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While Japanese sushi started out hundreds of years ago as a way to preserve fish, in its current form, it is now commonplace in many countries.

As most visitors to Japan nevertheless want to sample the different fish found here, we've compiled a list of the 28 most common (and must-try!) types of sushi toppings you can find in Japan!

These days, Japanese sushi comes in many forms, from conical temaki rolls to cylindrical makizushi rolls. Some styles will even feature fish on the outside of a roll.

One of the more popular sushi forms found in Japan is the nigiri, which is a simple pressed rectangle of rice (shari) topped with a piece of fish or another ingredient (neta).

This style of sushi can be found practically everywhere in Japan, from humble convenience store bento boxes to upscale sushi restaurants.

Meaning "melt" in Japanese, the toro cut of a fish refers to the soft, fatty belly section and tends to be prized in sushi restaurants everywhere.

Fatty and rich in flavor, served raw or slightly grilled, this cut of salmon has an extremely tender texture.

Although it didn't start out as a traditional sushi topping, salmon is currently one of the most popular options. Even if you aren't ordinarily a lover of fish, salmon is a perfect beginner step. It's loved for its mild, creamy flavor, medium-body softness, and the perfect harmony of flavor it has with the flavor of rice, soy sauce and wasabi.

Tuna - and bluefin in particular - are a rather large type of fish, growing up to 3 meters (just over 9 feet). As a result, the texture and flavor varies greatly depending on where on the body the cut of fish is taken from.

Deep reddish-purple in color, the akami cut is quite lean, leading to a clean and slightly meaty flavor. Akami usually comes plain, but is also often served zuke-maguro style, where is it pickled in soy sauce or a mixture of condiments.

Taken from the tuna's belly area toward the center and rear of the fish, this prized cut is a mixture of akami and the rich, fatty o-toro. It is soft and rich due to the high fat content.

O-toro is taken from the front of the belly, the extra-fatty part of the tuna, and has marbled appearance. It is perhaps one of the most highly prized cuts. The buttery flavor and delicate texture makes it a popular nigiri topping.

Although often served as-is, it can also be served aburi-style, where a short burst from a blowtorch gives it a slightly smokey taste and extra meatiness.

6. Shime-saba (marinated mackerel)

Saba is one of the most commonly eaten fish in Japan, as it is abundant, cheap and has high levels of omega 3 fatty acids. As it ages quickly after being caught, when used for sushi saba is pickled in a mixture of salt and vinegar to preserve it, while retaining a raw-like flavor. As a result its flavor can somewhat resemble a fresh ocean breeze.

7. Sawara (Spanish mackerel)

Photo by: Takao Kun on Flickr

Regarded as the top-end of the mackerel available in Japan, sawara has a pinkish-white coloring and is opaque in appearance. It has a meaty but light flavor to it. While it typically arrives served plain, it can also be lightly grilled to enhance its succulence, or sprinkled with the smallest pinch of salt to balance its richness.

Whereas other varieties of mackerel tend to have a more distinct (and sometimes stronger) flavor to them, aji by comparison is fairly mild and even slightly sweet. It can be served raw or slightly cured in salt and vinegar. Often it will be served topped with ginger and negi, or a drop of citrus juice.

Sardines tend to have a reputation for being more of a saltier, pungent fish, though this impression often comes from the canned version. Served raw and very fresh, sardines can have a lightly sweet, oily flavor. They are considered quite healthy and delicious, and are often served with a dab of ginger and negi to balance their natural oiliness.

Certain fish are served seasonally, and sanma are an autumn specialty. They have a stronger oceany flavor and can be eaten raw or aburi-style, with the oils in the meat making it extra succulent when braised.

11. Kampachi (yellowtail)

As with different meats (lamb vs. mutton), some types of fish are known by a different word to differentiate age. When a yellowtail reaches mid-maturity, it is called kampachi. They are caught along the coast of Central and South Honshu, coming into season from early summer to autumn. When sliced for sushi, kampachi have an elegant cream color with a pink edge. The fish has a clean, mild and slightly sweet flavor, and is usually served as-is.

Adult versions of the yellowtail fish are known as buri, and along with kampachi it is regarded as a luxury fish. Buri has a dense, creamy flavor, and the peak time to eat it in season is from December to February, as it accumulates fat for the winter.

One of the earliest popular toppings for sushi, katsuo has been eaten this way since the Edo era. Generally regarded as a bold, meaty-tasting fish with dark red-purple colored flesh, katsuo has a leaner flavor when eaten during spring, while it is richer and fattier in winter. Often it is topped with negi and ginger to help balance out the deep flavors of the meat. Be sure to try it at least once.

The frilly edge from a flounder's tail fin, engawa is a treat to eat. The meat is thin, with a soft and slightly chewy texture, and has a buttery flavor. Engawa may be served as-is or aburi-style, seasoned with a sprinkle of salt or splash of ponzu (citrus and soy sauce).

