The basic composition of Japanese cuisine.

I teach Japanese cooking. This is today's menu for my cooking workshop.

豚肉と大根の煮物. Simmered pork and daikon.
ほうれん草の白和え. Spinach dressed with tofu.
茄子の即席漬. Pickled eggplant.
椎茸ご飯. Shiitake rice
えのきとじゃがいもの味噌汁. Potato and enoki miso soup

This layout of menu is so called Ichiju-sansai style.

Nowadays most people in the world, they reminds Japanese foods like Sushi, ramen, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, teppanyaki, etc... However in Japan, those foods are mostly for dining out or snack, and teppannyaki restaurant is not common. 'ichiju-sansai' is the traditional daily meal patterns in Japanese cooking more than sushi.

Ichiju-sansai (一汁三菜)

Ichiju-sansai literally means 'one soup and three dishes'. Contents of three dishes are 'one main dish + two side dishes'. Ichiju-sansai is the basic composition of Japanese daily meal patterns.

Ichiju-issai (一汁一菜)

Ichiju-issai literally means 'one soup and one dish'. This simple composition is based on the policy of Zen Buddhism. The word ichiju-issai was used to mean 'a simple meal' (also called Soshoku) comprising only one dish.

There are many compositions. A menu might have one soup and three side dishes, one soup and five side dishes, two soups and five side dishes, two soups and seven side dishes, three soups and five side dishes, three soups and seven side dishes, or three soups and eleven side dishes, etc...

You don't have to remember all compositions. However it's better to remember 'ichiju-sansai' and 'ichiju-issai' if you want to prepare the meal in authentic Japanese style.