Japanese cuisine changes by valley, coast and capital. Toyosu / old Tsukiji, Tokyo is one node, not the whole map.
The meters treat heat, ferment, street density and sharing as the axes that actually organise meals.
Systems
Kanto soy-salt
Tokyo-Yokohama dark soy, soba tsuyu and a saltier urban set meal.
Kansai dashi-sweet
Lighter soy, kelp-forward dashi, okonomiyaki and a sweeter palate.
Kyushu tonkotsu
Pork-bone ramen and a richer south-western bowl culture.
Hokkaido miso and dairy
Miso ramen, butter-corn experiments and a northern seafood pantry.
Okinawa
Pork, goya and a tropical table only loosely under the washoku umbrella.
Temple Kyoto
Shojin and kaiseki as parallel high crafts in the same city.
Relative meters
Hotspots
Toyosu / old Tsukiji, Tokyo
The tuna auction and outer-market sushi that tourists still chase.
Dotonbori, Osaka
Okonomiyaki, takoyaki and neon street eating.
Nishiki Market, Kyoto
Pickles, tofu and the kaiseki supply street.
Hakata, Fukuoka
Tonkotsu ramen and a surviving yatai cart culture.
Sapporo ramen alley
Miso ramen in the city that made it a brand.
Materials
Kombu and katsuobushi
The two pillars of standard dashi.
Short-grain rice
Sushi, donburi and the everyday bowl; variety (koshihikari etc.) is argued like wine.
Miso and shoyu
Regional ferments that replace a single "soy sauce" idea.
Seasonal fish
Landings, not a fixed protein list, still set serious menus.
Regional pride in this cuisine is argued through Sushi and Ramen more than through a single official recipe.
Keep exploring
More in East Asia
Korean cuisine
Fermented heat and shared grills: kimchi, gochujang and banchan from the Korean Peninsula.
Overall 76 🥟Chinese cuisine
Eight great traditions, one wok logic: soy, rice, wheat and the regional map behind "Chinese food".
Overall 80 🍲Vietnamese cuisine
Herbs, nuoc mam and a French-colonial overlay: pho, banh mi and the regional split from Hanoi to the Mekong.
Overall 68 🌶️Thai cuisine
Hot, sour, salty, sweet: nam prik, fish sauce and the regional map from Bangkok street to Isan grilled chicken.
Overall 77