Photo by: Jun Seita on Flickr

Together with iwashi, aji and sanma, kohada is another of the shiny silver sushi fish. Traditionally it is served with its dazzling silver skin on display atop the nigiri, with pieces either scored, layered or decoratively woven. With quite a bold taste indeed, kohada is often marinated first in vinegar and salt to balance out its flavor.

Tai is distinguishable by its near-translucent, pinkish-white flesh. It has a delicate, sweet taste; also it is fairly low in fat and high in vitamin B.

Since raw octopus can be surprisingly bland compared to other seafood, often it will be first blanched (quickly plunged in boiling water, then dipped in ice water) when used as a topping. This process draws out the mild sweetness of the tako while imparting a slightly chewy texture.

A section of cuttlefish legs, geso are served decoratively draped over the shari sushi rice. They have a delicate flavor, slightly chewy texture. Generally they come raw but are also served grilled and splashed with a little citrus or ponzu dressing.

Now while there are several types of squid in Japan, one of the most popular is surume ika. This is nearly always served on top of rice, scored lengthways, crossways or cross-hatched. Sometimes a shiso leaf will be placed between the ika and rice, as its aromatic flavor goes well with the soft, sweet squid.

Scallops are a common favorite sushi topping. They have an extremely smooth, glossy flesh with a gentle and slightly sweet flavor. To prepare scallops for nigiri, the round flesh is sliced across the center to butterfly it, then pressed onto the shari. The sweetness of the scallop works well with a little citrus.

Regarded as one of Japan's three major delicacies, uni is prized for its buttery, oceanic flavor and creamy texture. Generally uni is bright orange in color. Uni nigiri may be topped with a dab of wasabi, as the bold sharpness compliments the rich sweetness of the meat.

22. Unagi (freshwater eel)

is prized for is bold, rich taste. Although it can be served raw, is typically grilled and basted with a sweet soy-based tare sauce.

Anago is quite similar to in flavor, however it has a softness and brightness to its taste. The texture is fluffy, and fillets are usually also brushed with tare sauce before serving.

24. Kazunoko (herring roe)

Kazunoko is herring roe that has been sun-dried or pickled in salt, a process which lends to its crunchy mouthfeel and sharp flavor. Often it is served fastened to the rice with a strip of nori.

Hokkigai is very distinct and attractive in appearance, with a slightly rippled, fin-shaped form and pink color gradient. Its flavor is elegant and mild with a slight chewiness, making it a nigiri favorite.

One of the ubiquitous sushi toppings, ebi come in many different varieties. The most popular are the large, fleshy and striped kuruma-ebi; the small, sweet and translucent ama-ebi; and the plump and sought-after botan-ebi. These are usually served peeled, with the tail left on.

A non-traditional but nevertheless quite popular topping for nigiri: wagyu beef. Famous around the world for its fatty marbling, which imparts a rich, sweet and savory flavor, when wagyu is served as a sushi topping it may also come raw or aburi style. (Note that wagyu sushi is typically found more in beef restaurants as opposed to sushi restaurants.)

Often translated as "Japanese rolled omelettes" in English, it can be difficult for some to imagine egg atop rice! Made with eggs beaten together with dashi, soy sauce and mirin and then gently cooked as an omelette, their umami and mild sweetness make tamagoyaki a popular end to a fine sushi meal.

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28 Best Types of Sushi You Have to Try When Visiting Japan | LIVE JAPAN travel guide

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While Japanese sushi started out hundreds of years ago as a way to preserve fish, in its current form, it is now commonplace in many countries. As most visitors to Japan nevertheless want to sample the different fish found here, we've compiled a list of the 28 most common (and must-try!)

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The animal had apparently been struck by a car. At first blush it looked like a raccoon, including the masked face. But it was a bit different, with skinnier legs and no stripe on the tail, and had some traits of a fox or dog.

It took a while before Department of Natural Resources biologists figured out exactly what it was - an Asian raccoon dog, also called a Finn-raccoon or tanuki - and they weren't happy about the discovery.

Prized in Russia for their thick pelts, the critter is native to Siberia, Manchuria, Japan and other areas of Asia, but also has been transported and released all over, spreading in the wild across most of Europe, causing big problems for native species. Imagine an all-new mammal in the Northland - with an insatiable appetite, that can breed like rabbits - suddenly multiplying.

Raccoon dogs feed on eggs from bird nests, fish, rodents and small birds and animals as well as crops and nuts like acorns. And while they may look like svelte raccoons, they aren't closely related. They are a canine, of the dog family, and will eat just about anything they can, much like a bear. Moreover, they are a human health threat because an unusually high number of the species carry rabies.

"At first nobody knew how it got here or where it came from. We also didn't know how many more were out there," said Bill Berg, a now-retired DNR wildlife biologist who worked on the case 38 years ago. "This is one more of those things that, had we not got a handle on it, would have been an absolute disaster for Minnesota wildlife."

