Madoka Suganuma

Madoka Suganuma is a freelance qualitative market researcher and a cultural insights analyst based in Tokyo with an expertise in Food & Beverages.

Having split her time between Europe and Tokyo in her formative years, Madoka is on a mission to uncover and provide insight into Japanese culture and people. Madoka enjoys learning about different cultures through food and hopes that readers can have fun learning about Japanese food culture through Japanese Food Guide.

A dark ceramic bowl of Tamago Kake Gohan on a blue tablecloth. A perfectly intact raw egg yolk sits on top of the white rice. Soy sauce can't be seen in the dish, although there is a white ceramic soy sauce dispenser to the right. Behind the TKG is a large bowl of uncracked eggs and to the left we can see a small bowl with the egg shell from the egg that's already in the dish.

Tamago Kake Gohan (TKG): Japan’s Simple Raw Egg Breakfast & How to Eat It

Tamago Kake Gohan (TKG) or raw egg over rice is a popular breakfast dish in Japan, and there are a surprising amount of ways to eat it.

A young Japanese woman wearing a red yukata and a large pink flower accessory in her hair receives a plastic bag containing her okonomiyaki order from a stall vendor at a Japanese summer festival. It is already evening and her male companion can be seen next to her also wearing traditional Japanese summer festival garb.

9 Delicious Treats to Try at Japanese Summer Festivals

Japanese summer festivals provide a fantastic opportunity to try some classic Japanese summer treats as well as all-year-round festival favorites.

Spicy Japanese condiments: A small white dish with an orange and brown rooster on the front filled with deep red rayu oil. Lots of chopped red chilis can be seen in the oil and are piled up in the center making a peak above the oil. The bowl sits on a natural wooden tabletop.

7 Spicy Japanese Condiments to Add Heat to Your Next Meal

Introducing you to seven spicy Japanese condiments that will have you re-evaluating the assumption that Japanese cuisine lacks a hot punch.

A chunk of firm tofu with two slices cut off on a wooden board. The indentation of the muslin cloth used to strain the tofu can be seen on its surface. A knife is resting to the left of the tofu and some chopped up coriander (cilantro) to the right.

A Guide to the Different Types of Tofu in Japanese Cuisine

What is tofu and what are the different types of tofu used in Japanese cuisine? We’ll explain what they are and how to use them, as well as how tofu is made.

Edible Seaweed: Five sheets of nori seaweed fanned out in a wooden bowl on a wooden table. In front is a wooden fork and to the right is a natural-fiber placemat.

A Guide to the 8 Most Common Types of Edible Japanese Seaweed

How many types of edible seaweed can you name? Here are the most common Japanese seaweed types, how to prepare them and how they’re eaten.

A hand can be seen gently adding saffron to the top of a steaming bowl of miso ramen.

Guide to Ramen in Japan (Types of Ramen, History, How to Order)

Ramen is a well-known noodle dish, but what is ramen exactly? Learn about the different types of ramen, Japan’s ramen culture and how to order ramen in Japan.