Anthony Bourdain, the famous American chef and author, was a fan of Japanese food. Speaking about Tokyo, he said, "If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it. If you ate lunch and dinner at a different restaurant in Tokyo every day for 50 years, you would still have over 100,000 restaurants left to conquer." Of course, Japanese food goes beyond Tokyo. There are so many other cities and towns. There is home-cooked food too. Japanese cuisine has been influenced by Zen aristocracy, Buddhism, Confucianism, Kamakura samurai, Jesuit priests, Portuguese traders, and even modern-day Western foods. The Portuguese and Jesuits introduced bread, tempura, and deep-fried meat cutlets, which the Japanese call Katsu. The British introduced curry. Japanese food has seen a huge change in the last 200 years. The standard meal or ichi-ju san-sai once used to be a soup with three side dishes, including two vegetables and a rice bowl. There are many more types of foods and variations now. However, despite the influences and changes, the cuisine has managed to stay close to its roots. Food is very important in Japanese culture. Japanese cuisine is related closely to nature and is inspired by the four seasons and also the land and the sea. UNESCO has also recognized Japanese food as an intangible cultural heritage. In this book, I will introduce you to many delightful Japanese recipes from around the country. Some of them are true classics, while others are new foods developed in recent years with an innovative and interesting twist. For each recipe, I will share the ingredients and a detailed guide on how to cook easily in your home kitchen. Happy reading!