SUSHI, JAPAN KITCHEN

KAPPA (MAKI): The cucumber roll.
OSHINKO (MAKI): The Japanese pickle roll. The typical vegetables that may be used in OSHINKO MAKI are daikon (Japanese radish) or carrots.
UME (MAKI): The pickled UME (Japanese plum) roll. You will experience a tart flavor. Sometimes siso (Japanese basil) leaves are added to UME MAKI. NATTO (MAKI): The fermented soybeans roll. NATTO is very sticky and has a strong flavor, which some Japanese dislike but some really love. AVOCADO (MAKI): For its rich, fatty taste, avocado has been substituted for tuna in American sushi restaurants. What a great invention for vegetarians! You can ask to make a combination sushi roll with avocado and other vegetables, as well as order avocado nigiri.
HORENSO (MAKI): The spinach roll. SHIITAKE (MAKI): The shiitake mushroom roll. As the ingredient of the rolled sushi, shiitake may be cooked with soy sauce and Japanese sweet rice wine. As I mentioned before, grilled shiitake nigiri would be a wonderful option.
KAMPYO (MAKI): KAMPYO is dried gourd strip which is usually seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. KAMPYO MAKI is a common rolled sushi in Japan. Enjoy its slightly spongy texture. YUBA (MAKI): The YUBA (soymilk skin) roll. YUBA is good for making combination sushi with other ingredients such as shiitake (seasoned) or cucumber. Vegetarian FUTOMAKI: FUTOMAKI means a thick roll and more than two ingredients are put in. Choose any vegetarian foods.
INARI: The sushi rice wrapped with seasoned abura-age (deep-fried thin tofu). In fact, it is a casual, homemade sushi, so you may rarely see this item on the menu. CHIRASHI: The mixed sushi with a variety of ingredients. Usually, it contains fish so ask the chef to make CHIRASHI without fish. The same as INARI, CHIRASHI is a homemade type of sushi. Garnishes: The garnishes for sushi are gari (pickled ginger slices) and wasabi (Japanese horseradish). Gari is free, so take as much as you want. Americans mix gari and wasabi in soy sauce, but it is not the authentic Japanese way of eating sushi. Put wasabi on sushi when you want a hotter taste. Also you can ask the chef not to add wasabi to your sushi (say, "SABI NUKI").

YU DOFU: The Japanese find tofu's natural good taste in the simplest way of cooking. YU DOFU is tofu boiled in a pot in which kombu seaweed is placed. When you eat them, dip the tofu into soy sauce with some garnishes (grated ginger, chopped onion, and so on). The restaurant may serve you the sauce for YU DOFU, but it possibly contains bonito flakes. Check before you take the sauce.
HIYA YAKKO: The same as YU DOFU, HIYA YAKKO (also called just "YAKKO") is a very simple dish. It is served raw, usually in cold ice water. Dip the tofu into soy sauce. The toppings are grated ginger, chopped green onions, and nori seaweed. Ask not to put bonito flakes on the tofu.
TOFU DENGAKU: The word DENGAKU itself means grilled food, skewered, with sweetened miso paste topping. (So there are other varieties besides tofu. Eggplant DENGAKU is also highly recommended.) Just in case, check if they used bonito "dashi" or eggs in the miso paste. AGEDASHI DOFU: Deep-fried tofu, which is coated with potato starch (katakuri-ko). It is served in a sauce, based on soy sauce. Check if the sauce contains bonito extract. In addition to that, bonito flakes are often used as a topping, so ask not to put them on the dish. You can eat AGEDASHI DOFU with a little soy sauce and some garnishes such as grated ginger.
GOMA DOFU: As a matter of fact, GOMA DOFU is not tofu: it is made from white sesame seeds, water, and potato starch. There is no bean in it. GOMA DOFU is usually served raw with wasabi and soy sauce. Never miss this savory "tofu" when you encounter it at a restaurant.

