白和え (Shiraae)

Shiraae is another version of the Japanese salad Gomaae. This version has tofu added in the mix.

胡麻和え (Gomaee)

Gomaee is a Japanese salad made of vegetables like green beans tossed with white or black sesame seeds ground in a suribachi mortar bowl, flavored additionally with sugar and soy sauce.

どろめ (Dorome)

Dorome are sardines, 2-3 cm in length, eaten fresh, dipped in sauce made from minced garlic greens, vinegar, and miso. It is often served at bars and pubs along with alcohol.

酒盗 (Shuto)

Shuto is a dish made of chopped brine-pickled skipjack tuna entrails served with a mixture of sake, honey, mirin, and onions. It is a good dish to eat while drinking sake.

チョロギ (Chorogi)

Chorogi is a Chinese artichoke, cooked, pickled, dyed red by the leaves of shiso, and served as a part of the Osechi Ryori (Japanese New Year Cuisine).

鮒ずし (Crucian Carp Sushi)

Funazushi is a rare type of nare-zushi still prepared near Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture. Eighteen generations of the Kitamura family have been preparing the dish at Kitashina since 1619. Fresh funa are scaled and gutted through their gills keeping the body and the roe intact. The fish are then packed with salt and aged for a year before being repacked annually in rice for up to four years. The resulting fermented dish may be served sliced thin or used as an ingredient in other dishes.

とんぶり (Tonburi)

Tonburi, also known as “Land Caviar”, is a Japanese delicacy made from the dried seeds of the Hosagi plant. After harvesting, the seeds are dried, boiled, soaked, and then rubbed by hand to remove the outer skin. 

かんかい (Kankai)

Kankai is basically dried Komai fish, can be eaten as is or broiled and eaten with a sauce made by mixing mayonnaise, soy sauce, and sprinkles of red pepper powder.

松前漬け (Matsumaezuke)

Matsumaezuke is a pickled dish made of dried squid and konbu, which are wiped with wet cloth and then cut into thin stripes with a pair of scissors. Herring roe are then chopped into small bits, and carrots and ginger are julienned. These ingredients are mixed with a boiled mixture of sake, soy sauce, and mirin. Several slices of red pepper are often added.

めふん (Mefun)

Mefun is a type of Japanese chinmi or rare delicacy made from salt-pickled liver and the other internal organs of a male salmon. Its color is blackish and it is often served as a snack while drinking sake.

このわた (Konowata)

Konowata is a type of shiokara, food products made from various marine animals and innards preserved in a brown viscous paste and heavily salted and fermented. This one is made from sea cucumber innards.

雪見燈籠 (Legged Lanterns)

Yukimi-doro have one to six curved legs and a wide umbrella with a finial either low or absent. Relatively low, they are used exclusively in gardens. The traditional placement is near the water, and a three-legged lantern will often have two legs in the water, and one on land. The umbrella can be round or have from three to eight sides, while the fire box is usually hexagonal.

福神漬 (Fukujinzuke)

Fukujinzuke is one of the most popular kinds of pickles in Japanese cuisine, commonly used as a relish for Japanese curry. Vegetables included are daikon, eggplant, lotus root, and cucumber, finely chopped, then pickled in a base that is flavored with soy sauce. The end result has a crunchy texture.

雲丹 (Sea Urchin Roe)

Uni is sea urchin roe, with color ranging from orange to pale yellow. The roe is actually the reproductive organs, eaten either raw or briefly cooked. It is traditionally considered as an aphrodisiac. 

三光灯籠 (Three Lights Lantern)

Sanko-doro is a movable lantern with just a small stone box with a low roof. Its name was given to it due to its windows, shaped like the sun and the moon in the front and rear, and like a star at the ends. This type of lantern is usually placed near water and can be found in the garden of the Katsura Villa.