ʻO kaʻonika kahi mea nui o ka meaʻai Iapana. ʻAiʻia nā'āpanaʻohi liʻiliʻi (mochi). Kapa nā kānaka Kepani i kēlā me kēlā me kēia pāʻina "gohan" e hōʻike mau i ka raiki. Eia kekahi laʻana, kapaʻia kaʻaina kakahiakaʻo "asa-gohan". Hoʻohuiʻia kahi kīʻaha o kahi raiki i ke kīhāpai i nā meaʻai Kepani . Hoʻohuiʻia nā kīhaʻauʻo ka'ozu a hāʻawiʻia i ka raiki a me ka mihumu.
ʻO ka palaoa kakahiaka nui e pili ana i ka palaoa , ka miso (ka pipi kī), a me nāʻaoʻao e like me ka iʻa i hanaʻia, ka momona, ka'ōlele, ka nō, ka natto, a pēlā aku.
ʻO nāʻano laiki a me nāʻano noodle kahi laulā no kaʻaina awakea. Eia kekahi laʻana, he laulima nā kūmen, soba, kaʻiʻo, a me nā kīʻaha pipi. Nui nā kānaka e lawe i nā pōʻai lunaikai i ke kula aiʻole hana paha. ʻO kaʻaina mau kaʻai nui o ka lā. ʻO nāʻanuʻu Iapana hou nā mea i hoʻoikaika nuiʻia e nā mea kanu'ē aʻe o'Asia a me Western.
Uaʻike nā kānaka Kepanī i nāʻano'ūla Iapana kahiko e like me "wa-shoku" (ʻo ia hoʻi heʻano Japanese a me nā kikooho e hōʻike ana i ka meaʻai) me ka meaʻai o ka Western, kahi i kapaʻiaʻo "yo-shoku". Kāheaʻia nā kupa Hīmeni he "chuuka", a me nā kīʻaha chuhua i Iapana i kaʻaʻahu Japanese. He like ia me nā kālepa Chinese maoli, akā naʻe konaʻano likeʻole.
Haʻawe i ka laiki, ua pau loa ka iʻa iʻa i Iapana no ka mea ua puni ka'āina i ka moana. ʻO nā kai iʻa, nā iʻa, nā pālolo, nā iʻa iʻa he meaʻai nui ia i kaʻohi Iapana. Hāʻawiʻia nā'atila Dashi i hoʻohanaʻia i loko o nā kuʻuna maʻamau mai ka katsuobushi (flaret acid) a / a me ka kombu (kelp).
ʻO nā mea kanu kūpono he soy sauce, mikina, miso, a pēlā aku.
He'āina liʻiliʻiʻo Iapana, akā he'āina kūikawā kēlā me kēlā me kēia'āpana'āina a iʻole kekahi kūlanakauhale. ʻO ka mea nui, aia ka'āinaʻo Kanto (ka hikina o ka mokupuni nui) ka meaʻai a me ka'āinaʻo Kansai (ke komohana o ka mokupuni). ʻO ka mea maʻamau,ʻo kaʻaiʻo Kanto he mau meaʻono maikaʻi, a ua māmā maikaʻi kaʻaiʻo Kansai.
Nui nā kīʻaha i kukeʻia ma waena o ka'āinaʻo Kansai a me Kanto.
No kaʻaiʻana i nā meaʻai Iapana, hoʻohana mauʻia nā kuʻikuhi. Eia kekahi, hoʻohana nā poʻe Kepanī i nā kī, nā pahi, a me nā koko, e hilinaʻi ana i nāʻano meaʻai a nā meaʻai. ʻO ka papaʻaina Līpī kahikoʻo ka waihoʻana i kahi kīlaisa ma kou hema a kau i kahi pola o ka miso ma kouʻaoʻao'ākau ma ka papa. Hanaʻia nā mea'ē aʻe ma hope o kēia mau ipu. Hoʻonohonohoʻia nāʻaʻahu ma luna o kahi mea kāpili kuʻikuʻi i mua o ka laiki a me nā ipu.