EDAMAME: This is a green-colored young soybean. Japanese people love to eat EDAMAME as a summertime snack with beer. Of course, if you shun any alcohol, no problem. Usually, it is served boiled, with a pinch of salt.
OHITASHI: OHITASHI is generally boiled leafy greens, such as spinach. Tell them that you don't want bonito flakes as a topping. When you eat OHITASHI, drizzle a little soy sauce on the vegetable. SU NO MONO: SU means vinegar, and SU NO MONO is vegetables and/or seaweed, sometimes seafood, dressed with mixed rice vinegar (with soy sauce, sugar, and salt). It refreshes your palate after eating oily dishes. Check the ingredients before you order.
GOMA AE: Vegetables which are dressed with a nutty-flavored sesame paste (sesame seeds, soy sauce, and sugar). In this case, we rarely add bonito to the dish. NI MONO: Boiled vegetables, especially root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, or daikon (a kind of radish) are used. Usually, NI MONO is cooked with soy sauce, sake (Japanese rice wine), and mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), but you may need to check if they use soup stock containing bonito. NUTA: It is a dish made of seafood and vegetables, dressed with sumiso (white miso thinned with vinegar); however, you can order NUTA made of vegetables and seaweed instead of seafood. MISO Soup: Miso is fermented soybean paste. The Japanese make luscious soup with miso. Unfortunately, the soup stock may have bonito powder, so check what ingredients they use for the soup, dashi. Vegetable TEMPURA: The same as SUSHI, TEMPURA is a gorgeous Japanese dish for a special treat. Seafood and vegetables are dipped into a batter, then deep-fried in vegetable oil (we never use lard or any animal fat to cook TEMPURA). People love its crispy, oil-rich taste. Introduced in the sixteenth century from Portuguese, it is very similar to fritters but has a more delicate texture. These are the checkpoints for vegans. 1) Say you don't want seafood TEMPURA. 2) Tell them not to use egg in the batter. Otherwise, let them fry the vegetables without a batter. TEMPURA coated with harusame (mung bean noodles) is a great option for vegans. 3) Ask if it is possible to fry the vegetables in the oil in which seafood is not fried. 4) TEMPURA sauce contains bonito extract, so eat it with salt and if possible, lemon juice.
GYOZA: Originally, GYOZA, a kind of dumpling, is a Chinese dish. But now it has become indispensable to Japanese tables, too. Its typical filling is a mixture of pork, cabbage, Chinese chives, garlic, and ginger. Just ask if they can make vegetable GYOZA without pork or any other animal foods.
UDON: Soft, thick, and white wheat noodles. If you order hot UDON, check whether the soup contains bonito extract. You can also have cold UDON (say, "ZARU-UDON"); eat it with a little soy sauce and if possible, garnishes such as grated ginger, nori seaweed, and/or chopped green onions. Stir-fried UDON with vegetables is a very possible option.
ONIGIRI or RICE BALL: This is a kind of finger food, so eat ONIGIRI with your hands. It is often wrapped with nori seaweed and has a stuffing such as umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum). The stuffing may be fish, so check before ordering.
OCHA ZUKE: It is a casual, but popular Japanese meal. Pour hot Japanese green tea into a bowl of rice, then you can have OCHA ZUKE. There are some variations of toppings on the rice, so order vegetarian foods such as umeboshi, nori, or TSUKEMONO (also called OSHINKO. See the following section).
TSUKEMONO: Pickled vegetables, usually accompanied with rice. In fact, our ancestors felt satisfied with just several bowls of rice, TSUKEMONO and miso soup. TSUKEMONO is versatile, but at restaurants, they usually serve nukazuke (pickled in rice bran), umeboshi, takuan (strong flavored, yellow-colored pickled daikon), or shiozuke (pickled with salt).

SAKE: Sake, described "Japanese rice wine" in English, plays the same role as wine. You can eat the dishes without it, but once you taste them with a small cup of sake, you never forget the great combination of this drink and Japanese cuisine. The ingredients of sake are brewed rice, water, and malt. Its alcohol content is about 16%. The same as wine, sake has a lot of varieties of flavor, from dry to sweet. It is served chilled (hiya) or warmed (o-kan). Ask which type of sake is good for your dishes.
CHA or Japanese tea: Even if you despise any alcohol, you can enjoy Japanese dishes with a sip of Japanese tea, cha. In sushi restaurants, waiters may call it agari, which means "finish" and in fact, cha refreshes the palate after the dishes. The tea leaves themselves are the same as that of English or Chinese teas, but cha leaves are dried without fermentation while other types of tea are fermented or semi-fermented. At Japanese restaurants, you may drink fresh green tea.

SWEETSThe ingredients of Japanese traditional sweets are basically rice, sugar, and red azuki beans. I hope you have a chance to eat Japanese sweets such as yokan (sweet azuki bean confection, made from azuki beans, sugar, and agar-agar) or manju (sweet bun, made from wheat-or rice-flour, azuki bean, and sugar). If you are lucky, you may have a beautiful higashi, little dry confectionery, as a dessert. This sweet is usually served at the tea ceremony and made from rice flour and sugar. Higashi is often colored and molded into natural figures such as a leaf or a flower.

