25 Japanese foods we love – from tempura to miso

By Melinda Joe, W. David Marx, Darryl Wee and Misha Janette, for CNN
Updated 5:49 PM EDT, Thu June 22, 2017
Japanese ramen comes in different flavors in different regions. There are four main styles -- shoyu, shio, tonkotsu and miso.
Ramen —
Japanese ramen comes in different flavors in different regions. There are four main styles -- shoyu, shio, tonkotsu and miso.
©Hiroshima Prefecture/©JNTO
Translating loosely as "as you like it," okonomiyaki is a savory pancake made with any number of ingredients -- thin slices of pork belly, octopus, shrimp and even cheese.
Okonomiyaki —
Translating loosely as "as you like it," okonomiyaki is a savory pancake made with any number of ingredients -- thin slices of pork belly, octopus, shrimp and even cheese.
©JNTO
Marinated in a sweet soy-based kabayaki sauce then grilled, unagi (eel) has an intense, smoky-sweet flavour. It's best when eaten with some plain rice.
Unagi no kabayaki —
Marinated in a sweet soy-based kabayaki sauce then grilled, unagi (eel) has an intense, smoky-sweet flavour. It's best when eaten with some plain rice.
©HVBC/©JNTO
Traditionally, yakitori refers only to barbecued poultry skewers -- be it meat, offal or skin. However, the meaning of the term has widened to include vegetables and other meats.
Yakitori —
Traditionally, yakitori refers only to barbecued poultry skewers -- be it meat, offal or skin. However, the meaning of the term has widened to include vegetables and other meats.
Courtesy Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
One of Japan's greatest gastronomical gifts to the world, good sushi relies on two things: the freshness of the ingredients and the knife skills of the chef.
Sushi —
One of Japan's greatest gastronomical gifts to the world, good sushi relies on two things: the freshness of the ingredients and the knife skills of the chef.
©Toyama Prefectural Tourism Association/©JNTO
What makes Sanuki udon special is its chewy and silky texture. Slick, slurpable, and immensely satisfying, Sanuki udon noodles offers the firm bite of al dente pasta and the pliant density of mochi rice cakes.
Sanuki udon —
What makes Sanuki udon special is its chewy and silky texture. Slick, slurpable, and immensely satisfying, Sanuki udon noodles offers the firm bite of al dente pasta and the pliant density of mochi rice cakes.
Courtesy Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
Breaded, deep-fried until crisp and golden brown, then drizzled with a sweet and piquant sauce -- meat doesn't get any better than tonkatsu, or Japanese pork cutlet.
Tonkatsu —
Breaded, deep-fried until crisp and golden brown, then drizzled with a sweet and piquant sauce -- meat doesn't get any better than tonkatsu, or Japanese pork cutlet.
Courtesy Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
Sendai is said to be the capital and birthplace of gyutan -- grilled slices of beef tongue. It's best served fragrant with buttery grease and has a slightly chewy texture.
Beef tongue —
Sendai is said to be the capital and birthplace of gyutan -- grilled slices of beef tongue. It's best served fragrant with buttery grease and has a slightly chewy texture.
Pongpat Patumsuwon/CNN
The steamed fermented soybeans have a pungent aroma, slimy texture and unique taste that people either love or hate.
Natto —
The steamed fermented soybeans have a pungent aroma, slimy texture and unique taste that people either love or hate.
Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Bite-sized and rich, gyoza originated in China. It's normally filled with a mix of pork, cabbage and nira chives, then dipped into a tangy blend of soy sauce and vinegar.
Gyoza —
Bite-sized and rich, gyoza originated in China. It's normally filled with a mix of pork, cabbage and nira chives, then dipped into a tangy blend of soy sauce and vinegar.
Courtesy Tourism Commission of Hakuba Village
Wagyu is known for its even and pervasive marbling. When cooked, it's buttery, meltingly tender and contains mostly monounsaturated fatty acids (aka "the good fats").
