Sushi, Sashimi and Tempura are most well known Japanese food in the world, but there are more and more kinds of Japanese cuisine to try. Here is the tip for tasting Japan. Tasting a local cuisine is a must thing when you travel abroad. Japanese cuisines are renowned for its fresh seasonal ingredients and artistic colorful decoration. Each region has a special food which used a local fresh ingredient. In Hokkaido, better try fresh sashimi and crab (tasting seafood is much cheaper than the price in Tokyo). In Osaka, must try a famous local cuisine, such as Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki.

Sushi (vinegared rice with toppings) Sushi must be the most famous and the most popular Japanese dish in the world. As Sushi's popularity increased, conveyer-belt sushi shops have also multiplied to offer cheaper and more approachable range.

Tempura (deep fried vegetables and seafood) Tempura is a very simple dish; deep fried vegetables and seafood with tempura batter. They are eaten with salt or with Tentsuyu dipping sauce.

Yakitori (skewers of barbecued chicken) Most parts of chicken can be used for this bite-sized dish. They will be served on bamboo skewers, which are barbecued over charcoal.

Onigiri (rice balls) Onigiri are usually wrapped with seaweed, and are filled with salty or sour ingredients. They are inexpensive (100 Yen) casual snack, available at convenience stores.

Donburi (rice bowl dish) Most common Donburi are with vegetables, meat or seafood served over rice. If you are in Hokkaido, where famous for its fresh seafood, try their seafood Donburi.

Udon / Soba Noodles Udon is a traditional noodle made by wheat, and Soba by wheat and buckwheat. They are served either in hot broth or chilled with a dipping sauce.

Sukiyaki - thinly sliced beef cooked in a soy sauce, sugar and sake based broth along with vegetables, tofu and shirataki (konnyaku noodles). Japanese will eat them with row egg dipping.

Shabu Shabu - thinly sliced meat cooked in a hot broth with many kinds of vegetables and tofu. The food is then dipped in some sauces.

Oden - Ingredients (vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and fish cakes etc) are cooked for several hours in a pod, with soy sauce and seaweed based broth.

Okonomiyaki (meat/seafood and vegetable pancakes) All the ingredients are mixed in a bowl, then cooked on an iron hot-plate. The plates are usually set at your table, and you can cook yourself.

Wagashi (Japanese sweets) Wagashi is usually served at the tea ceremony. Most of them are made of sweetened red beans, rice and flour. They are exquisite both on the taste and on the look.

Sake (Nihon shu) Sake is a Japanese rice wine, alcohol content is about 15-20%. The combination of Sake and Japanese cuisine are absolutely superb, you can enjoy it hot or chilled.?

Shochu Shochu is a distilled spirit with high alcohol content (20~50%) made from rice, wheat, sweet potatoes, and wheat. Popular drink ways are mix Shochu with hot or chilled water, coke and oolong-tea.?

Tea Japanese people drink tea everyday and at any time. The thing different from English tea is never served with sugar or cream. Macha (bitter green tea made of tea leaf powder) is a special kind of tea served in the traditional tea ceremony, seldom drink at home.

Teishoku (set menus) Teishoku is a set menu that usually serves a main dish of meat or fish with rice, miso soup and tsukemono (pickled vegetables).

Kaiseki (seasonal full-course meal) All the dishes is simply seasoned and presented beautifully in elaborately selected dinner ware for each dish.

Izakaya (pubs with a variety of food) Izakaya serve food and drinks at reasonable prices. There are food photos on the menu, so you'll have no problem ordering.

Family Restaurant Family restaurants offer a variety of Western, Chinese and Japanese dishes in a casual atmosphere at reasonable price. The big chains of family restaurants usually open for 24 hours.

When you enter a restaurant, staff will welcomed you with the word of 'irasshaimase' ('welcome, please come in'), as it is usual in any Japanese store. The staffs are outrageously attentive, they will immediately lead you to your table. Then, a glass of water will be served for free and later refilled. You may also receive a wet towel for cleaning your hands and chopsticks will be set for you or you can find some in a box on the table. Mostly, they are wooden chopsticks that need to be separated into two before usage.

In most restaurants, you will pay at the cashier near the exit after finished dining. It is not necessary to pay a tip. But some restaurants, especially cheaper ones, have different systems for ordering and paying. At some restaurants, you might be required to pay right after you ordered or you need to buy meal tickets at a vending machine (mostly set near the entrance) and hand them to the staff for ordering your meal.