The staple food in many parts of the world is different, such as rice, wheat and potatoes. We need to take a look at how the rice came into Japanese food culture. Wheat is the staple food in West Asia, Europe, and Central Asia. In East Asia, rice is the staple food. Japan's warm and wet climate is suitable for rice. Also, the rice contains more amino acid than wheat. For these reasons, we can say that rice is very good food for Japanese food.

Around this time, not developed still farming itself in Japan, Hunting, Fishing, was the culture of food collecting. Jomon people who ate the harvested food, and extra ones can be stored in a hole or attic, took out as necessary. Food that had been stored, the walnut, chestnut, horse chestnut, nuts such as acorns was the center. So it is assumed to be the staple food of the Jomon people were these nuts. They also hunted deer and wild boar with bows and arrows, catching the fish and they had supplemented the protein.

From the late Jomon era to Yayoi era, rice cultivation was handed down in Japan. How theories on whether the legacy was in, it detailed for example, whether via the to whether the Korean Peninsula was handed down directly from China is not known. Now has been made attempts to identify a route by analyzing a rice DNA.

Rice cultivation has spread to the whole of Japan (except for cold areas) around this time. In 675, Tenmu-Tennou(631- 686) made the raw which prohibits meat-eating. This had become a trigger of “Syouzin-ryouri”, vegetarian food.

　　 Heian period is the age that foundation of Japanese food in modern finished. Life of the Heian period aristocratic, so were those built on great sacrifice of local people, drop of life of the aristocracy and commoners class had become the remarkable than the Nara era. Shokuzen aristocratic than seasoning and nutrition, to better respect the platter of beauty, now to be grown by the look cuisine. This formal diet, also became a source to regulate down to posterity the character of Japanese food. On the other hand milk and dairy products that have been used in upper class from the Nara era but has been used more and more, the aristocracy of decline and the court of financial difficulties, due to frequent wars and samurai forces rise, get less was, therefore, has resulted in significantly inhibit also coupled physique of development that had been banned eating meat.
People still precepts of Buddhism is not penetrated, was eating by capturing the animal. But life for the aristocracy was low in much of the difference, as large as before age did not change. Especially Shokuzen for ritual or entertainment Among aristocratic diet is called the "Mori饌", the format it is said that went extends to everyday Shokuzen. Than nutrition and taste, is no matter how beautifully Moriawaseru or beauty of devising the food, personality of Japanese cuisine to cherish the beauty of the look was born from among the aristocratic life. Syouzin-ryouri

“Syouzin-ryouri” was born from the prohibition of meat-eating. In was born a Buddhist thought as basic cooking, without the use of animal material, all is characterized by're using the plant material. Is said to be first of vegetarian food in Japan "Yuikai (Ketsu-ge) cuisine" was made in the Todaiji Temple. In addition, "vegetarian food" we sees currently is said to Eihei flow, it is said to be a Eiheiji founder (1244 founding) Dogen undergoes flow.
The vegetarian food, those dishes that monks made with offerings has evolved, it does not use any animal ingredients, it is a cuisine that uses vegetables and seaweed, grains, etc.. At present we are mainly used to Tomuraikoto.
Vegetarian food is there is a fine rule from the way of cooking up meals etiquette. Cooking method, saying Gomi (garbage) (v) an act (Wufeng) five colors (five colors) Five seasoned (bitter, acid, sweet, spicy, salt), Five of the cooking method (raw, bake, boil, frying, steaming) Five colors (red, white, black, yellow, green) The thing that cook in menu you use. That it does not emit waste to use up all the ingredients and taking advantage of the taste of the food is basic. And when you get a vegetarian food, you can eat and grateful for the food. Meal should not be left to the absolute.

Honzen-ryouri “Honzen-ryouri” is said to be the origin of Japanese cuisine, it is a ritual cuisine. Muromachi period, it has been established from the samurai of manners, to the extent that now has its vestiges are left in the dish to eat at the time of the ritual, such as weddings and funerals, seems actually no chance to see much in. Honzen-ryōri the Zen with legs, side by side dishes at a time, aligned with the from Honzen (Ichinozen) up to five of Zen. Basic of Honzen-ryōri is, in one juice three vegetables, soup (soup), pickles, Kuai, boiled, is pottery. Rice and pickles do not count. Soup (soup), pickles, Kuai, boiled, in basic Honzen the (Ichinozen) that pottery lined, of Ninozen-San'nozen-given depending on the rating of the ritual meal (figure 4 to avoid), five of Zen and Zen number will continue to increase. Increase the number of juice and vegetables, but there is kind of like one juice three greens and secondary juice Gosai-three juice seven greens, two juice Gosai has been said to be common, catering order, eat and certain of the way of There is etiquette. Placement of Zen, place Honzen the (Zen to issue the first) in front of customers, place Ninozen the (Zen to issue the second) from the customer on the right side, place San'nozen the (Zen to issue the third) on the left side . Serving of the order has also been decided, previously the head of the customer, sequentially, is catering to customers of Geza, the last will be serving his master. Five of Zen is also called Hikimono Zen, in Zen for souvenirs, I also referred to as "Taihiki". Given of Zen also called a pottery Zen, do not put the chopsticks, you can take home in the Orizume as for souvenirs. Gift of ceremonial occasions is what you came from this form.

