The Japanese diet can generally be divided into staple food and non-staple food. Rice is the staple food, and vegetables and fish are non-staple food. From the Middle Ages to the Meiji period, the Japanese were influenced by Buddhist thought and had a taboo against meat, so they rarely ate meat. After the Meiji period, this taboo was eliminated.

In the eyes of ordinary Westerners, Japanese food seems to only include beef hotpot or weird-looking sushi. But in fact, after World War II, bread and other pasta became popular in Japanese food due to the influence of school meals. As the economy grows, the intake of meat and dairy products has also increased significantly. Coupled with the popularity of fast food, Japanese people’s dietary life has become increasingly diversified. When eating rice, it is often paired with vegetables, fish, meat and other non-staple foods. The cooking methods include pot boiling, frying, grilling, etc. It is also paired with miso soup and pickles.

Nowadays, there are many combinations of Western food or Chinese food among the non-staple food. In terms of diet, the Japanese have had a frugal concept since ancient times - for example, the use of fish: Japanese people are accustomed to making fish sashimi (or frying and grilling), and the fish head and tail are used to cook other dishes. The bones are used to make soup. In addition, food for storage and preservation in order to prevent poor harvests, such as pickles, pickled fish, meat, dried foods, etc., are also very important non-staple foods in Japanese cuisine.

In addition to rice, soup, and pickles, there are also appetizers, sashimi, grilled, fried, pot-cooked, cold dishes, and vinegar-based dishes. In terms of seasoning, although soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sugar, etc. are used as seasonings, we try to maintain the original flavor of the ingredients themselves and the taste is very light. For soups, pot-boiled dishes, and deep-fried sauces, bonito flakes, shiitake mushrooms, kelp, and other ingredients are used to add flavor.

In the cooking process, sometimes a small amount of seasonings (such as salt) and seasonings (such as sweetness) called "hidden flavor (which can be eaten but cannot be seen)" are added. Sugar only started to be used in modern times, but most high-end Japanese cuisine still does not use sugar.