Abokado: Avocado 
Aburaage: Deep-fried toofu pouch 
Aoi Nori: Green Seawwed 
Amitake: "Amitake" Mushroom 
Aloe: Aloe 
Aloe related sushi: Aloebera Gunkan: Aloe flesh + Tabaragani Crab roe + white sesame seeds 
Aosa (Iwanori): Kind of green seaweed: 
Aspara: Asparagus 
Benikokoro Daikon: Red Daikon Radish 
Daikon: Large Japanese Radish 
Daikon related ingredient: "Daikon Oroshi" (Grated daikon) 
                                        "Daikon Momiji" (Grated Daikon mixed with chili 
                                        pepper) 
Edamame: Green Soybeans 
Endomame: Green Peas 
Fuki: Butterbur (only stems are eaten) 
Gari: Pickled Ginger (see picture) 
Ginnan: Jinko Nuts 
Goboo: Burdock (see picture) 
Burdock sushi variety: "Umegobo" (Burdock root with pickled plum meat  
                                     as "Nigiri", Temaki, etc.)   
Goma: Sesame (seeds9 
Hakusai: Chinese Cabbage (see picture) 
Harugiku: Spring Crysanthemum (small variety) 
Hasu: Lotus 
Lotus related ingredient: Renkon (Lotus root)  
Inari ("Kitsune Inari"/local name): Seasoned rice ball inside grilled deep-fried toofu pouch ("aburaage"): the name originally came from that of a shrine worshipping foxes.  
Iwanori (Aosa): Kind of green seaweed 
Junsai: Water shield 
Kabu: Turnip (see picture) 
Kaiware (Kaiware daikon):  
Kanpyo: Dried gourd shavings (resoftened in water before use) 
                (see picture) 
Kinome: (see picture) 
Kogomi: 
Konbu: Tangle, tang seaweed 
Kudamono: Fruits 
Kuwai: Arrowhead 
Kyuri: Cucumber 
Cucumber related sushi variety: "Kappa maki" (Thin long roll with  
                                                cucumber in centre)  
Matsutake: "Matsutake" Mushroom 
Mekabutororo: Sticky seaweed variety 
Menegi: Leek sprouts (see picture) (see picture) 
Mitsuba: trefoil 
Mizuna: Winter Wild Vegetables (Kyoto specialty) (see picture)
Momihi oroshi: Grated Japanese radish ("daikon") seasoned with chili pepper 
Mouzouchuiku: Bamboo Flesh 
Myooga: (see picture)  
Na no hana: Rape Blossoms   (see picture) 
Nasu: Aubergine, egg-plant 
Aubergine variety: Kamonasu (see picture)  
Nattoo: Fermented Soybeans 
Fermented soybeans related sushi: "Nattoo-Yme-Shiso Maki" (Fermented 
        soybeans+Pickled plum meat+Perilla leaf roll) (see picture) 
Negi: Leek 
Nori:Sseaweed 
Seaweed variety: Aoi Nori  
Oboro Konbu: Kelp 
Okura: Okura 
Remon: Lemon 
Senmaitsuke: 
Seri: Japanese Parsley 
Shiitake: "Shiitake" Mushroom (see picture) 
Shinko (O-Shinko): Japanese Pickles 
Shinwakame: "New Seaweed" 
Shiroshimeji: "Shiroshimeji" Mushroom 
Shiso: Green or Violet Beesteak Plant Leaf, Perilla (see picture) 
Shooga: Ginger 
Soramame: Broad Bean, Laca Bean 
Suguki no Ha: (see picture)  
Takenoko: Bamboo Shoots (see picture) 
Takuan: Pickled daikon radish (see picture) (see picture) 
Tamago: Egg (see picture) 
Egg related ingredient: "tamagoyaki" (Japanese sweet omelette) (see picture) 
Egg related sushi variety: "Oboro" (Japanese-style sweet scrambled  
                                       eggs)  
                                       "Oboromaki" (Long thin roll containing above)  
Taroimo: Taro 
Taro related ingredient: Tororo (grated taro)  
Tempura: Tempura (ingredients dipped in batter then deep-fried) 
Tsukemono: Pickles (general term) 
Tsukushi: Horsetail  
Ume: Japanese pickled Plum (see picture) 
Umi Budoo: Kind of Seaweed 
Warabi: Bracken 
Wasabi: Japanese green Horseradis 
Yamaimo: White Yam 
Yasai: Vegetables 
Yuuba: Thin Sheets of boiled Toofu 
Yuuzu: Citrus 
Zenmai: Flowering Fern (see picture)  


General sushi vocabulary

Bara sushi. Sushi rice and ingredients mixed together, as a rice salad.

