Fish consumed in Japan come from waters surrounding the island nation and from around the world. Japan imports millions of dollars worth of shrimp, salmon, trout and tuna every year. In addition, carp is farmed in fresh inland waters.



Fish is usually eaten fresh—even delivered to the door by fishmongers—but it is also consumed in salted, dried and pickled form. Fresh fish is grilled or baked and also eaten raw (sashimi). Generally there are two fish courses at each meal, one of cold fish and one of hot.

A typical fish dish is hoshizakana, which is fish that has been marinated for 20 hours in a mixture of soy sauce and sweet white wine, then hung up for one day to dry. Then it is baked in the oven and served plain, without any sauce.2

Soups made of fish, including the organs and bones, are considered strengthening foods and good for anemia. Carp soup is traditionally given to women after childbirth. It is made from the whole carp, including the head, bones, eyes and all the organs except the gall bladder, and cooked four to eight hours with barley miso and burdock root. It is eaten four days in a row after the birth of the child, even longer if the mother has difficulty producing plentiful milk.3