A Basic Guide to Japanese Pickles

The practice of preserving vegetables in salt dates back at least to Japan’s Nara period (奈良時代, 8th century), though pickling almost certainly predates written records. In a society where rice has long been the dietary foundation, tsukemono served several essential purposes: they extended the life of seasonal vegetables, supplied micronutrients during lean months, and aided digestion.

For much of Japanese history, meat consumption was limited—partly due to Buddhist influence—so preserved vegetables played an even larger role in providing flavor and variety. Over time, pickling techniques diversified. Simple salt pickling came first, followed by the development of rice-bran fermentation beds, then methods using sake lees, miso, and soy sauce as those ingredients became widely available.

Each region refined its own styles based on climate, local vegetables, and agricultural byproducts. The result is not one tradition but many, loosely grouped under the single word tsukemono.

What Tsukemono “Do” in a Meal

In an ordinary Japanese home, tsukemono typically appear alongside rice and miso soup as part of a complete meal. They are not garnish and not an afterthought. They are structural.

Tsukemono provide:

They are eaten in small portions, often just a few bites at a time. Many Japanese people consider a meal incomplete without them.

The range is wide. Some tsukemono are ready in hours, others take months or years. Some are crisp and bright; others are pungent, earthy, or deeply savory. You will find them everywhere: convenience stores, train station gift shops, traditional pickle specialists, and homes where rice-bran beds are tended daily, sometimes for generations.

The Main Types of Tsukemono

Tsukemono are most usefully classified by method, not by ingredient. The same vegetable can appear in several styles.

Shiozuke (塩漬け)

Salt pickles made by packing vegetables with salt and applying pressure. The vegetables release their own liquid, creating a natural brine. Cabbage, cucumber, turnips, and leafy greens are common. Lightly salted versions can be ready overnight; stronger versions may age for months. The simplicity keeps the vegetable’s character front and center.

Nukazuke (糠漬け)

Pickles fermented in a nukadoko (糠床), a living bed of roasted rice bran, salt, and water. The bed supports lactic-acid bacteria and must be mixed regularly. Common vegetables include cucumber, eggplant, daikon, and carrots. Nukazuke have a distinctive earthy, slightly yeasty aroma that people often learn to appreciate over time. Nukadoko are frequently maintained for years and passed between family members.

Kasuzuke (粕漬け)

Pickles made using sake kasu (酒粕), the lees left from sake brewing. Vegetables are buried in the paste and aged for weeks or months. The result is subtly sweet, aromatic, and rich in umami. Fish can also be preserved this way. Nara Prefecture is particularly associated with this method.

Shōyuzuke (醤油漬け) and Misozuke (味噌漬け)

Vegetables pickled in soy sauce or miso. Shōyuzuke tend to be dark, salty, and intensely savory; misozuke are sweeter and rounder. Garlic, ginger, cucumber, and daikon are commonly used.

Suzuke (酢漬け)

Vinegar pickles. These are often the most familiar to Western palates. Gari (ガリ), the pickled ginger served with sushi, is one example, but suzuke also include turnips, myōga (みょうが, ginger shoots), and mixed vegetables in sweet-sour brines.

Regional Distinctions

Many tsukemono are closely associated with specific regions. Suguki (すぐき), a sour winter pickle from Kyoto made with a local turnip variety, is one well-known example. Northern regions such as Tōhoku are known for pickled mountain vegetables. Takuan (沢庵), the bright yellow pickled daikon seen nationwide, originated in the south; its color traditionally came from turmeric, though modern versions often use coloring. In Hokkaidō, fish such as salmon or herring are sometimes pickled alongside vegetables.

In modern Japan, these distinctions matter less in daily life, but regional pickle shops still take pride in their local styles.

Getting Started

For newcomers, the best place to begin is with something simple. A basic cucumber shiozuke demonstrates the core appeal of tsukemono: how salt, pressure, and time transform texture and concentrate flavor. From there, you might explore the earthy complexity of nukazuke or the gentle sweetness of kasuzuke.

Not every pickle will appeal to every person, and that is part of the point. Tsukemono are varied by design. Even longtime residents of Japan continue to encounter new ones.