Chirashi sushi (Iso-don, gomoku sushi). Sushi rice bed under other ingredients.

Funamori (Gunkan maki, kakomi sushi). Nigiri sushi wrapped to hold in less solid ingredients.

Futomaki. Large roll.

Fukusa sushi. A type of sushi which is wrapped in a crepe.

Inari sushi. Aburage stuffed with sushi rice.

Make sushi. Nori seaweed and a layer of rice around a core of fillings.

Norimake. A roll with nori seaweed on the outside.

California roll. Crab meat, smelt or flying fish roe, avocado.

Philidelphia roll. Salmon, cream cheese and some sort of vegetable.

Nigiri sushi. A slice of fish or other topping atop vinegared rice.

Okonomi-zushi. Home-style nigiri sushi.

Onigiri. Balls made with plain steamed rice with various stuffings.

Oshizushi. Sushi rice and other ingredients pressed into a box or mold. .

Sashimi. Sliced or prepared raw fish.

Sushi. Anything made with vinegared rice.

Tazuna sushi (Rainbow roll). A roll with diagonal strips of food across the top.

Temaki. Hand rolls, usually cone-shaped.

Fish

Aji. Spanish mackerel, horse mackerel.

Aji-no-tataki. Fresh Spanish mackerel.

Akagai. Red clam.

Tarako. Cod roe.

Akami. Lean tuna, cut from the back of the fish.

Ama-ebi. Sweet shrimp, usually served raw.

Odori-ebi. ``Dancing shrimp,'' ama ebi served living.

Anago. Conger eel (saltwater).

Ankimo. Monkfish liver.

Aoyagi. Yellow clam.

Awabi. Abalone.

Ayu. Sweetfish.

Baigai. Small water snails.

Bonito. English word, for the Japanese katsuo.

Botan-ebi. ???.

Buri. Adult yellowtail.

Chikuwa. Browned fish cake with a hole running through its length.

Chutoro. Medium fatty tuna, from the upper belly.

Ebi. Shrimp.

Engawa. (1) Halibut fin muscle; (2) meat surrounding the scallop muscle.

Fugu. Blowfish, toxic if improperly prepared!.

Geoduck. Mirugai, in the American Pacific northwest.

Hamachi. Yellowtail.

Hamachi-kama. Yellowtail collars.

Hamo. Pike conger.

Hatahata. Sandfish.

Hirame. Halibut.

Hokkigai. Surf clam.

Hotatagai. Scallops.

Ika. Squid.

Ika-geso. Squid's tentacles.

Ikura. Salmon roe.

Iwana. Char.

Iwashi. Sardine.

Kajiki. Swordfish.

Kamaboko. Fish cake.

Kani. Crab meat.

Kani-kamaboko. Fake crab meat.

Kanimiso. Green contents of a crab's head.

Kanpachi. Very young yellowtail.

Karei. Flounder, flatfish.

Katsuo. Bonito fish.

Katsuo-boshi. Dried bonito fish.

Kimachi. A small fish from the yellowtail family.

Kohada. Gizzard shad.

Koi. Saltwater carp.

Kurodai. Snapper.

Langostino. A small shellfish.

Madai. Red seabream.

Maguro. Tuna.

Masu. Trout.

Mekajiki. Blue marlin.

Mirugai. Long neck clam.

Niika. Cooked Monterey squid.

Nijimasu. Rainbow trout.

Otoro. Fattest tuna.

Saba. Mackeral.

Sake. Salmon.

Sanma. Japanese mackeral.

Sawagani. Small crabs.

Sayori. (Springtime) halfbeak.

Seigo. Young sea bass.

Shako. Mantis shrimp.

Shira-uo. Whitebait, icefish or salangid.

Shiro maguro. Albacore tuna.

Shirako. Sperms sacs of the cod fish.

Suzuki. Striped bass, rockfish.

Tai. Sea bream, porgy, snapper.

Tairagai. Razor-shell clam.

Tako. Octopus.

Nama-tako. Fresh or raw octopus.

Tekka. Tuna, especially in a roll.

Kazunoko. Herring roe.

Tobiko. Flying fish roe.

