Japanese Swimming Macaques, Snow Monkeys

The historically primary ingredient of Japanese cuisine has been Japanese rice. In the early modern era ingredients were introduced that had previously never been widely used in Japan, particularly red meats. Japanese cuisine offers a vast array of regional specialties, known as kyōdo ryōri (郷土料理), many of them originating from dishes prepared using traditional recipes with local ingredients. The Michelin Guide has awarded Japanese cities more Michelin stars than the rest of the world combined.
Sports
Traditionally, sumo is considered Japan's national sport. Japanese martial arts such as judo, karate and kendo are also widely practiced and enjoyed by spectators in the country. After the Meiji Restoration, many Western sports were introduced in Japan and began to spread through the education system. Japan hosted the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964. Japan has hosted the Winter Olympics twice: Nagano in 1998 and Sapporo in 1972.