Sushi has ginger.

Curry has fukujinzuke.

A traditional Japanese breakfast might have a few slices of pickled daikon or cucumber.

And beside a simple bowl of rice?

There's often something small, crunchy and colorful.

These are tsukemono (漬物) — Japanese pickles.

They can be salty.

Sweet.

Sour.

Crunchy.

Sometimes fermented.

Sometimes made surprisingly quickly.

And although they usually appear in a tiny dish...

they're a huge part of Japanese food culture.

What Is Tsukemono?

Tsukemono (漬物) is the general Japanese term for foods preserved or pickled in ingredients such as salt, vinegar, rice bran, miso or sake lees.

Pronounced approximately:

tsoo-keh-moh-noh.

The word comes from:

漬ける (tsukeru) = to pickle / soak
物 (mono) = thing

So tsukemono essentially means:

“pickled things.”

And there are a lot of them.

Cucumber.

Daikon.

Eggplant.

Cabbage.

Ginger.

Plums.

Turnips.

If Japan grows it...

there's a decent chance someone has tried pickling it.

Are All Tsukemono Fermented?

No.

This is an important distinction.

Tsukemono is a broad category of Japanese pickled foods, but not every tsukemono is fermented.

Some traditional pickling methods involve fermentation over time.

Others use salt, vinegar or other seasonings to preserve and flavor ingredients without the same fermentation process.

That's why tsukemono shouldn't simply be translated as:

Japanese fermented vegetables.

A better description is:

Japanese pickles.

And within that enormous family, you'll find many different techniques.

Why Are Pickles So Important in Japanese Food?

Before refrigeration, pickling was an important way to preserve seasonal ingredients.

But tsukemono became much more than preservation.

They add contrast to a meal.

Imagine:

🍚 Soft, mild rice
🍲 Warm miso soup
🐟 Savory grilled fish
🥒 Crisp, salty pickles

That little plate of tsukemono wakes everything up.

The color adds something visually.

The crunch changes the texture.

The acidity or saltiness cuts through richer flavors.

It's a small dish doing a surprisingly large amount of work.

Common Types of Tsukemono

There isn't one single way to make Japanese pickles.

Different ingredients and pickling methods create completely different results.

Here are a few you'll commonly encounter.

Shiozuke (塩漬け)

Let's start with one of the simplest.

Shiozuke (塩漬け) means food pickled with salt.

塩 (shio) = salt
漬け (zuke) = pickled

Salt draws moisture from vegetables while changing their texture and flavor.

Cucumber, cabbage, daikon and other vegetables can all be prepared this way.

Simple ingredients.

Simple technique.

Lots of crunch.

Suzuke (酢漬け)

Suzuke (酢漬け) refers to foods pickled in vinegar.

酢 (su) means vinegar.

The vinegar creates the bright, tangy flavor most English speakers immediately associate with the word pickle.

One familiar example is pickled ginger served with sushi.

Which brings us to...

Gari (ガリ)

Those thin pink or pale slices sitting beside your sushi?

That's gari (ガリ).

Gari is young ginger pickled in sweetened vinegar.

It's crisp, sweet, spicy and refreshing.

Traditionally, you eat gari between different pieces of sushi to refresh your palate.

So it's not really there to pile on top of every piece.

Sushi.

Gari.

Next sushi.

Reset complete. 🍣

Nukazuke (ぬか漬け)

Nukazuke is one of the most fascinating forms of Japanese pickling.

Vegetables are buried inside a fermented rice-bran bed called:

nukadoko (ぬか床).

The bed is traditionally cared for and mixed regularly.

Cucumber goes in.

Wait.

Pickle comes out.

Then another vegetable goes in.

The nukadoko stays alive and keeps working.

It's basically a pickle-producing kitchen pet.

Kasuzuke (粕漬け)

Here's another distinctly Japanese pickling method.

Kasuzuke (粕漬け) uses sake kasu (酒粕) — the lees left behind during sake production.

Vegetables and other ingredients can be pickled in this sake by-product, creating distinctive aromas and flavors.

One famous variety is Narazuke (奈良漬), traditionally associated with Nara.

Even the leftovers from making sake found another job.

Japanese fermentation really doesn't like wasting an opportunity.

Misozuke (味噌漬け)

You can probably guess the main ingredient here.

Misozuke (味噌漬け) means foods pickled in miso.

Vegetables can be buried or coated in a miso-based mixture, allowing them to absorb its salty, rich flavor.

And vegetables aren't the only possibility.

Fish, meat and other foods can also be prepared using miso pickling or marinating techniques.

Miso apparently looked at soup and thought:

I can do more.

Fukujinzuke (福神漬)

If you've eaten Japanese curry, you may have already met this one.

Fukujinzuke (福神漬) is a mixture of finely chopped vegetables pickled in a sweet and savory seasoning.

It's commonly served alongside:

🍛 Japanese curry rice

Its bright flavor and crunchy texture contrast beautifully with thick, rich curry.

For many people in Japan, curry and fukujinzuke simply belong together.

Like ketchup and fries.

Except...

much more pickled.

Takuan (たくあん)

Those bright yellow slices you sometimes see beside rice are often takuan (たくあん).

Takuan is a traditional pickle made from daikon radish.

Depending on how it's produced, the daikon may be dried before pickling, creating its characteristic texture and concentrated flavor.

Takuan is crunchy, salty and slightly sweet.

And because of its distinctive yellow appearance...

it's pretty difficult to miss.

Umeboshi (梅干し)

Then there's one of Japan's most recognizable preserved foods:

umeboshi (梅干し).

