Tasting Japanese food in its homeland is one of the prime pleasures for travelers to Japan. Registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2013, Japan’s traditional cuisine, known as “washoku,” has countless fans worldwide. Let's dig in to uncover the secrets of its popularity.

What is washoku?

Several special characteristics set Japanese cuisine apart. First, the sheer variety of seasonal ingredients. Each of Japan’s four distinct seasons offers its own delights in-season at every time of year. The seasons affect many aspects of foods, such as their fattiness or firmness. Enjoy savoring such treats at the peak of their deliciousness.

Secondly, washoku dishes are healthy with outstanding nutritional balance. In-season ingredients are not only packed with flavor but nutrients as well. Making the most of these natural gifts allows us to consume protein and minerals in their purest, pristine condition. Of course, no discussion of washoku can overlook Japan’s unique fermented seasonings such as miso and soy sauce. The warm and humid climate provides ideal conditions for microorganisms and has fostered a culture of fermentation. Such seasonings have a unique depth of flavor and umami able to bring out rich flavors with no animal fats or oils. Fermented cuisine has also been found to promote gut health, boost the immune system, and increase absorption of nutrients. Thirdly, washoku expresses the beauty of nature and the change of seasons. Not only ingredients, but also tableware and presentation of each dish are designed to evoke sensations unique to each time of year.

Fourthly, washoku is intimately connected with annual events. For example, New Year's Day is traditionally celebrated with “osechi” (festive platters packed with delicacies believed to bring good luck) and “ozoni” (soup with mochi rice cake and various ingredients). Eating such set dishes at special times of year invoke the wish to cast out evil spirits and pray for good health, as well as show gratitude to the gods of nature for bountiful harvests and a plentiful fish catches.

Washoku has evolved as a deep reflection of Japan’s “terroir” and culture. Bite by bite, slowly savoring each dish, we feel with all our senses the natural splendor of Japan as well as the lives of people who have nurtured it through history. Thus, the cultural experience of washoku transcends the act of eating. To appreciate such pleasures, there is no better place than Tokyo, where Japan’s top ingredients come together from every region, the “City of Gourmet Food” boasting the world’s most Michelin starred establishments. Here, we take a deep dive into the delights of Japan’s traditional cuisine by following a day in the life of a washoku chef.

Finding the best ingredients through discussion with experts

On this occasion, we shine a spotlight on Chef Sano Koji (45). After developing his skills from the age of 24 under Japan’s leading washoku chef, Michiba Rokusaburo, he became the head chef at a ryokan inn, before striking out on his own four years ago. His washoku restaurant “Nihonbashi SANO” is located in Ningyocho, an area rich in retro charm, home to famous establishments dating back a century or more and historic temples. Mr. Sano’s morning starts around 8AM at Adachi Market, one of Tokyo’s 11 public markets. He begins by inspecting every one of the fish market’s 40 wholesalers to procure seafood for that day’s dishes. Next, he checks the produce and meat. Sano’s personal practice is to talk with wholesalers and fellow chefs he knows well, while keeping a keen eye out for the finest fresh ingredients. On this day, he spent about an hour and a half selecting winter ingredients in season such as snow crab (also called “kobako crab”), kuro-mutsu (cardinal fish), and taro.

For Sano, shopping at markets represents his earliest connection to food. As a child growing up at the foot of Mt. Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture, he often accompanied his parents to purchase supplies for their grocery store. His reward for helping out was a katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl) from a restaurant in the market. That superb taste, he says, sparked his lifelong fascination with food. At specialty shops he hunts for miso, an indispensable ingredient in Japanese cuisine, as well as sake to pair with the food. These days, miso is often fermented rapidly by adding heat, but such products are often inferior in both flavor and nutrition compared to those fermented naturally. Uncompromising about food quality, Chef Sano sources a custom blend of naturally fermented miso, prepared by a specialty shop that collects miso from across Japan, specifically for the miso soup served at his restaurant.

