It's a Japanese spice mix. I've yet to find an Asian-style recipe that a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi doesn't work on. I buy mine from Silk Road Spice Merchant (Canada-wide shipping!!). If you don't have any, that's fine too. The base ingredients (garlic, chili crisp, soy sauce) provide enough flavour already, which is why I noted that the toppings are optional.