VOL.214 APRIL 2026
THE APPEAL OF YOSHOKU: JAPANESE-STYLE WESTERN CUISINE (PART 2) Nagasaki — Where Yoshoku Culture Got Started

Toruko (Turkish) rice combines multiple yoshoku on a single plate.

Nagasaki Prefecture was the sole gateway for trade with the West during the bulk of the Edo period, when interaction with foreign countries was restricted (mid-17th to mid-19th century), and was therefore the first region to be exposed to yoshoku, or Japanese-style Western cuisine. We spoke with a public relations officer of Nagasaki Prefecture about the prefecture’s food culture, which played a key role in the formation of yoshoku.

In Japan, the practice of consuming meat is said to have been largely avoided for about 1,200 years, from the late 7th to the late 19th century. However, Western food culture was introduced early — around the late 18th century — in Nagasaki’s Dejima,¹ which was the only overseas trading port in the Edo period. Beef, cheese, and butter were consumed as “medicine” for the sick, believed to aid restoration of physical strength and recovery. A PR officer explains the background to Nagasaki’s major role in the formation of yoshoku.

“Yoshoku traces its origins to the Western food encountered by the Japanese who worked with the Dutch in Dejima. Daimyo (feudal lords) and scholars brought home the recipes and spread them to various regions through journals of their personal observations and other written accounts, giving rise to yoshoku culture.”

In 1863, KUSANO Jokichi, who worked as a chef to Dutch traders and the consul general, opened Japan’s first Western-style restaurant, Ryorintei,² which is said to have served full-course meals including chicken soup, sautéed beef and pork, steamed vegetables, and bread. At the time, Nagasaki already had several restaurants serving Western-style dishes, but Ryorintei is said to have been the first that specialized in such dishes. Later, the restaurant expanded into the Kansai area and subsequently spread Western cuisine throughout Japan. In this way, Western cuisine was integrated into the daily lives of Nagasaki residents earlier than in other regions of Japan, and developed uniquely as a local food culture.

One typical Nagasaki’s yoshoku is Toruko (Turkish) rice. There are various theories about the origin of the name. One is that it comes from the Japanese pronunciation of “toricolore” (the French word for “tricolor”), reflecting its three distinct components: pilaf, spaghetti, and tonkatsu (a deep-fried pork cutlet). Another is that the yellow rice cooked with saffron resembles a Turkish pilaf—called “pilav” in Turkish—known in Japanese as “toruko.” Many restaurants in Nagasaki city offer it.

“Its main trait is having several yoshoku dishes, such as tonkatsu, pilaf, and spaghetti on one plate. There is no fixed combination, and each restaurant has its own unique arrangement. Toruko rice is popular as a type of local yoshoku symbolizing Nagasaki’s open and cosmopolitan history.”

CIR³ (Coordinator for International Relations) working at the Nagasaki prefectural office also say, “It is fun to be able to taste pasta, rice, and meat all at once,” and “It has a simple and easy-to-like taste.”

Sasebo City, in the northern part of Nagasaki Prefecture, is the birthplace of the Sasebo Burger. Around 1950, Americans stationed at a Sasebo US Naval base began sharing the recipe with the locals. Known for their large size, Sasebo Burgers are now offered at more than 25 restaurants in the city, each with its own unique recipe. The city issues a certificate of “Sasebo Burger” to restaurants that meet certain requirements, such as handmade, made-to-order, using local ingredients, and operating a restaurant or production facility within Sasebo City.

Bread culture also took root early, and there are many sandwich shops in Sasebo that have long been popular with the locals, making sandwiches a staple of everyday yoshoku. Many sandwich shops use simple ingredients such as lettuce, ham, tomato, and cucumber, seasoned with their own original sweet and rich mayonnaise.

Also originating in Sasebo City in 1955 is the “Lemon Steak.” This local yoshoku dish adapts American-style steak to Japanese tastes by using thinly sliced beef and topping it with a Japanese-style sauce flavored with lemon just before serving, resulting in a light, refreshing taste. The PR officer adds, “The locals enjoy mixing the remaining sauce with rice, making the most of every last drop.”

In these ways, Nagasaki’s yoshoku has uniquely evolved by incorporating foreign influences, while adapting to Japanese tastes, reflecting the city’s historical role as Japan’s sole gateway for trade with the West. These distinctive dishes rooted in this history continue to be cherished by many people today.

• 1. A fan-shaped artificial island built in Nagasaki in 1636. The only gateway where trade with the West was carried out during Japan’s time of isolation in the Edo period (mid-17th to mid-19th century). 
• 2. After opening, its name was changed to Jiyutei (自遊亭), and in 1865 it was changed again using a different kanji character for the “yu” part (自由亭). Currently, it is being relocated to Glover Garden, where Nagasaki’s traditional buildings are concentrated, under the name Kyu-Jiyutei (“Old Jiyutei”).
• 3. This position is part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, which is implemented by local governments with the cooperation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Participants are foreign nationals who engage in international exchange activities at local governments and related organizations.

By TANAKA Nozomi
Photo: Nagasaki Prefecture Tourism Association; PIXTA