A very popular beverage in Japan that's commonly served in restaurants and homes. Green tea is made from leaves that are not fermented before being dried and is rich in fluoride and antioxidants, also making it a healthy and beneficial drink. It gets it's greenish color due of the minimal oxidation during processing of the tea leaves and it tends to be lighter in flavor with a fresh or rich leafy taste. There are various types of green tea leaves that are graded by the quality and parts of the plant and how they are processed, but they all are very aromatic and delicious with a rich flavor of fresh leaves. The highest quality green tea is called gyokuro while there are other kinds called sencha, made from tender leaves of the tea plant, and bancha, which is usually made by roasting older leaves and twigs. Green tea has been featured in Card Captor Sakura, Tenjou Tenge, and Rurouni Kenshin just to name a few.

There is also another kind of green tea called matcha, which is finely grounded gyokuro leaves into powder that makes a thicker brew, but richer in nutrients. This kind of tea is made by whisking the powder and water in a matcha bowl with a bamboo whisk into a frothy brew, which can be seen done by Suzumi from Ayashi no Ceres in the images above. Matcha can be a good alternative to coffee in the morning (with similar invigorating effects) and make an energizing and delicious beverage before any form of aerobic exercise. Often they may also use this ingredient in many Japanese desserts, such as green tea icecream, which could be seen eaten by L from Death Note below. ^_^

Green Tea is also known to be very beneficial to health. It has many advantages such as reducing the risk of cancer and cholesterol, controlling high blood pressure, lowering blood sugar and slowing the aging process, as well as preventing food poisoning and refreshing the body. Although it's not scientifically proven, scientists recommend about 2-5 cups per day.

Although not originally from Japan, this is a very popular kind of cake that appears frequently in anime shows. They come in many different variations and sizes that usually all consist of a layer of yellow/white/vanilla cake, strawberries, and cream. They can range from strawberry shortcakes to cheesecakes or sponge cakes, but the most popular is the kind where there are sliced strawberries and cream between two layers of yellow cake with white icing/cream on top, decorated with strawberries. But any kind of these are great to have for any occasion, whether for a snack, dessert or picnic, etc. ^_^

Strawberry cake are featured often in many anime series, especially Card Captor Sakura where a whole episode featured a strawberry picking trip where they made all kinds of strawberry cakes. Kero-chan and Yukito just can't say 'no' to strawberry cakes, even if there was a kingdom full of them. XD They also appear a lot in Death Note, since L particularly eats this the most throughout the series. ^_^

Also called 'Japanese Sweet Potato,' the skin is usually dark pink or light burgundy and the flesh has a nice pale golden color. The texture is smooth and slightly sweet and also very nutritious as well. These can also be common ingredients for tempura and steamed rice, and can also be made into candied satsumaimo, which are called daigaku-imo. In Japan, these are commonly eaten grilled or steamed in the autumn and winter months, because they make popular snacks for the cold weather. Not only is satsumaimo a satisfying treat, but it's also rich in vitamins, such as B6, A and C. It's a great source of dietary fiber and potassium, so it can be a simple way to give you energy and nutrients.

You can find these appearing in some shows such as Sailor Moon and Full Moon wo Sagashite where they cook them skewered on a stick outside over a fire in a pile of leaves. As you can see above, Usagi has to blow the steam from the satsumaimo, because it is extremely hot when cooked. To make sure it's done, you can prick the center or ends with a fork just like a regular potato, and if it goes through easily then it's done. You can then peel the skin and enjoy, but be careful not to burn yourself! XD