Why is Japanese cuisine mostly seafood?

Answer 1

In truth it isn't...obviously due to the fact that Japan is an island and the fishing industry in Japan is a major source of income, makes it seem like fish is the main component a japanese menu. Also the fact that we naturally associate sushi as japanese food also leads us to your conclusion.

If you venture further into japanese food, beef and chicken are equally as popular, and lots of vegetables. Dishes such as Katsu and tempura lend themselves more to meat and veg than fish.

Also Bento dishes (essentially boxes of food) are particularly good and are very popular. If anything, starters tend to be seafood and main courses are a little more diverse.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

I used to live in Tokyo and there is a lot of sushi and seafood related dishes. However they're not all seafood related. About 25-30% are seafood related. They are for the most part an island and they have tons of fishing boats and it's a big industry there. The demand for fresh fish is so high that they have to constantly get seafood everyday from the sea. Restaurant owners go to fish markets at 4am to pick the best stock. Their culture, history, industry, and taste make seafood a large part of their diet. But they also have a big beef and chicken industry there too, since seafood can be expensive. It's a balance between seafood and "land" food.

Answer 3

It's not, it's just that Japan is known for Seafood because that is the cuisine that is most unique (i.e. sushi)
I am Japanese and trust me, it's not all raw fish and seaweed.

It's a stereotype really..

So it's not that our cuisine is mostly seafood, it's rather, why do so many people think Japanese Cuisine is mostly seafood.

Answer 4

actually japan has the world's bestest quality and most expensive beef called the KOBE beef, beating the best of western beef. the cows are fed beer, suspended while feeding, and discouraged from running around so that their muscles wouldn't become too tensed and their meet tender instead. think a piece of KOBE steak in fine dining new york restaurants easily go up to hundreds of dollar.

japanese cuisine seems mostly seafood to americans because the japanese food offerings in the US are overratedly monotonous, not diversified and becoming more like japanese-american food just like italian-american, chinese-american, etc that don't have anything to do with pizzas and pastas if you go to italy and FYI, chop suey does not exist in china and sweet-and-sour sauce in china has nothing to do with what we have here.

my favorite japanese red and white meat dishes are shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, yakiniku, teriyaki, donburi, oyakodon, and countless more just as many as their seafood offerings.

advice: know the japanese restaurants you go to. don't fall into the trap of "fake" japanese restaurants with the same old japanese-american dishes.

Answer 5

Japan is an island, so naturally a good portion of it's food is seafood. But I wouldn't say "mostly." Japan also has a large number of beef, pork, chicken, egg, and vegetable dishes. I can say this with confidence, having lived here (Japan) for 23 years.

Answer 6

Japan is an island country so most of their food comes from the sea. Fishing has become an art and so they have figured out different recipes for fish used on. Plus it takes so long to import different foods.

Answer 7

Living on a smallish island, surrounded by all those different kinds of sea life, it is inevitable the japanese will end up eating some of it at least. Having said that, they also eat chicken, beef and vegetables.

Answer 8

It isn't now - but it used to be. As people have said, it's an island! Plus there are plenty of rivers, and cows were brought here from other countries - they're not native! As for pigs, there used to just be a few wild boars! So fish was the obvious choice for protein - you eat what's available, or you die!

Answer 9

Japan is surrounded by water I think, and seafood is one of their biggest resourses I believe. They have fish markets where they bid on fresh seafood like the New York Stock Exchange, I mean it is that intense...Saw it on TV once.

Answer 10

Sushi is jap notwithstanding it quite is a fave meals merchandise -- it sells -- such quite some chinese language buffets grant it. some cooks grant a style of meals referred to as Asian Fusion. Clue: A development contractor who designs eating place interiors as quickly as informed us that in case you ask your self who's working a eating place that sells sushi, look on the lighting fixtures. If the lighting fixtures in the eating place is dim, then it quite is a jap-owned eating place. If the lighting fixtures is staggering, it quite is chinese language-owned. severe, he quite pronounced that.