JAPAN
Illustration of Takahiro Takiguchi

(Illustration by Yukiyo Oda/Stripes Japan)

Many Japanese foods are considered superfoods. Fermented foods include natto, miso, shoyu (Japanese soy-sauce) and amazake; teas - matcha, green tea, bancha (course tea); seaweeds – konbu (kemp), nori, hijiki, kanten; and traditional natural foods -umeboshi (pickled plum), genmai (unmilled rice), tofu, soba, and azuki are all low in calories and contain many superb minerals.

Ichi/Shi (Japanese kanji character for city/market)

Ichi/Shi (city/market) (Illustration by Stripes Japan)

Takahiro Takiguchi is a writer based in Yokosuka, Japan. Takiguchi covers travel, food and culture stories for Stars and Stripes Japan. Follow along as Takiguchi takes readers to less crowded destinations around the mainland, you might also catch him out and about recording Speakin’ Japanese lesson videos for Instagram.

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