Japanese cuisine offers palate-tickling sensations that range from elegant kaiseki cuisine to the hearty basics of noodles and rice bowls. Each region has developed its own local delicacies and some of the best world-class chefs have established their restaurants in Japan. Tokyo alone is home to more Michelin-stared restaurants than New York or Paris. A visit to a local sake brewery will give you the opportunity to enjoy the harmony of rice wine and Japanese cuisine.

Recent years have seen a surge in the popularity of Japanese cuisine worldwide, so you may have sampled quite a range of Japanese cuisine before going to Japan. Nothing beats the home-grown taste and here are a few traditional favourites;

- Kaiseki Cuisine: Kaiseki cuisine is as much a form of art as it is a meal. It is a multiple-course dinner that consists of a series of small dishes, usually made from fish and vegetables. The ingredients are often seasonal and the dishes are arranged to reflect particular themes.

- Sushi: Usually comes in the form of a small piece of raw seafood placed on top of a ball of vinegared rice. Maki-zushi (rolled-sushi) is the wrapped version where raw seafood and vinegared rice are wrapped in a sheet of nori seaweed.

- Sashimi: Sliced raw fish eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.

- Sukiyaki: A hot pot of meat, vegetables, tofu and vermicelli prepared at the table.

- Shabu-shabu: Tender, thin slices of beef held with chopsticks and swished around in a pot of boiling water, then dipped in sauce before being eaten.

- Tempura: Prawn, fish and vegetables that are battered in a mixture of egg, wheat flour and water and then deep fried in vegetable oil. Dipped in a sauce before eating.

- Yakitori: Small pieces of chicken, liver or vegetables skewered on a bamboo stick and grilled over hot coals.

- Tonkatsu: A bit like a schnitzel, tonkatsu is a piece of pork cutlet rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried.

- Soba and Udon: Japanese noodles. Soba is a thin grey noodle made from buckwheat flour. Udon is a thicker white noodle made from wheat flour. Both can be served in a broth as a soup, or on their own to be dipped into a sauce before eating.

From tropical Okinawa up to moderately cool Hokkaido, Japan’s geography - stretching from north to south - lends itself to varying regional climates. Each region is suited to producing a variety of fruit, vegetables, seafood and meat which have in turn influenced the cuisine of that region. Wherever you go in Japan, there will always be something new to try.

Hokkaido is well known for the variety of fresh seafood it has to offer, harvested in the northern seas. Ishikari-nabe, a salmon hot-pot is a popular local dish made from chunks of salmon, vegetables, tofu and konnyaku (devil’s tongue). A barbequed lamb dish called, Ghenghis Khan is also a favourite. Details

Sendai city in the Tohoku region is famous for sasakamaboko, a steamed fish paste. Wanko soba is a favourite of Iwate Prefecture, and quite entertaining. The noodles are served in mouthful-sized portions in small bowls that a server flings at you as you finish each bowl. Details

Down to the Kanto region surrounding Tokyo and you will find a traditional fisherman’s dish called namerou quite popular in Chiba. When in Tokyo itself, be sure to try the local specialities. Monja-yaki a pan-fried batter and fukagawa meshi is a bowl of rice topped with a delicious mix of shelled clams, leek and miso. Details

In the Chubu and Tokai regions houtou, a noodle dish similar to udon (wheat-flour noodles) is the speciality in Yamanashi. Shizuoka prefecture is renowned for its eel, farmed in the local lake. In Aichi prefecture, try the misokatsu, deep fried pork cutlets served with a miso-based sauce. Details

Hotaruika (firefly squid) in Toyama prefecture is a speciality of the Hokuriku region, along with Jibu-ni from Kanazawa in Ishikawa prefecture. Jibu-ni is a soup traditionally made from wild duck and Japanese vegetables. Details

The Kansai region surrounds Kyoto and Osaka. Tofu is the speciality down here, with yudofu (boiled tofu) in Kyoto and koyadofu (freeze-dried tofu) in Wakayama. Takoyaki (octopus dumplings) is the all-time favourite of Osaka and for something a little bit different try funazushi, a cheese-like dish that is made by pickling and maturing carp. The process takes over 6 months and the result is definitely an acquired taste. Details

In the Chugoku region, oysters are the seafood to eat in Hiroshima and if you fancy trying some puffer fish, you can do that in Yamaguchi prefecture. Hiroshima is also famous for Okonomiyaki, a savoury Japanese pancake. Details

Shikoku Island is on the other side of the inland sea and you will find this is the best place to try bonito. Shikoku, especially Kagawa is also famous for the locally made udon (wheat noodles), called sanuki-udon. Details

On Kyushu Island, the specialities differ again. Mizutaki is a boiled chicken dish, popular in Fukuoka. In Nagasaki, a fried udon (wheat flour noodle) dish called sara-udon is the favourite. In Miyazaki prefecture another fisherman’s favourite is a dish called hiyajiru. This is made by pouring a chilled fish and miso based soup over a hot bowl of rice. You might also like to try a golden Miyazaki mango or a bittersweet hyuganatsu, a yellow citrus fruit. Details

Nihonshu, (Japanese rice wine) known around the world as sake is a clear-coloured Japanese alcoholic drink. Japan is home to many commendable sake breweries, particularly in Niigata prefecture which is also known for good quality rice.

Sake is brewed in a similar method to that used when making wine and beer; by fermentation. The key ingredients of sake are rice, water, koji (malted rice) and yeast. Adding koji to rice converts the starch within the rice into sugar. Fermentation begins when yeast is added to this rice sugar. The rice used in making sake is different to the rice that we eat everyday; it is a soft and large-grained variety of rice. Sake typically has an alcohol content of between 13% and 16% and can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways. Sake can be served heated, at room temperature or chilled.

(Learn about the sake-brewing process at the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum in Kobe)

There are several different types of sake, defined by the differences in ingredients;

Ginjoshu: Made from white rice that has been milled so that 60% or less of the grain remains. Can be described has having a crisp, fruity flavour.

Junmaishu: This sake is made from only white rice, koji and water. It is said to have a smooth, mellow flavour.

Honjozoshu: Made from white rice that has been milled so that 70% or less of the grain remains. A mild, crisp flavour.

Futsushu: All other types of sake fall into this category and they have a variety of tastes.

Shochu is another Japanese alcoholic drink that has been gaining popularity over recent years. Predominantly made in the Kyushu region, shochu was once a poor man’s drink but improved distilling methods have improved its quality and taste. Shochu can be made from rice, barley, potato, brown sugar, buckwheat or corn. Unlike sake, it is a distilled beverage. Generally it is made by steeping rice or barley in water, and then spraying it with koji (malted rice) to create a sugar that can be fermented. The shochu is then fermented twice and on the second fermentation, another ingredient such as sweet potato or buckwheat is added. Finally, the shochu is purified through distillation.

With a typical alcohol volume of 25%, shochu is a stronger alcohol than sake. It can be drunk on the rocks (with ice), diluted with hot or cold water, or mixed with oolong tea or fruit juice. Chuhai is a premixed drink, made from shochu, soda and flavouring such as lemon or apple. There are two main types of shochu, defined during distillation; Otsu-rui: Shochu that has been distilled only once. The flavour and aroma of the source ingredients add character to this type of shochu. Ko-rui: Shochu that has been distilled more than once, resulting in a shochu that does not have a distinct taste. Ko-rui shochu is often used to make cocktail mixes and chuhai

(Drinking shochu with some traditional southern cuisine)