#2 : Why Japanese Meals Don’t Need a Main Dish
When people think of a meal, they often imagine a large main dish surrounded by side dishes. But in traditional Japanese home cooking, things work a little differently.
A Japanese meal doesn’t always revolve around one star on the table. Instead, balance is created through a combination of simple dishes working together.
A bowl of rice.
A nourishing soup.
A few small side dishes.
Sometimes a little fish.
Sometimes eggs.
Sometimes vegetables.
None of them needs to be the “main.”
Together, they create harmony.
This idea comes from the philosophy behind ichiju-sansai—”one soup and three dishes”—a traditional way of composing meals in Japan. The purpose is not perfection, but balance.
At home, meals are often simple. A bowl of tonjiru, tamagoyaki, some greens, and freshly cooked rice can be enough.
There is no pressure to prepare something elaborate every day.
Japanese home cooking teaches us that everyday meals don’t need to be perfect.
They simply need to nourish both body and soul.
Perhaps that’s why the Japanese table feels so comforting.
Not because there is one impressive dish,
but because many small things come together in harmony.
— The Japanese Kitchen Way
