Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

What to eat in Japan? Top 33 Japanese Fish Dishes

Last update: Fri Mar 21 2025
Top 33 Japanese Fish Dishes
VIEW MORE
01
Chutoro nigiri sushi
Chutoro nigiri sushi infographic
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Chutoro nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of medium-fatty cuts of tuna. Different cuts of tuna are classified as otoro (fatty), chutoro (medium-fatty), and akami (red meat).


The dish has a rich and deep flavor and a soft texture. Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger (gari) on the side.

MOST ICONIC Chutoro nigiri sushi

View more
2
3
4
5
02
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Unadon is a Japanese dish consisting of grilled unagi (eel) fillets placed on top of steamed rice. The eel is grilled kabayaki-style, where the fish is split, gutted, butterflied, cut into squares, skewered, then diped in tare sauce before being grilled.


The tare sauce consists of soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake. It provides the necessary caramelization to the fish during the grilling process. Before serving, unadon is typically garnished with sanshō berries on top. In Kantō, the eel is traditionally steamed before grilling, resulting in a more tender texture of the fish, while in Kansai, the eel is simply grilled without prior steaming. 
03
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Maguro nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of tuna. Different cuts of tuna are classified as otoro (fatty), chutoro (medium-fatty), and akami (red meat).


The dish has a mild flavor and a rich texture that makes it great for sushi newcomers. Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger (gari) on the side.

MOST ICONIC Maguro nigiri sushi

View more
1
2
3
4
5
04
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Tekkadon is a simple Japanese dish that consists of steamed, vinegar-flavored rice that is topped with pieces of sashimi-style, raw tuna. The dish is often garnished with strips of nori seaweed and sliced scallions and is usually served with a soy sauce on the side.


The term is sometimes used interchangeably with maguro zuke don—a similar dish that incorporates marinated pieces of tuna and which is usually served without a dipping sauce on the side. Tekkadon belongs to the group of donburi dishes, and it can be enjoyed as a light main course.

05
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Otoro nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of fatty cuts of tuna. Different cuts of tuna are classified as otoro (fatty), chutoro (medium-fatty), and akami (red meat).


The dish has a rich flavor and a melt-in-the-mouth texture that makes it quite expensive. Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger (gari) on the side.

MOST ICONIC Otoro nigiri sushi

View more
1
2
3
4
5
06
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of thinly sliced raw fish or shellfish (or even meat) served with soy sauce and other ingredients such as wasabi or ginger paste. Most common ingredients used in the preparation of sashimi are tuna, squid, scallop, whale, and octopus.


Sashimi can be cut in different ways to alter the appearance of the dish, from extremely thin to very thick slices of fish. It is usually served as an appetizer, decorated with shiso leaves, cucumbers, and seaweed (wakame and tosaka-nori). 

MOST ICONIC Sashimi

View more
1
2
3
4
5
07

Rice Dish

JAPAN and  one more country
4.4
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list
MAIN INGREDIENTS

Sake nigiri sushi is a Japanese type of nigiri sushi, with origins in Norway. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of salmon. The dish has a soft texture and a clean finish that makes it good for sushi newcomers, although the flavor can be a bit fishier than maguro (tuna) nigiri sushi.


Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger (gari) on the side.

MOST ICONIC Sake nigiri sushi

1
2
08
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list
MAIN INGREDIENTS

Unagi nigiri sushi is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of freshwater eel that's usually cooked. The dish has a soft texture and a mild flavor. If desired, the eel can be lightly seared with a blowtorch.


It's a nice option for people who don't prefer raw food but want to enjoy sushi. Traditionally, this type of sushi is eaten by hand in a single bite. It's usually accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger (gari) on the side.

09
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list
MAIN INGREDIENTS

Akami nigiri is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of akami (red meat) tuna. There are also otoro (fatty tuna) nigiri sushi and chutoro (medium-fatty tuna) nigiri sushi varieties, and all of them are classified under maguro (tuna) nigiri sushi.


Akami includes tuna and bonito, and the meat gets its red color from the high content of myoglobin and hemoglobin, which is typical for migratory fish. The slices are on the thicker side and the focus is on tuna's sticky and firm texture. Akami nigiri sushi is usually served with pickled ginger (gari), soy sauce, and wasabi on the side.

MOST ICONIC Akami nigiri sushi

1
2
10
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Anago nigiri is a traditional type of nigiri sushi. It consists of hand-pressed sushi rice that's topped with slices of saltwater eel (anago). Anago is always cooked and the fat breaks down during the process. As a result, the meat develops a very soft consistency and becomes fluffier than unagi (freshwater eel nigiri), which is more chewy and has a dense texture.


When served, anago nigiri sushi is typically brushed with tsume, the reduced broth from cooking anago, which has a sweet, barbecue-like flavor, so it's used as a replacement for soy sauce. Accompaniments to this nigiri sushi include wasabi and pickled ginger (gari) on the side.

MOST ICONIC Anago nigiri sushi

1
2
3
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Rice Dish
KANAGAWA PREFECTURE, Japan
3.8
20
21
22
23
Rice Dish
EHIME PREFECTURE, Japan
n/a
24
Saltwater Fish Dish
TOYAMA PREFECTURE, Japan
n/a
25
26
Saltwater Fish Dish
KŌCHI PREFECTURE, Japan
n/a
27
28
29
Fish Soup
OSAKA PREFECTURE, Japan
n/a
30
31
32
33
Rice Dish
SHIGA PREFECTURE, Japan
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 33 Japanese Fish Dishes” list until March 21, 2025, 2,221 ratings were recorded, of which 1,876 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

Show Map
Japanese Fish Dishes