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Did you know that two of Japan’s big three festivals happen in July? The first is Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri, which we’ve already discussed. The second is one near and dear to our hearts, the Osaka Tenjin Matsuri.

Tokyo is famous these days as one of the world’s international food capital, with many foods from all over Japan and the world collecting there. However, only one city has the nickname of ‘Japan’s Kitchen’, and that city is Osaka. People in Osaka are serious about their food, with there even being a phrase called kui-daore, which means ‘to eat yourself broke’.

Japan has an interesting food culture full of original dishes. However, some of Japan’s most popular and tasty dishes are actually from other countries and have changed to fit the Japanese palate.

Have you ever been to a Japanese ramen shop or beef bowl shop and seen those reddish-pinkish pickles? Have you ever thought, “What is that?” Well, we’ve got an answer for you. That is beni shoga, a Kansai creation that is all over Japanese cuisine as both a topping and as a fried treat.

When people think of sushi, they either think of nigiri sushi (a slab of fish over a block of rice) or sushi rolls. However, sushi is more varied than you might think.

The Osakan people take their food seriously and always has. This means that Osaka has tons of delicious food in the city and is even the birthplace of Japanese food favorites like okonomiyaki and takoyaki.