The quintessential cuisine, washoku, is the Japanese traditional and indigenous food. Made from natural, locally sourced ingredients, and with basic knowledge and skills in the proper seasoning of home cooking, it feeds the body and soul. For whatever it may cost, the Japanese love and appreciation for food resides first.
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Washoku: the Japanese food
Japan is known for its unique flavors and artful representation of food. This is one reason why a lot of tourists flock to Japan - just to have a taste of the many different cuisines it offers. One particular distinctive cuisine that Japan offers, which is both tasty and healthy, is washoku. While it may be a bit expensive, the investment to taste the mouth-watering washoku is definitely a great deal for both tourists and locals!
Washoku is translated as the “Japanese food.” It is a basic, traditional Japanese meal consisting of rice and miso soup with seasonal ingredients as side dishes. It often incorporates ingredients for the current season, called shun (旬). Most Japanese can list off several examples of shun ingredients per season - that’s how widely known and anticipated they are. Popular side dishes typically include fish and vegetables, where vegetables are either served in soup or dashi (broth) or pickled. Since seafood is abundant in Japan, it is a prominent main dish in washoku. It is often grilled (yaki), fried (tempura), or served raw (sushi and sashimi).
So what exactly makes washoku unique? First, washoku uses the best and freshest ingredients according to the season. Each locality in Japan uses the ingredients according to their region, which provides an additional local flavor to their washoku dishes. For example, the same dish may taste more sweet or include a specific ingredient in one area of the country than another. Moreover, washoku dishes do not use additional artificial flavors, which makes them taste natural and nutritious. Since Japan is also known to offer artful dishes, the presentation of washoku dishes is equally important. There is a certain placement to each dish on the table, and when eaten at restaurants, the food is often decorated with seasonal flowers and plants which complement the seasonal ingredients it uses.
Because washoku is a uniquely intimate glance into the Japanese culture with its mouth-watering flavors and unique representation, it was added in 2013 to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
※ Intangible Cultural Heritage, "Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year"
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The Cost of Washoku
Depending on where you will be eating washoku, it can range from cost-efficient to downright expensive. The range of a washoku meal cost is usually around 1,000 yen to 10,000 yen per person. Of course, depending on what you get, you can get something for much cheaper or much more expensive depending on the quality, range of ingredients and dishes, and presentation.
Let’s first take a look at washoku bento boxes. For tourists and for people heading home and not wanting to cook, this is the best way to get your rice and several side dishes conveniently put together for you. You can get them from a trusty Japanese convenience store, supermarket, deli or you can buy them at the food stalls in the basement of department stores!
Here's the general breakdown cost of several examples of a sample washoku lunchbox meal:
Makunouchi Bentō from 7/11 - Cost: around 500 yen
This is a flavorful bento type that has all elements of a washoku meal, including fish, meat and vegetables. These vary depending on the season. While you may not always be able to find an exact bento called “Makunouchi” at 7/11 at all times, as they often change what’s available, there will always be a bento box that has rice, fish or meat or both, and some side dishes - and this is true at any convenience store. You can also buy a cup of instant miso soup to complete your meal - the convenience store has hot water so you can make it on the spot!
※7-Eleven Services, “Bento”
Department Store Bento prices - Cost: around 1500 to 3000 yen
Major department stores, including Isetan, Mitsukoshi, etc., have essentially a takeout food and deli floor usually in a basement floor called デパ地下 (depachika - literally department floor basement). Here you can buy washoku bento. While the cheaper and smaller sets may go as low as 1000 yen, typically they cost a little more, especially when you want a full set. One example of a shop selling such bento is the chain shop 和食屋の惣菜 えん (Washokuya no Souzai En) found in Tokyo. At the same time, many famous washoku restaurants will also have washoku bento available in a department store near the restaurant. This can cost from 2000 to 6000 yen or more.
Restaurant Bento Prices - Depends on the restaurant
And of course, you can have washoku at restaurants. These don’t always come in a bento style - most of the time, it’s more of a teishoku style - where the rice, soup, main dish and side dishes are all served together on a tray, each usually on individual plates. These can start as cheap as around 500 to 700 yen. However, you can of course find bento style washoku meals at restaurants as well. For example, Rokusei is a popular Japanese restaurant in Kyoto that serves an elegant bento lunch meal called Teoke Bento which includes only the freshest seasonal ingredients available for 3,300 yen. They also have bento takeout boxes you can reserve in advance, starting at around 3,500 yen for the cheapest. Especially recently, more and more restaurants have bento boxes available for takeout.
※ Rokusei, “Lunch Menu” ※ Rokusei, “Takeout”
Making Washoku Yourself
And of course one way to experience washoku is to make it yourself! Homemade washoku dishes are more cost-efficient as compared to washoku cuisines in fancy Japanese restaurants. Local supermarkets offer inexpensive ingredients such as seasonal vegetables, seafood, and soybean products, which are common washoku ingredients. Bargain prices are also more common in the evening, so be sure to shop before the store closes. This way, you can cook and enjoy washoku dishes in the comfort of your own homes.
Another efficient way to “make” washoku is to make your own rice and miso soup at home, and then buy a couple of dishes at a 惣菜 (souzai) shop, a deli that offers a range of pre-cooked washoku dishes.
And if you are a tourist, to have a cultural experience, you can take a class in Japan to learn how to cook washoku. Some programs available for them to learn the art of cooking this popular Japanese meal are the following:
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Japanese Cooking & Culture School Salon de Hifumi-an which costs at around over 18,000 yen for one person for a three (3)-hour class;
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MUSUBI COOKING CLASS TOKYO which costs 8000 yen per person to make 1 main dish, 2 side dishes and soup, and you learn it all in a person’s home. It was awarded the 2018 Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence as the top rated Japanese class in Shinjuku, Tokyo;
and many more can be found online. You can learn to make a particular type of washoku, or you can try to make a full meal. It all depends on the class and your budget.
Summary
There are many reasons why Japan is on top of the list for tourists not just to visit the country but to stay permanently. Excellent food, such as washoku, is one of the many reasons why people would want to stay in Japan for long-term. Japan simply offers the best in every aspect - the quality of life, rich culture, amazing utilities, and above all, the healthy great food! After all, washoku is not just a food but a reflection of our way of life. Feeling hungry? Add Japan into your bucket list.
