Japan is famous for its incredible food culture – and honestly, it was one of the reasons I chose to study here. Sushi, ramen, and yakiniku are amazing, but Japanese cuisine offers much beyond these well-known dishes. Many ingredients and specialties, especially vegetables and seafood, are only available at certain times of the year, and you may not easily find them outside Japan. With that in mind, I would like to introduce some interesting seasonal foods and ingredients, along with the best time to enjoy them.
Subtle Spring (March – May)
As the weather becomes warmer after winter, plants begin to bud, allowing unique vegetables such as tara no me (fatsia sprouts), fuki no tou (butterbur buds), kogomi (fiddleheads), nanohana (canola flowers) and udo (mountain asparagus) to be harvested. These ingredients offer a delicate balance of subtle sweetness and slight bitterness, each with its own distinctive aroma and texture, making them perfect for tempura.
Spring foods are generally light in flavor. They also include seafood such as sakura ebi (sakura shrimp) and hotaru ika (firefly squid), which are often prepared as light appetizers. Asari clams are at their plumpest during this season and are commonly steamed or added to miso soup.
Refreshing Summer (June – August)
During this season, trees begin to bear fruit, and fruiting vegetables become more abundant. Stir-fried bitter gourd is a popular summer dish, often enjoyed for its health benefits. Fresh fruits are also more widely available and affordable, with peaches and watermelon being my personal favorites. However, I would say that myoga (Japanese ginger) is the most iconic vegetable of summer. Unlike other gingers, its reddish bulbs and shoots are eaten instead of the underground stem or root, and has a much milder aroma. Because of its colorful appearance and refreshing taste, myoga is often used as garnish to brighten and enhance dishes.
In Japan, there is also a tradition of eating eel during summer to help combat heat fatigue. Besides unagi (freshwater eel), anago (conger eel), and hamo (pike conger) are also in peak season. In addition, summer would not be complete without festival food. Grilled ayu (sweetfish) is commonly found at food stalls during fireworks festivals and other summer celebrations.
Earthy Autumn (September – November)
Autumn is the perfect season for mushroom lovers. Maitake, shimeji, and shiitake are everywhere, and they make an amazing mushroom hot pot. Matsutake, the most luxurious mushroom in Japanese cuisine, is also only available during this time of year. It is famous for its rich, earthy aroma and firm texture, and a single mushroom can cost over 2,000 yen! To truly enjoy its natural flavor, it is often simply grilled and seasoned with salt and a squeeze of sudachi citrus.
Autumn is also a great time for fruit, with plenty of grapes and persimmons in stores. Fresh ginkgo nuts and chestnuts are harvested during this season too, and are used in both sweet treats and savory dishes.
One fish that really represents autumn in Japan is sanma. It is so popular that Meguro City even holds a festival dedicated to it. Autumn also occurs just before the salmon spawning season, which means it is the best time to enjoy ikura and sujiko (two preparations of cured salmon roe).
Hearty Winter (December – February)
Although fruits like strawberries and mandarin oranges are at their sweetest during this time, Winter tends to have fewer unique vegetables compared to other seasons due to the cold. Instead, winter is the best season to enjoy various seafood as fish naturally store more fat in their bodies to survive the cold, which makes their flesh richer, firmer, and more flavorful. One of the best examples is buri (Japanese amberjack), whose meat becomes noticeably whiter and fattier in winter. It is often enjoyed boiled, grilled or as sashimi. Crabs and oysters are also at its peak quality in this season. In addition, unique delicacies such as ankimo (monkfish liver) and shirako (milt) are only available now. They have a creamy texture and rich taste that pairs perfectly with a bit of ponzu citrus-based sauce. All the mentioned ingredients here are also perfect for nabe (Japanese-style hot pot), a very fitting dish for the cold winter.
Festive and Occasional Food
Other than ingredients that are available seasonally, Japan also has many special dishes that are eaten during specific festivals or times of the year.
Starting with the New Year, the most important traditional food is osechi, an elaborate assortment of beautifully arranged dishes packed in lacquered boxes. The flavors are usually seasoned lightly so they can be preserved for several days, and each ingredient carries a symbolic meaning. For example, kazunoko (herring roe) represents family prosperity, kamaboko (fish cake) symbolizes good fortune, and lotus root signifies a bright and clear future.
Not long after New Year, people eat nanakusa gayu (rice porridge with seven herbs) on January 7th to pray for good health. In February, ehomaki (large sushi rolls) are often eaten during the Setsubun festival. There is also a tradition to eat the roll silently while facing the year’s lucky direction to invite good luck. Later in spring, chirashizushi is often enjoyed when celebrating Hinamatsuri, a festival to pray for the well-being of young girls, while sweet pink sakuramochi confections reflect the beauty of the cherry blossom season.
Moving into July, cold somen (very thin wheat flour noodles) is a popular way to cool down during the summer heat. The silky-smooth appearance of somen also resembles the Milky Way, making them especially fitting for Tanabata, also known as the star festival.
As winter approaches, Japan also observes Western holidays such as Halloween and Christmas. Pumpkin-themed foods are popular during October. And although turkey is considered the classic holiday dish in many countries, roasted or fried chicken has become the more popular Christmas meal choice in Japan. Finally, at the end of the year, there is a custom of eating toshikoshi soba for the last dinner of the year, symbolizing longevity and the hope of leaving behind the hardships of the past year.
Shopping time!
That’s all the seasonal festival foods I can think of for now. Did any of them catch your interest? If you would like to try these seasonal items, look for the label “旬” (shun, meaning “in season”) the next time you go shopping. Japan is full of interesting ingredients, and you might even discover a new favorite. In my experience, food is one of the best ways to explore a new country, and trying seasonal dishes can be a truly rewarding journey. Bon appétit!