Torigai. Cockle clam.

Sazae. Conch.

Toro. Fatty tuna.

Negitoro. Chopped and mixed negi-onion and toro.

Unagi. Freshwater eel.

Unagi maki. Eel roll.

Unagi no kimo. Eel innards.

Una-don. Grilled eel, served on rice.

Uni. Sea urchin.

Kanikama. Imitation crab.

Mentaiko. Spicy, marinated cod roe.

Terms about fish

Hikari-mono. Fish sliced for serving with the silver fish skin left on.

Neta. The fish topping in nigiri sushi.

Shiromi no sakana. Sushi/sashimi fish which are relatively white in color.

Sukimi. Bits of fish scraped from the bones, used in rolls.

Fruit, vegetables & seaweed

Bamboo shoots. Bought sliced or whole.

Daikon. Giant, long white radish.

Buri-daikon. ???.

Edamame. Soybeans, served in the pod as an appetizer.

Fuki. A fibrous vegetable often simmered in broth.

Gobo. Long, slender burdock root.

Hijiki. Black seaweed in tiny threads.

Kampyo. Dried gourd strips.

Kappa. Cucumber, when used in a roll.

Kombu. Kelp, possibly dried.

Konnyaku. Gelatinous, rubbery oblong cake made from snake palm.

Nasu. Eggplant.

Negi. A Japanese onion.

Nori. Purple laver seaweed pressed into thin sheets.

Oshinko. Pickled vegetables, usually cucumber.

Sumitomo. A kind of cucumber salad.

Takenoko. Bamboo shoots.

Takuwan. Pickled daikon.

Tsukemono. Pickles.

Umeboshi. Small, bitter, pickled Japanese plum.

Wakame. Lobe-leaf seaweed, possibly dried, in strands.

Spices & seeds

Aji-no-moto. Monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Beni shoga. Red pickled ginger.

Gari. Pickled ginger.

Goma. Sesame seeds.

Hichimi togarashi. A western dialect rendering of shichimi togarashi.

Kinome. Leaves of the Japanese prickly ash.

Kuro goma. Black sesame seeds.

Nanami togarashi. Mixed hot spices.

Ohba. Japanese beefsteak plant.

Sansho. Japanese pepper.

Shichimi togarashi. Mixed hot spices.

Shiro goma. White sesame seeds.

Shiso. Japanese mint.

Togarashi. Whole dried hot red peppers.

Wasabi. Green, very hot Japanese horseradish.

Renkon. Lotus roots.

Sato-imo. Taro root.

Shoga. Ginger root.

Noodles & grains

Gyoza. Stuffed wonton, pan-fried, sautéed and/or steamed.

Harusame. Thin, transparent bean gelatin noodles.

Ramen. Thin noodles, often used in fast-prepare packets.

Shari. A sushi bar term for sushi rice.

Shiratake. Translucent rubbery noodles.

Soba. Buckwheat noodles.

Soba-zushi. Sushi made with soba rather than rice.

Toshi-koshi soba. Japanese custom of eating soba at the end of the year.

Somen. White, threadlike wheat noodles.

Sushimeshi. Rice for preparing sushi.

Udon. Thick, wide wheat noodles.

Mushrooms & other fungi

Cloud ears. Alternate name for Kikurage.

Kikurage. A dried fungus.

Matsutake. Very rare pine mushroom.

Shiitake. A type of Japanese mushroom.

Wood ears. Alternate name for kikurage.

Beans & bean products (including tofu)

Aburage. Puffy, brown fried tofu.

Aka miso. Red soy bean paste.

An. Sweetened puree of cooked red beans.

Azuki. Small red beans used to make an.

Koyadofu. Freeze-dried tofu.

Miso. Soy bean paste.

Momen tofu. "Cottony" bean curd.

Moyashi. Bean sprouts.

Natto. Fermented soy bean.

Shiro miso. White soy bean paste.

Sweet bean paste. Red azuki beans boiled with sugar.

Tofu. Soybean curd.

Yamakaki. Grated mountain potato with chunks of maguro.

Yakidofu. Broiled or grilled soy bean curd.

Soups and such things

Anko-nabe. Monkfish stew.

Fugu-chiri. Blowfish soup.

Ishikari-nabe. Salmon stew with sake.

Other food & preparations

Aemono. Vegetables or meats mixed with a dressing or sauce.

Spicy Mayonnaise. A common condiment with some kinds of sushi rolls.

Sakamushi. Steamed over sake.

