Here's What A Common Breakfast Looks Like In Japan

It's very common to be too busy to eat a filling breakfast after you wake up for the day. You might only have time to grab a quick bowl of cereal, granola bar, or a cup of hot coffee to carry you through the morning. Traditional Japanese breakfasts might seem like a lot if that's all you're used to, considering it involves a full spread of different food groups and side dishes. This ensures enough nutrients are present in your meal to provide your body with the energy it needs to take on whatever your day has in store for you.

"The Japanese have always placed great importance on food," describes Just One Cookbook. "Drawing on the eastern philosophy that our bodies rise together with the sun, we should start the first meal of our day with foods that are nutritionally well-rounded." 

Balance is the key; hearty breakfasts in Japan are based on the "ichiju sansai" principle, which literally translates to "one soup three dishes". Each food group is important in its own deliciously savory way, creating an enriching, vitamin-packed meal that can't be beat.

The components of a common Japanese breakfast include grilled salmon or mackerel, a bowl of miso soup, pickled veggies, seaweed, an egg dish, and steamed rice, per CNN Travel. Your meal will typically feature tamagoyaki as the egg dish, which presents the eggs in the form of a rolled sweet omelet that is delightfully fluffy, rectangular, and made with a sprinkling of miso or dashi. It takes all of five minutes to create this heavenly layered pillow of eggs, but a seasoned fried egg can also a great option if you'd like to stick with the basics.

Plain rice is a common staple of any Japanese meal, and for breakfast, the dish provides your body with its main source of fuel for the day in the form of carbs. With the addition of protein found in the eggs and fish, along with the tangy pickled vegetables as a fibrous flavor accent, you've got yourself a healthy and filling breakfast when the sun rises in Japan. You can experiment with different flavor combinations and try making this enticing meal at home, which will no doubt give your body and mind the morning boost you've been needing.