Japan has an amazingly broad cuisine. Maybe it would be better described as a collection of cuisines.

There's sushi (fish on rice), of course, and sashimi (fish without rice), but there is so much more. One of our themes on this trip is "All you can eat" and our goal is to try as many different styles of cooking as we can. To help us be aware of the options, and to keep score, here is a table of cuisines we should seek out during our trip.

Ryori - Styles of meals

Dish / cuisine	Description	Picture	More information
Kaiseki	The classic multi-course Japanese dinner		The courses are served one at a time; each course is quite small; the idea is to provide a variety of flavors, textures, and visual artistry
Nigiri Sushi	Cooked or raw fish on rice		All kinds of sushi
Maki Sushi	Better known as "sushi rolls"		In Japan, the seaweed is always on the outside, not the inside
Temaki Sushi	Cones of seaweed filled with rice and seafood or vegatables		In the States this kind of sushi has names like "dynamite" and "spider"
Inari Sushi	Rice stuffed into deep fried tofu bags		Filling but plain
Chirashi	Bed of rice spread with seafood, vegetables, egg, etc.		Also called "scattered sushi"
Basashi	Raw, sliced horsemeat		I had this on visit to Kyoto last year; it's OK. You can also find horsemeat flavored ice cream!
Sashimi	Thinly sliced raw seafood		Sushi without the rice (although there may be a rice bowl on the side)
Soba	Noodles made from buckwheat flour and wheat flour		Served cold in summer, hot in winter. There are many kinds of soba dishes.
Udon	Thick, wheat flour noodles		Usually served hot as a noodle soup
Somen	Very thin wheat flour noodles, usually served cold		Interesting article in Wikipedia
Shabu shabu	Hot pot (boiling water or broth) for dipping meat and vegetables in to cook to taste		Also spelled with a dash (shabu-shabu); the name means "swish swish", imitating the sound as you move your chopsticks holding the meat or vegetables through the broth
Sukiyaki	A one pot meal containing broth, vegetables and meat		May also have egg, tofu, and other ingredients
Donburi	A one bowl meal containing vegetables and meat		Usually no broth in the bowl; also spelled Domburi
Teppanyaki	Grilling food on a flat surface grill		In the States, Benihana is the best example
Okonomiyaki	A savory pancake (but not a sweet); also called Japanese pizza		You Tube demo
Tempura	Battered and deep fried seafood or vegetables		Quite common in the States, so not particularly new to us
Yakitori	Grilled chicken on skewers		Save the skewers: they determine the size of your bill
Kushiyaki	Grilled food on skewers		Can be vegetables, beef, any non-poultry dish
Yakizakana	Grilled fish		Various kinds of fish; lightly grilled; no skewer
Hoba miso	Magnolia leaves lie roasting over a charcoal brazier, are topped with miso, onions, shiitake mushrooms, etc., then some oil		A speciality of the Takayama area (Hida prefecture)
Gyoza	Japanese potstickers		Originally from China, gyoza have become very popular across Japan
Teriyaki	Food broiled or grilled in a sweet soy sauce		Another food well known in the States
Takoyaki	Octopus dumplings, often sold on a stick		Although some restaurants offer these, most often purchase from street vendors in areas like train stations; sometimes called "octopus balls"!
Dango	Dumplings made from rice flower, usually served on a skewer		There is a popular children's song about dango - not exactly Japanese high culture; also, more interesting information here
Wierd / exotic / edgy foods
Wasabi beer	Based on the spicy sushi accompaniment		Seems likely to be less than refreshing!
Cubic watermelons	Grown to save storage space!		At over $100 melon, they can hardly keep them on the shelves!
Pocari Sweat	Despite the name, very popular		Have never tried it; this trip is the time!
Placenta Jelly Drink	Jelly drinks are strange by themselves, but add placenta!		Actually contains some pig placenta.! Apparently healthy for you and tastes like peaches
Natto	Fermented soy beans		Japanese often use this food as a test of how adventurous you are
Basil seed drink	Looks like it may come from Spain originally, judging by the subtitle on the can		Looks like tadpoles swimming in your drink, eh?!
Wasp crackers	What it says!		Another pass, I think

Another source, with a little different look and organization.