Agemono. Fried foods.

Basashi. Horse sashimi.

Bulgogi. A Korean marinated beef dish.

Buta. Pork.

Dashi. Basic fish stock.

Gohan. Plain boiled rice.

Gyu Tataki. Beef tataki.

Ji-. Prefix: locally made or caught.

Katsu. A cutlet.

Katsudon. Deep-fried pork cutlet served with sauce over rice.

Kareh katsu. Curry sauce poured over deep-fried pork cutlet.

Kim chee. Spicy marinated cabbage.

Manju. Sweet bun filled with an.

Meshimono. Rice mixed with meat or vegetables.

Mitzutaki. Cooked in liquid.

Mochi. Sweet glutinous rice cakes.

Mochigome. Mochi rice.

Mochiko. Sweet glutinous rice flour.

Murasaki. Sushi bar term for soy sauce.

Mushimono. Steamed foods.

Nabemono. One-pot meals.

Nama-. Prefix: (food) raw, (beer) draught.

Nimono. Simmered or boiled foods.

Pan-joon. Very light Korean scallion pancake.

Ponzu. Sauce made with Japanese citron.

Robata-Yaki. Fresh ingrediants cooked over a wood fire.

Senbei. Thin, crisp rice crackers.

Shirumono. Generic Japanese term for soup.

Shoyu. Japanese soy sauce.

Shu-mei. Stuffed wontons, served steamed or deep-fried.

Soy sauce. Salty sauce made from fermented soybeans.

Su. Rice vinegar.

Suimono. Clear soup.

Sunomono. Vinegared foods.

Tamago. Eggs.

Tamago yaki. Fried egg.

Teriyaki sauce. A sweetened soy sauce.

Tare. Any thick sauce, usually soy-based and slightly sweetened.

Tataki. Finely chopped.

Tataki. Grilled on the surface, then chopped.

Tempura. Seafood or vegetables, battered and deep-fried.

Teriyaki. Broiled foods marinated in a sweet soy sauce.

Tonkatsu. Pork cutlet, breaded then fried.

Tori. Chicken.

Ume-shiso. Plum paste and shiso leaf mixture.

Usukuchi shoyu. Light Japanese soy sauce.

Yakumi. One of several strongly flavored seasonings.

Yaki. Grilled, toasted.

Yakimono. Broiled foods.

Yakinori. Toasted seaweed.

Yakitori. Skewer-grilled foods.

Yosenabe. A fish, seafood and vegetable soup.

Horenso No Ohitashi. A spinach dish.

Kaiseki-ryori. A multi-course meal of many small, simple, and typically seasonal dishes..

Cha kaiseki. Small meal served with as part of a tea ceremony.

Kaiseki-bento. Smaller, less expensive version of kaiseki-ryori, often eaten at lunch.

Shabu-shabu. Food blanched at the table; served with sauce.

Sukiyaki. Thinly sliced beef and raw vegetables cooked at the table.

Beverages

Agari. Green tea.

Biiru. Beer.

Doburoku. Sort of a thick, soupy sake.

Nihon Shu. A sake, rice wine.

Ocha. Tea.

Sake. Rice wine.

Shochu. 25-40% spirit made from potatoes or rice.

Other cooking related items

Donburi. Large bowl for noodle and rice dishes.

Geta. Wooden block used at a sushi bar as a plate.

Hashi. Chopsticks.

Hocho. General term for knives.

Makisu. Mat made of bamboo strips for making roll sushi.

Mirin. Sweet rice wine for cooking.

Ohitsu. A special bowl to keep rice warm.

Oshibori. Moistened heated towel.

Oshiwaku. Wooden box with top.

Shamoji. Flat rice-serving spoon.

Sudare. Floor- or window-sized bamboo mat.

Suribachi. A bowl with corrugations on the inside, used as a mortar.

Surikogi. A wooden pestle shaped like a big cucumber.

Tatami. A rush mat used as a floor covering.

Useful phrases

Domo. Thank you.

Domo arigato. Thank you very much.

Dozo. Please.

Gaijin. Outsiders, foreigners.

Gochiso-sama [deshita]. Traditional phrase closing a meal.

Hai. Yes.

Itadakimasu. Traditional phrase opening a meal.

Itamae. The sushi (or other Japanese) chef.

Konichiwa. A greeting, roughly `how are you'.

Omakase. Chef's choice.

Okonomi. The practice of ordering sushi a few pieces at a time.

Sabinuki. `No wasabi, please.'.