100 Most Popular Japanese FoodsJapan consists of over 3,600 islands - the four main ones being Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, surrounded from all sides by the sea or the mountains. The traditional cuisine of Japan, called washoku, although complex in its techniques, can best be characterized as balanced, simple, and elegant, with the main aim of enhancing the qualities of whatever food is being prepared