Talking with these professional food experts further deepens Sano’s understanding of each ingredient. Such conversations, he says, also often inspire ideas for new dishes.

Techniques & tools bring out the flavors of the season

Provisions procured, he returns to the restaurant and begins preparation. As a one-man operation, the restaurant offers only one course meal. The lineup changes depending on the ingredients of the day. While heading to the restaurant and preparing the ingredients, he mulls over the details of the day’s menu. “What I aim to do,” he tells us, "is to use just the right cooking technique to serve fresh seasonal ingredients. In this way, I can offer the most delicious dishes of the day.” To make the most of each ingredient’s unique features, various knives are used for various ends. Even today, he still maintains and uses the knife he bought as a teenager when just starting out in the culinary world.
Dashi, made by simmering kombu kelp and dried bonito flakes, is an essential element of Japanese cuisine. To this classic combination, Sano adds dried mackerel to draw out an even stronger umami taste. Dashi contains many umami factors, including inosinic and glutamic acids. It not only forms the flavor base of many dishes, but also plays a role in accentuating the taste of other ingredients and harmonizing the whole dish.
On this day, he uses a trace of the common Chinese ingredient, green onion oil (oil flavored with green onions at low-heat), as an accent to the appetizer, “Japanese steamed egg custard with shark fin sauce.” By approaching the traditional base of Japanese cuisine with an open mind, Sano weaves in complementary elements to push the envelope of washoku.
The painstaking preparations of ingredients continues for about four to five hours.

The doors open to courses that capture the essence of the season

The restaurant opens at 5:30PM.
In this restaurant, the dinner course consists of 10 to 12 dishes, including dessert, each served in order, freshly made (a style called “kaiseki cuisine” or “wa kaiseki”). One unique feature of washoku is a dish called “hassun,” which consists of bite-sized portions of assorted appetizers to enjoy a diversity of flavors bit by bit. On this day, including “Kobako crab with crab dashi sauce” and "Roasted Tochigi Wagyu beef," 12 dishes were served.
The Kobako crab meat, boiled and served in pieces neatly arranged in the shell, was garnished with the symbol of winter, camellia leaves, and adorned with the delicate crab claws. Thick ceramic plates convey a wintry warmth. Expressing a sense of each season through tableware and garnishes is another vital element of Japanese cuisine. The counter, made of wood arranged in geometric patterns with the traditional Japanese technique of “kumiko,” matches the food as a feast for the eyes.
When serving each dish, Sano also shares why he selected that particular ingredient and preparation method. Hearing the story behind the food, we realize the preciousness of the dish before our eyes.

Editor’s Note

Compared to cuisines from other countries, Sano says, the true appeal of washoku is that it conveys a strong sense of change through dramatic expressions of the four seasons. What gives him the greatest pleasure is when first-time guests tell him, “This is delicious, I’ve never had anything like this before.”

A vast variety of ingredients, traditional crafts, cutting-edge trends and countless individuals all meet in Tokyo. In this vibrant city, chefs of washoku attend to every detail, from ingredients to tableware, pouring their passion into each dish they serve. Time spent taking in the art of washoku with all the senses is sure to immeasurably enrich your time in Tokyo.

Nihonbashi SANO(Japanese Only)

Reservations required for dinner. Lunch available on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
make reservations easily here

Course dinner of the day (served in the following order)

1. "Chawanmushi" steamed egg custard with shark fin sauce
2. Assortment of seven appetizers, including soy marinated Japanese parsley & herring roe salad, and monkfish liver with ponzu sauce
3. Soft-shelled turtle soup
4. Seared mikan-fed yellowtail and cardinal fish
5. Snow crab (kobako crab) with crab dashi sauce
6. Fried pufferfish, donko shiitake mushroom and shungiku (garland chrysanthemum) tempura
7. Roasted Tochigi Wagyu beef, boiled taro and turnip
8. Soft-shelled turtle spring rolls
9. Horse mackerel sushi
10. Miso soup with deep-fried tofu
11. Blue salt ice cream with monaka wafer
12. Panna cotta