Traditionally French and Japanese cuisine otherwise do not have much in common. However, the French nouvelle cuisine had, knowingly or unknowingly, adopted quite a bit of the Japanese philosophy of food preparation, as for example the great importance put on the freshness of ingredients and exercising restraint in cooking to avoid overcooking. Whereas the most peculiar way of serving fish is raw, the most peculiar preparation of shrimp and squid is to dip them in flour and then deep-fry them. This way of preparation is called tempura . Vegetables are also commonly cooked tempura style.
Meat plays less of a role in traditional Japanese cuisine than in any other cuisine of the world.
Actually in classical Japan it was barely considered fit for human consumption and rarely eaten. But as Japan has hesitatingly let in outside influence, meat is much more common now than in the past. The most famous Japanese meat is Kobe beef . To raise beef in Kobe tradition means to pamper it, to administer massages to the living beef, and to feed it on an special diet including beer to keep the animal constantly relaxed and lazy. It thus is no surprise that Kobe beef is really expensive.