Sashimi: The art of savoring fresh bounty of the sea and Japan's "Shun" (seasonality)

Sashimi is the essence of Japanese cuisine, where fresh seafood is beautifully cut raw and enjoyed with soy sauce and condiments. Precisely because it is not heated, the quality of the ingredients and the chef's knife skills directly affect the taste.
On this page, we will introduce the types of fish, the concept of "Shun" (seasonality), and the important role of wasabi as a condiment.

1. Eating sashimi in Japan: A guide by budget and style

Sashimi is served in various ways to suit the occasion, from daily dining tables to the finest hospitality.

Style	Estimated budget	Features and experience	Recommended scenes of use
Fresh fish section of a supermarket	$	You can easily buy packs of fresh assorted sashimi. They may also be discounted in the evening.	For drinking in your hotel room or daily meals
Seafood rice bowl (Kaisendon) and set meal restaurants	$$	You can enjoy "Kaisendon", which has plenty of sashimi on top of rice, and sashimi set meals.	For lunch at tourist spots or when you want to easily enjoy fish
Izakaya (Japanese pubs) and seafood restaurants	$$$	You can enjoy "Sashimi Moriawase" (assorted sashimi) little by little with Japanese sake or beer.	When eating while drinking alcohol with friends or colleagues
High-end Ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurants) and sushi restaurant counters	$$$$$	The chef will serve the highest quality seasonal fish right in front of you, cut in the most delicious way.	For dinner on a special day or the ultimate gastronomic experience

2. Delicious ways to eat and manners you should know: The role of wasabi and soy sauce

"Wasabi" and "Soy sauce" are indispensable for sashimi. These have meanings beyond mere seasoning.

Role of wasabi: The sharp pungency of wasabi has the role of eliminating the fishy smell. Furthermore, wasabi has a strong antibacterial effect, and it has been used as the wisdom of our ancestors to eat raw fish safely since the era when refrigeration technology was not developed.
Not dissolving it in soy sauce is for connoisseurs ("Tsu"): Many people dissolve wasabi in soy sauce, but it is not recommended as manners. To maximize the flavor of wasabi, the most delicious way to eat it is to "put a small amount of wasabi on the sashimi, and put a little soy sauce on the side without wasabi".

3. Representative "types of fish" to taste as sashimi

Japan's seas are rich, and an amazingly wide variety of fish are served as sashimi. Let's know the representative categories.

Akami (Red meat): Tuna and bonito are representative. They have a strong umami flavor and are rich in iron. The fatty parts in particular are called "Toro" and are very popular for their melting texture.
Shiromi (White meat): Sea bream and flounder, etc. Because the taste is light and elegant, you can enjoy the delicate sweetness of the ingredients themselves.
Hikarimono (Silver-skinned fish): Fish with blue, shining skin, such as horse mackerel and mackerel. They have a unique flavor and are often eaten with ginger or green onions.
Others: Seafood other than fish, such as squid, octopus, shrimp, and scallop, are also standard sashimi.

4. What is the concept of "Shun" (seasonality), the essence of Japanese food?

The word "Shun" is indispensable when talking about Japanese cuisine. Shun refers to the period when a specific ingredient can be eaten fresher and more deliciously than at other times.

Changes by season: Fish store up plenty of fat during specific seasons, such as before the spawning season. For example, bonito (hatsu-gatsuo) in spring, saury in autumn, and yellowtail (kan-buri) in winter; the most delicious fish changes as the seasons change.
The joy of eating Shun: At Japanese sushi and traditional restaurants, the menu changes depending on the season. Eating seasonal sashimi is a very cultural experience of "feeling the transition of Japan's four seasons" through the sense of taste.

5. Trivia to enjoy sashimi even more: The secret of Tsuma

Tsuma is not just a decoration: The shredded radish or seaweed placed under the sashimi is called "Tsuma". This is not a mere decoration; the enzymes contained in the radish help digestion and play a role in refreshing and resetting the inside of the mouth. It is recommended to eat it without leaving any, dipping it in a little soy sauce.

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