Saurel pike/Aji from Suruga Bay, Shizuoka Prefecture (Photo: Robert-Gilles Martineau)

(Writer: Robert-Gilles Martineau)

Very few people will disagree with the notion that Japan is the ideal place to discover and savor sushi and sashimi. Nevertheless, there are a few rules of thumb to follow even in this gastronomic paradise.

The overriding rule is that you should try and eat only locally caught fish and / or seafood; a rule that may apply to food in general the world over but one of vital importance to get the best out of your dining experiences when in Japan regardless of where you travel.

Tsukiji might be considered a sushi paradise by Tokyoites, but the cheap prices enjoyed by tourists cannot conceal the reality: the fish and seafood are “imported” from all over Japan and beyond - much of the tuna coming from as far away as the Atlantic Ocean, where it could have been caught up to a year earlier!

If you have the chance, and time, to explore Japan beyond Tokyo and the confines of the capital or Kanto region, you will undoubtedly discover an unfathomable treasure trove of wide-ranging gastronomic pleasure and knowledge.

After all, this country is a vast archipelago stretched across greatly differing seas and climates, making for a diversity difficult to equal.