Shabu-shabu is a popular Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced meat and vegetables cooked in water. The dish is an evolved version of the traditional Mongolian nabemono (one-pot) cooking. Roughly translated to swish-swish, its name is referring to the sound that is made when the sliced pieces of meat go through the water.

Futomaki is a variety of rolled sushi that is characterized by its large size and a strict balance of used ingredients. The rolls are typically filled with vegetables of different colors, and usually don't contain seafood. Futomaki should be both flavorful and visually appealing, and the ingredients are chosen by how well they accompany each other in terms of visual appeal and flavor.

The small, round takoyaki are one of the most famous Japanese snacks, made with a simple egg batter that is enriched with diced octopus pieces. These tiny balls get their signature shape from the traditional iron pan in which they are grilled. The pan is filled with small round molds in which the batter is poured and swirled until the traditional round shape has been developed.

Kitsune udon is a famous Japanese dish which consists of thick udon noodles served in a fragrant dashi broth which is then topped with sliced or whole deep-fried tofu known as aburaage. The name of the dish is translated as fox udon, following the old folk tale which suggests that foxes are great admirers of deep-fried aburaage.

Mitarashi dango is a popular Japanese treat which consists of skewered rice cakes covered in a sweet, sticky soy sauce glaze. They are traditionally made with five round cakes, just like they were initially prepared at the Kamo Mitarashi Tea House in Kyoto.

Okonomiyaki is a traditional dish that consists of batter and shredded cabbage. Two main variations come from Osaka (also called Kansai-style) and Hiroshima. The Osaka-style okonomiyaki is prepared by mixing the ingredients together – including grated yam, flour, eggs, water or dashi, and shredded cabbage – and pouring the batter on a hot griddle just like a pancake.

Breaded, skewered with a bamboo stick and deep-fried, the delectable bite-sized pieces of various fish and seafood, pork, chicken, beef, and even horse meat or fresh vegetables are collectively called kushiage, also kushikatsu, and originate from Osaka, a city aptly nicknamed the kitchen of Japan.

Kushiage first appeared in the 1920s in Shinsekai, but today, these incredibly popular fried skewers can be enjoyed anywhere from numerous street food stands to kushiage-specialized restaurants that offer a truly unique Japanese dining experience.

Hayashi rice or hashed beef rice is a Japanese dish consisting of a beef stew with a demi-glace base that is poured over steamed rice. It is a western-style Japanese dish that has been popular since the early 1900s. Although hayashi rice is a popular dish to cook at home, it is also commonly found on the menus of western-style restaurants.

Nishin soba is a traditional dish made with soba noodles. In order to prepare it, herring is served over buckwheat soba noodles in a hot tsuyu broth. The ingredients include soba noodles, herring filets, shiitake mushrooms, sake, sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and dashi.