list of ten dishes to know first. It is a judgement, a pick of dishes that appear in both Japan Guide's list and Wikipedia's overview of Japanese cuisine, and not a ranking:
- Sushi (寿司)
- Ramen (ラーメン)
- Tempura (天ぷら)
- Tonkatsu (とんかつ)
- Curry rice (カレーライス)
- Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)
- Takoyaki (たこ焼き)
- Yakitori (焼き鳥)
- Udon (うどん) or soba (蕎麦)
- Gyoza (餃子)
For a top 20 or top 50, use the groups above: this guide names about 100 foods by category, and the FAQ gives a starter list of 20.
Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-02.At the table: いただきます, ごちそうさま and finishing your rice
Two phrases frame every meal. Before eating, people say いただきます (itadakimasu, “thank you (for the meal just served)”). After eating, they say ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsamadeshita, “thank you for the meal”), and the shorter ごちそうさま (gochisōsama) is the same thing. Wikipedia glosses the first as "I humbly receive" and the second as "it was a feast", and says the second goes to the host after the meal and to the restaurant staff when you leave. The full guide to thanking people in Japanese is in Thank You in Japanese.
A few chopstick rules are widely taught. 箸 (はし, hashi, “chopsticks”) are never left standing upright in a bowl of rice, because it resembles incense sticks placed upright in offerings to the dead, and food is not passed from one pair of chopsticks to another, which is only done at funerals. Fluent in 3 Months also advises against pointing with chopsticks or moving dishes with them.
Is it rude to leave rice in the bowl? Japan Guide says it is considered good style to empty your dishes to the last grain of rice, and Wikipedia says children are especially encouraged to eat every last grain. Finishing is the tidy default, and many people would say it is the polite one. How strict people are probably depends on the family, the generation and the setting, and a native speaker should confirm how this feels today.
Fluent in 3 Months also says tipping is not customary, and suggests dipping the topping of nigiri sushi, not the rice, so the piece stays together.
Practise Japanese food names
Match 寿司, ラーメン, 天ぷら and more to their names in a short quiz.
Questions about Japanese food names
What are the top 10 Japanese foods?
A good starter list of ten is sushi, ramen, tempura, tonkatsu, curry rice, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakitori, udon or soba, and gyoza. It is a pick of dishes that appear in both Japan Guide's list and Wikipedia's overview, and not a ranking, because no official top 10 exists.
What are the top 20 foods in Japan?
A good starter list of 20 is sushi (寿司), sashimi (刺身), ramen (ラーメン), udon (うどん), soba (蕎麦), tempura (天ぷら), tonkatsu (とんかつ), karaage (唐揚げ), yakitori (焼き鳥), gyoza (餃子), okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), takoyaki (たこ焼き), gyudon (牛丼), katsudon (カツ丼), curry rice (カレーライス), onigiri (おにぎり), miso soup (味噌汁), sukiyaki (すき焼き), oden (おでん) and natto (納豆). It is a judgement, not a ranking, and every dish is in a section above.
What are Japan's top 5 foods?
Five dishes to start with are sushi, ramen, tempura, tonkatsu and curry rice. This is a judgement, not a survey result. In the Nichirei surveys, the favourite rice dish was egg fried rice (チャーハン) and the favourite side dish was fried chicken (唐揚げ).
What are the 50 most popular Japanese dishes?
No source ranks the 50 most popular Japanese dishes, so the honest answer is a pick: the 20 foods in the top 20 answer above, plus the headline dishes of each group in this guide. Between them, the rice, noodle, sushi, grilled and fried, hot pot, side dish, street food, sweet and drink sections name about 100 foods, each with its kanji and reading.
What is Japan's most eaten food?
Rice is the staple of Japanese food, but no source here ranks a single most eaten dish. Wikipedia says rice has historically been the staple food, and the word for cooked rice, ご飯, also means a meal. Its page on Japanese curry adds that by 2000, curry was a more frequent meal than sushi or tempura.
Is it rude to not finish your rice in Japan?
No, it is not a serious offence, but finishing your rice is good manners in Japan. Japan Guide says it is considered good style to empty your dishes to the last grain of rice, and children are taught to finish every grain. Say ごちそうさまでした at the end either way.
What are 10 popular Japanese dishes?
Ten popular dishes are sushi (寿司), ramen (ラーメン), tempura (天ぷら), tonkatsu (とんかつ), curry rice (カレーライス), okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), takoyaki (たこ焼き), yakitori (焼き鳥), udon (うどん) and gyoza (餃子). Each of them is in a section above, with its reading and meaning.
What are Japan's top 3 favourite foods?
Sushi, ramen and tempura are a reasonable top three, but that is a judgement and not a ranking. In the Nichirei survey of rice dishes the top three were チャーハン, おにぎり and カツ丼, so the answer depends on the question.
Can you give me a list of foods?
Yes, this guide lists about 100 Japanese food names, each with its kanji, reading and meaning. They are grouped as rice, noodles, sushi, grilled and fried food, soups and hot pots, side dishes, street food, sweets and drinks, and the quiz at the end lets you practise them.
What is the Japanese word for food?
The Japanese word for food is 食べ物 (tabemono). ご飯 means cooked rice or a meal, 料理 means a dish or cooking, and 和食 means Japanese food.
Sources
- Readings and meanings: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Washoku and UNESCO, including the New Year rice cakes and special dishes: UNESCO, Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year (inscribed 2013).
- Staple foods, one soup and three sides, tempura in Japan: Wikipedia, Japanese cuisine. Curry: Wikipedia, Japanese curry.
- Dish names, kanji and one-line descriptions, side dishes and bento: Wikipedia, List of Japanese dishes; Japan Guide, Japanese dishes.
- Sushi: Wikipedia, Sushi. Ramen: Wikipedia, Ramen. Tempura: Wikipedia, Tempura. Takoyaki: Wikipedia, Takoyaki.
- Menu kanji and cooking methods: Unseen Japan, Reading Japanese menu kanji; KanaDojo, How to Read Japanese Menus.
- Popular foods: Nippon.com, rice dishes survey by Nichirei Foods (June 2026) and side dishes survey by Nichirei Foods (August 2025). Facts on this page last checked on 2026-10-02.
- Table manners: Japan Guide, Japanese table manners; Wikipedia, Customs and etiquette in Japanese dining; Fluent in 3 Months, Food in Japanese.
- Reviewed independently; the points about rice etiquette, おでん, tempura's name, menu headings, the size words and the starter lists are waiting for a native speaker's check.