One major reason seafood became so important in Japanese food culture is that Japan is surrounded by the sea. Along its long coastline, people could obtain fish, shellfish, seaweed, and other foods from the sea suited to the local waters and seasons. Ocean currents and climate vary from one region to another, so the seafood available and the ways of preparing it also differed. Over time, each area developed dishes that matched its own environment.
However, simply having access to fish would not have created such a broad and lasting food culture. People also developed ways to preserve seafood for longer periods, such as drying, salting, and fermenting it. As roads and transportation by boat improved, seafood could be carried to places far from the coast.
People living near the sea could eat fresh fish, while those farther inland relied more on dried, salted, or preserved products. Different ways of eating seafood therefore developed according to local conditions. Today, refrigeration, freezing, and nationwide distribution make it possible for people even in mountainous areas to buy sashimi and fresh fish as part of everyday life.
Japanese seafood culture is not limited to sushi and sashimi. Grilled fish, simmered fish, dried fish, fish cakes such as kamaboko, and broth made from seafood all form part of everyday meals.
Even when there is no visible piece of fish on the plate, seafood may still provide much of the underlying flavor. Dashi made from ingredients such as dried bonito or dried small fish is often used in miso soup, simmered dishes, noodles, and many other foods. In this way, seafood has long appeared not only in special meals but also on family tables, in set meals, and in boxed lunches.
Seafood is also closely connected with New Year celebrations, festivals, and other important occasions. Sea bream, herring roe, and shrimp, for example, have been used to represent good fortune, long life, and the prosperity of the family. These foods appear at seasonal celebrations and important moments in people’s lives, not only in ordinary meals.
The custom of serving sashimi or grilled fish with sake or shochu has also helped keep seafood a familiar part of adult life. For many adults, fish is not simply part of a meal but also something enjoyed with alcohol.
Today, people in Japan have a much wider choice of meat dishes, and some households eat fish less often than they once did. Even so, seafood remains present in many different forms: in dashi, everyday side dishes, food served with alcohol, dishes for special occasions, and regional cooking.
For this reason, seafood remains central to Japanese cuisine. Japan’s seafood culture is the result not only of the richness of the surrounding seas, but also of preservation methods, transportation systems, regional cooking, and everyday habits that developed and accumulated over centuries.