Traditional Japanese cuisine, or washoku as it is known, was designated as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2013. Washoku involves the use of natural and seasonal ingredients that are gently prepared to provide a nutritional balance and harmony at mealtimes. It was selected by UNESCO for this very reason, because it reflects the Japanese people’s desire for harmony with nature.

Japanese cuisine hardly includes any meat, though it does use an abundance of rice, fish, vegetables, wild fruit and herbs. Seasoning, such as dashi (fish broth), miso (soybean paste) and soy sauce are also very important aspects of washoku.