Because the nobles and monks in the Heian era that banned the meat, was a diet that was biased in nutritional, when it comes to samurai of the world will spread freely eating trend the brown rice diet and meat. We will strive to frugal the ruin of the Heike as a lesson, and I was storing energy in a nutritious diet. Compared with the Heian era is simple food style, but went to change to a healthy diet practical. Although master carpenter of the samurai was a local nobleman, the majority of samurai but wartime a native of farmers will fight with a weapon, peacetime I was the direct producers of food to cultivate the land by indigenous. They Because meat obtained by hunting had been intact and their food, and without stopping to worry trying nobility Iyagaro, it seems to have or open a feast of openly carnivorous in the precincts of the temple of Rakuchu. Shin Buddhism and Zen also appeared, we are inspired by samurai gradually towards the nobles and monks, that eating the meat has become not a contraindication. 　

　 In “Sengoku, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi gave the Nanban trade with Spanish Portuguese merchants based in Manila. Along with it, to Japan Uri, pumpkin, onion, red pepper, sweet potato, has transmitted the food was not to in Japan ever, such as potatoes. In addition was also transmitted to frying as a cooking method.

Kaiseki-ryouri (related to tea meeting)
Azuchi Momoyama period, to complete the tea Sen no Rikyu is wabi, was Nobunaga and Hideyoshi both close relationship. At that time, now kaiseki cuisine is issued as a meal for entertaining the guests at the time of Chaji have tea ceremony is out fashion. The kaiseki cuisine, in Japan was eating method called "one juice three greens" of ancient times to the basic food, usually it is intended to be issued before you get a tea at the seat of the tea ceremony. Avoid drinking the tea strong stimulus hungry on the occasion of the tea ceremony, it points to the Japanese course cuisine of degree no harm in terms of taste delicious tea. In addition, more and more the place to provide a kaiseki cuisine restaurant dealing with Japanese food, such as restaurant and cooking, you may want to distinguish it represents a particular tea kaiseki the kaiseki in Chaji. The kaiseki cuisine, there are three large principle that "the use of seasonal ingredients," "take advantage of the material of the flavor," "cooking with a kindness and mindfulness". Idea of Wabi of Sen no Rikyu also to this principle has been strongly reflected. Until then, Honzen-ryōri that inherits the tradition of the nobility was a formal meal of the samurai, was placed in a position that was decided a number of dishes to multiple of Gozen, how to eat also did those stretched format that procedure has been determined . Kaiseki the contrary contains the Zen of thought, we will become a thing that has been refined to a casual frugal format.

　 Sengoku era passed, large Soran is to enter the Most occur without peaceful Edo era, agriculture and fisheries will continue to develop. Rice breeding and Nitta development, the development of fishing technology, expanding population of urban areas is market size with the increase, has spread the width of the cuisine.
Samurai of reward in Edo had been taken in the US. Still rice in rural areas will have been eaten mixed with millet, eating only rice had been considered a feast. Therefore, disease called beriberi due to the fact that vitamin B1 deficient destroy the nutritional balance was trendy in Edo. Soy sauce and miso are now used as a full-fledged seasoning by the development of brewing technology. Sugar, kelp, also such as bonito, has been mass-produced by a professional manufacturer. By the way, mobile diet was called Tuen diet, is the Edo era that is called the rice balls become common.

Western cuisine is populated, penetrate the center of the upper classes and intellectuals, and even was born Western is a compromise between East and West. However, Western-style spread is limited to the upper classes and urban areas, the common people of the daily diet Japanese food in the majority, especially in the diet of rural and poor, did not give its influence. Among the tendency to be considered that Western civilization is superior, in nourishing purpose, Emperor Meiji that ate the meat, has had a significant impact on the masses. The beef diet is a symbol of civilization, from the climate, such as that it is not civilized people what you do not eat beef, meat is, first, but was incorporated directly as beef diet, and to eventually apply the traditional Japanese cooking method, Gyunabe, I was in fashion is arranged as a so-called "sukiyaki". However, in the Japanese home at the time, because it had taken the life style of the seat type, what is to incorporate as a meal habits of the West is impossible, it is expensive ingredients, are too too different from the daily meal than that, spread it did not. It becomes late Meiji, Goes to rice, Western-style semi-Western style cuisine has emerged in earnest from that nutritional value is also high.

Western also in the home cooking will begin to penetrate little by little, but will continue to penetrate the more common people of Western as eating out rather than home cooking. Western across the country to center the greasy spoon in that urbanization was continue to spread. 　Since the Second World War occur Japan mainland has received considerable damage, nutritional status of the people of that time are not food also sufficiently supplied to the public was the worst. Under the reconstruction assistance by American support after the end of the war (≒ integration into the American market), and in the high economic growth in Japan, which went efforts to escape from poverty through the, the influence of the Western to the daily diet of people went to penetrate.
Overcome food flame, and calm constant diet, washing machine, refrigerator, so-called three sacred treasures is touted such as television, era that was to out direction is also eyes other than food, the waves in the world of food is, have flocked year. And I appeared in the "automatic electric kettle," which began to be sold in 1955. In one switch, and cook up this machine was sold greatly.