Compiled and annotated by an authority on Japanese food who has lived in Japan since 1973, this dictionary aims to eliminate the mystery, explain the nuances and reveal the wonders of Japanese food. For each entry in the Japanese-English section, Hosking lists the Japanese term in kana or kanji or both, a Latin name where appropriate, an English name, and a detailed English definition. The English-Japanese section defines common non-Japanese food items in Japanese and annotates those which need explanation. The book also contains 17 appendices on topics such as mountain vegetables, cooking utensils, vegetarianism, tofu, miso, sake, and soy sauce.