Alderson snooped around, as good cops do, and found a local fur farmer who indeed had purchased several raccoon dogs from a breeder in Wisconsin. Unbeknownst to any state officials, the fur farmer had imported some of the raccoon dogs to raise for their pelts and to sell breeding stock to other fur farmers.

The male raccoon dog had escaped from the fur farm several months before it was found, after a storm damaged the farmer's pens. Wildlife experts say it likely would have survived in the north woods just fine. Had more of the critters escaped, northern Minnesota's ecosystem may have been altered forever.

"He made it through one pretty severe winter on his own already. He was in good shape when he got hit," said Ed Boggess, retired chief of Fish and Wildlife for the Minnesota DNR.

Moreover, raccoon dogs multiply fast, with large litters each year. They reach sexual maturity at just 9-11 months and can have anywhere from five to 10 pups, although some litters have been as large as 19. In Latvia, where 100 raccoon dogs were released into the wild in 1948, their numbers exploded to over 10,000 by 1963, out of control and beyond eradicating.

"It was spreading in Europe already ... And (where) it was originally from is about the same latitude as Minnesota," Boggess said. "We had to assume it would have thrived here, so (we) knew we had to do something and do it pretty fast."

Boggess started his job as manager of the DNR's furbearer program in April 1982, just as the raccoon dog crisis was heating up. For whatever reason, the story never found its way to the public eye and there have never been any Minnesota media reports on the issue. (There is no written record of most details remaining in Minnesota DNR files, only the memory of the wildlife managers involved. Some details on the Minnesota situation were recorded on paper by the Illinois DNR to help fill in the blanks.)

If not for some fast action by wildlife agencies, raccoon dogs otherwise may have joined the growing list of foreign invaders that are doing harm here - everything from zebra mussels and emerald ash borer to Asian carp. Raccoon dogs likely would have competed directly with real raccoons, gray and red fox and other native critters. They were feared to be especially hard on nesting waterfowl because raccoon dogs spend much of their time near water.

"This is one more of those things that, had we not got a handle on it, would have been an absolute disaster for Minnesota wildlife."

At about the same time Minnesota was dealing with the issue, Canadian wildlife officials moved in 1981 to ban importation and possession of raccoon dogs there, tracking down several fur farmers in Ontario and paying them more than $115,000 to hand over animals they already had on hand.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also moved to classify raccoon dogs as federally injurious animals, making them illegal to import or possess. That rule took effect Jan. 17, 1983. On April 12, 1983, Minnesota DNR Commissioner Joe Alexander also signed a state commissioners order making them illegal to import and possess in Minnesota.

But no one knew how many of the animals were already here, either in pens or on the loose. In Illinois, state wildlife officials tracked down multiple breeders and paid $78,000 for 151 raccoon dogs that were immediately destroyed.

In Minnesota, Boggess, Berg and other wildlife officials eventually determined that there was only one fur farmer, located on Jackson Road in Solway Township, just north of Cloquet, who was raising raccoon dogs. In 1983, Boggess rounded up $15,000 from the DNR wildlife budget and offered to pay the owner to take control of 17 raccoon dogs on his property.

The owner agreed.

"We got the rules, federal and state, in place to stop any more from coming in ... But our fear was we'd have more escape that were already here. We had to deal with those, too," Boggess said.

Most of the raccoon dogs on the Cloquet fur farm were euthanized and a few were given to zoos in Apple Valley and Duluth, but only after they had been surgically sterilized, just in case they managed another escape.

"This is one of those potential ecological calamities for north woods wildlife that was narrowly averted," Boggess said. "And that no one (outside the DNR) ever realized had been prevented."

Until now.

About raccoon dogs

Length: 18-28 inches

Weight: 8-15 pounds

Habitat: Dense forests, close to water

Species: Despite their masked appearance, raccoon dogs aren't related to raccoons. They belong to the canidae family, alongside wolves and foxes. There are five subspecies of raccoon dogs that are native to eastern Asia but which have been moved and released and are now feral across Europe as well.

Hibernation: They are mostly nocturnal and, like bears, spend part of the winter hibernating - the only member of the dog family to do so.

Masked bandits: In May 2019, a pair of raccoon dogs were reported to be "terrorizing" a village in the United Kingdom after they escaped from a nearby enclosure. Several stories came out of Nottinghamshire of a goat and pony attacked and a dog walker spooked. The invading raccoon dogs were eventually chased off by people wielding big pieces of wood.

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Untold story: That time when Asian raccoon dogs nearly invaded Minnesota | Duluth News Tribune

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The animal had apparently been struck by a car. At first blush it looked like a raccoon, including the masked face. But it was a bit different, with skinnier legs and no stripe on the tail, and had some traits of a fox or dog.

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