講談社

Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture is one of the big cities that represents the Hokuriku region.

Kabuki is a traditional Japanese performing art that features music, dance, and drama.

Nagashi-bina is a tradition of floating paper dolls downriver to pray for the health of young childr

Chawanmushi is a dish made by mixing various ingredients along with a beaten egg and dashi stock in a small bowl.

Shintoism is a religion unique to Japan and has existed since before Buddhism came to the country.

When sumo wrestling first became popular in Japan 1500 years ago, it was a ritual used to predict the outcome of crop harvests.

As well as okonomiyaki and takoyaki, there is another type of well-known "flour-based food" called monjayaki.

Sweet foods, such as Japanese and Western confectionaries, are known as kanmi (sweets).

Among the many types of egg cuisines, tamagoyaki is said to be one of Japan's unique household dishes. It is also known as atsuyaki tamago.

Chirashi-zushi is a type of sushi made by combining various ingredients with vinegared rice.

The fundamental components of Japanese meals are rice, soup, and side dishes, with the soup providing both water and salt.

Umeboshi are a type of pickle made from ume (plums) fruits that are dried in the sun after being salted and soaked in ume vinegar.

Tsukemono is a kind of food, mostly vegetables, that has been pickled in salt, rice bran, miso, or something else.

Menchi katsu is a popular side dish on par with croquette.

Rice has been an important part of the lives of Japanese people since ancient times.

The Emperor and some of his relatives, the imperial family, are referred to as the imperial household.

Furoshiki are square cloths for storing, wrapping, and carrying items. They are also used to cover things that are important to protect from dust.

For shops, kanban (signboards) are an important landmark. Other objects that serve the same purpose that Japanese people are familiar with are noren (shop curtains with emblems), nobori (flags), and chochin (lanterns).

An ingredient that is always used in making dishes like clear soup, broths for soba and udon, and in cooking vegetables and fish is dashi.

In contrast to the type of paper that originated in the West, there is also a type of paper made through a traditional Japanese manufacturing method called washi(Japanese paper).