Despite often being called a “pickled plum” in English, ume is actually more closely related botanically to apricots.

Umeboshi is famously:

Salty.

Sour.

And capable of making your entire face react before you've decided whether you like it.

It's often eaten with rice and appears in onigiri and bento.

Tiny fruit.

Enormous personality.

Asazuke (浅漬け)

Not every pickle needs a long wait.

Asazuke (浅漬け) literally refers to lightly or shallowly pickled vegetables.

They're made relatively quickly and tend to retain a fresh, crisp character.

Cucumber, cabbage, daikon and eggplant are common choices.

Asazuke is perfect proof that Japanese pickling doesn't always mean months of fermentation.

Sometimes dinner is soon.

The pickle needs to hurry.

How Is Tsukemono Served?

Tsukemono usually isn't served as a huge portion.

Instead, you may see a few carefully arranged pieces alongside:

🍚 Rice
🍲 Miso soup
🐟 Grilled fish
🍛 Curry
🍱 Bento
🍵 Traditional meals

They're also sometimes enjoyed with tea or drinks.

Their role is often about contrast.

A bite of rice.

Something savory.

Then:

crunch.

That small change in flavor and texture can make the whole meal more interesting.

Why Are There So Many Types of Tsukemono?

Japan has strong regional and seasonal food traditions.

Different areas developed pickling methods based on:

Local vegetables

Climate

Available ingredients

Preservation needs

Regional tastes

That means traveling through Japan can also mean discovering local pickles.

Kyoto is especially famous for its Kyō-tsukemono (京漬物), while other regions have their own specialties.

A pickle can tell you something about where it came from.

Tsukemono vs. Nukazuke: What’s the Difference?

This is easy once you know the terminology.

Tsukemono (漬物) is the big category.

Nukazuke (ぬか漬け) is one member of that category.

Think:

Tsukemono = Japanese pickles

Nukazuke = Japanese pickles made using a fermented rice-bran bed

So all nukazuke are tsukemono.

But not all tsukemono are nukazuke.

Tsukemono at a Glance

Type	Japanese	How It's Pickled	Common Example
Shiozuke	塩漬け	Salt	Cucumber, cabbage
Suzuke	酢漬け	Vinegar	Pickled ginger
Nukazuke	ぬか漬け	Fermented rice bran	Cucumber, eggplant
Kasuzuke	粕漬け	Sake lees	Narazuke
Misozuke	味噌漬け	Miso	Vegetables, daikon
Asazuke	浅漬け	Light/short pickling	Cucumber, cabbage
Takuan	たくあん	Pickled daikon	Daikon radish
Fukujinzuke	福神漬	Sweet-savory pickling liquid	Mixed vegetables

 

Fun Facts About Tsukemono

• Tsukemono (漬物) means Japanese pickled foods.
• Tsukemono can be made from many vegetables, including cucumber, daikon, eggplant and cabbage.
• Not every tsukemono is fermented.
• Nukazuke uses a fermented rice-bran bed called nukadoko.
• Gari is the pickled ginger commonly served with sushi.
• Fukujinzuke is a classic accompaniment to Japanese curry.
• Takuan is made from daikon radish.
• Kasuzuke uses sake lees in the pickling process.
• Asazuke is a quick, lightly pickled style.
• Different regions of Japan have their own local tsukemono traditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is tsukemono?

Tsukemono (漬物) is the broad Japanese term for pickled foods. Vegetables and other ingredients can be preserved and flavored using salt, vinegar, rice bran, miso, sake lees and other pickling methods.

How do you pronounce tsukemono?

Approximately:

tsoo-keh-moh-noh.

Are Japanese pickles fermented?

Some are, but not all. Nukazuke, for example, involves fermentation in a rice-bran bed, while other tsukemono may be prepared using vinegar, salt or quick-pickling methods.

What is the yellow Japanese pickle?

It's often takuan, a traditional pickle made from daikon radish.

What are the red pickles served with Japanese curry?

They're often fukujinzuke, a sweet-savory mixture of pickled vegetables commonly served with Japanese curry.

What is the ginger served with sushi?

It's called gari, young ginger pickled in sweetened vinegar. It's traditionally eaten between different pieces of sushi as a palate cleanser.

Is nukazuke the same as tsukemono?

Nukazuke is one type of tsukemono. It specifically refers to foods pickled in a fermented rice-bran bed called nukadoko.

🇯🇵 Keep Discovering Japan

If you enjoyed discovering tsukemono, learn more about nukazuke (ぬか漬け), Japan's traditional fermented pickles made in a living rice-bran bed.

 

👋 Meet a JapPop Resident

Umbra

梅雨

A calm little friend who dances through Japan's rainy season. ☔

Umbra may love rainy days, but there's something else hiding in her design.

She's inspired by umeboshi (梅干し) — Japan's famously salty and sour pickled ume.

Small, wrinkly and impossible to ignore, umeboshi has been a familiar companion to rice, onigiri and bento for generations.

Umbra, however, is much sweeter than she looks.

Thankfully, only her personality. 😌

👉 Meet Umbra and discover more residents from the JapPop Universe.

🇯🇵 About JapPop

At JapPop, we celebrate Japanese culture through playful illustrations, original characters, and stories inspired by everyday life in Japan.

From beloved foods and traditional festivals to folklore, historical figures, seasonal customs, lucky gods, and language, every article introduces another piece of Japan—and another story worth discovering.

Sometimes Japanese culture is hidden in an ancient tradition.

Sometimes it's sitting beside your sushi.

And sometimes...

it's the tiny plate of pickles you almost forgot to notice. 🥒

Discover Japan, one story at a time. 🇯🇵✨