Sashimi Rice Bowl（sashimi donburi）

Sashimi Rice Bowl is called ” kaisen-don ” in Japanese. If you’re interested, please read this article for an explanation about ” don “ .

Kaisen-don is a type of “donburi” dish where slices of raw fish (sashimi) are served on top of white rice. In Japan, there is a culture of eating raw fish in the form of sashimi. While those unfamiliar with raw fish might feel hesitant at first, in Japan, there’s no need to worry about freshness or food safety concerns.

The types of sashimi atop the rice vary depending on the restaurant and season. Common varieties include tuna, salmon roe, yellowtail, bonito, sweet shrimp, octopus, squid, sea bream, among others. In upscale establishments, you might also find delicacies like fatty tuna, crab, and salmon roe. Additionally, there’s usually a bit more wasabi served on the side of the bowl, so be careful not to consume it all at once!

You might wonder how to eat kaisen-don! Here, I’ll explain two methods for enjoying kaisen-don:

When you order kaisen-don, you’ll always receive a small plate called a “soy sauce dish” alongside it, where you pour soy sauce.

▼ Method 1: Dip each piece of fish in soy sauce

• Pour soy sauce into the soy sauce dish.
• Dip one piece of sashimi into the soy sauce.
• Place the sashimi back onto the white rice.
• Add a small amount of wasabi on top of the sashimi.
• Eat the white rice, sashimi, and wasabi together.

▼ Method 2: Make wasabi soy sauce and pour it over all the sashimi I often use this method, and it seems to be more common among others as well.

• Pour a bit more soy sauce into the soy sauce dish.
• Dissolve wasabi into the soy sauce to make wasabi soy sauce.
• Pour the wasabi soy sauce over all the sashimi on top of the white rice.
• Eat the sashimi and rice with the wasabi soy sauce.

Note that mixing wasabi with soy sauce is said to diminish its flavor, so another method is to add wasabi directly onto each piece of sashimi after pouring soy sauce over them.

Although “wasabi soy sauce” might be considered improper according to some online sources, even as a Japanese person, I use it in daily life without any issues. While it might be frowned upon in high-end traditional Japanese restaurants, it’s generally acceptable elsewhere, so you don’t need to worry about it in most places!

You can enjoy kaisen-don at supermarkets, seafood izakayas (Japanese pubs), seafood restaurants, and establishments near the sea. It might be difficult to find it at convenience stores, though.

You don’t have to be near the sea to enjoy kaisen-don; it’s available all over Japan. In areas close to the sea, there are likely many restaurants offering it!

As of April 2024, the price range for kaisen-don is typically around 1,500 to 3,000 yen. In places catering to foreign tourists, prices can go up to around 10,000 yen.

Next time you travel near the sea, why not try searching for kaisen-don!