Yoshoku

Yoshoku refers to Western-influenced Japanese dishes that were adapted in Japan starting in the late 19th century. The term distinguishes these dishes from washoku, the traditional Japanese cuisine, and denotes foods prepared with Western techniques and ingredients, often modified to suit Japanese tastes.

Historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Japan opened to Western culinary ideas through ports, expatriates, and diplomatic exchanges. Japanese cooks adapted Western dishes by using local ingredients, rice as a base, and milder seasonings, creating a distinct fusion that could be prepared in homes and in restaurants. Over time, these dishes became mainstream and helped shape modern Japanese eating habits.

Common yoshoku dishes include curry rice (kare raisu), tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), korokke (croquettes), hayashi rice (beef stew with a demi-glace-like sauce served over rice), omurice (omelette wrapped around fried rice with ketchup), and Hamburg steak (hambāgu). Other well-known examples are spaghetti Napolitan (tomato-based pasta with meat), and ebi fry (fried shrimp). Sauces such as demi-glace, bechamel, and tonkatsu sauce are characteristic of the style, reflecting Western influence while remaining distinctly Japanese in execution.

In contemporary Japan, yoshoku remains popular in casual eateries and home cooking, occasionally blending with modern flavors. The category serves to distinguish dishes of Western origin that were substantially localized, contrasting with traditional Japanese preparations while illustrating the ongoing exchange between cuisines.