Wagyu —
Wagyu is known for its even and pervasive marbling. When cooked, it's buttery, meltingly tender and contains mostly monounsaturated fatty acids (aka "the good fats").
©Promotion Airport Environment Improvement Foundatio/©JNTO
The best way to warm up in winter in Japan: sharing a nabe (hot pot) night with family and friends.
Nabe —
The best way to warm up in winter in Japan: sharing a nabe (hot pot) night with family and friends.
©Tottori Prefecture/©JNTO
Thin, crispy and golden, Japan's tempura turns deep-frying into an art form.
Tempura —
Thin, crispy and golden, Japan's tempura turns deep-frying into an art form.
©JNTO
Combining the simple elegance of fresh raw fish with the laid back informality of donburi, a chirashi-don is as visually appealing as it is hunger-quashing.
Chirashi-don —
Combining the simple elegance of fresh raw fish with the laid back informality of donburi, a chirashi-don is as visually appealing as it is hunger-quashing.
Maggie Hiufu Wong/CNN
Japanese cuisine wouldn't be the same without miso. The salty fermented bean paste forms the base of this popular Japanese soup.
Miso —
Japanese cuisine wouldn't be the same without miso. The salty fermented bean paste forms the base of this popular Japanese soup.
Courtesy Tourism Commission of Hakuba Village
Soba is Japanese buckwheat noodles. It can be served cold as zaru-soba or hot in a dashi broth. Te-uchi (hand-beaten) soba offers the best firm-to-the-bite texture.
Soba —
Soba is Japanese buckwheat noodles. It can be served cold as zaru-soba or hot in a dashi broth. Te-uchi (hand-beaten) soba offers the best firm-to-the-bite texture.
Courtesy Daisuke Yatsui/Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
Tamagoyaki is made by rolling an egg mix -- with dashi -- into layers, then cutting into slices.
Tamagoyaki/dashimaki tamago —
Tamagoyaki is made by rolling an egg mix -- with dashi -- into layers, then cutting into slices.
©JNTO
Taiyaki is a sea bream-shaped waffle with a sweet filling -- azuki bean paste is most traditional.
Taiyaki —
Taiyaki is a sea bream-shaped waffle with a sweet filling -- azuki bean paste is most traditional.
Courtesy Yasufumi Nishi Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
The ultimate cheap eat in Japan, Onigiri is usually a triangular rice ball wrapped in nori. It comes with various fillings, from cod roe to grilled chicken.
Onigiri —
The ultimate cheap eat in Japan, Onigiri is usually a triangular rice ball wrapped in nori. It comes with various fillings, from cod roe to grilled chicken.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
In a matcha sundae, the slight hint of bitterness from the ice cream is balanced by the sweet red bean paste. This one from a Tsujiri store comes with chewy mochi and some crunchy toasted rice.
Matcha sundae —
In a matcha sundae, the slight hint of bitterness from the ice cream is balanced by the sweet red bean paste. This one from a Tsujiri store comes with chewy mochi and some crunchy toasted rice.
Maggie Wong
Takoyaki, or octopus balls, feature a crisp exterior and a gooey center filed with octopus, pickled ginger and scallions. The balls are brushed with a sweet sauce and Japanese mayo before being sprinkled with bonito flakes and nori.
Takoyaki —
Takoyaki, or octopus balls, feature a crisp exterior and a gooey center filed with octopus, pickled ginger and scallions. The balls are brushed with a sweet sauce and Japanese mayo before being sprinkled with bonito flakes and nori.
©JNTO
Top foods in Japan
CNN  — 

Japan is often called a “Galapagos” when it comes to technology, as the country’s cultural isolation tends to produce innovations found nowhere else in the world. The same can be said about its food.

Japan is a culinary wonderland thanks to its unique heritage, a national obsession with cuisine and an almost religious embrace of freshness and perfect production.

The result is the following 25 edible treasures that we can never get enough of: