Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life

by Yoshiharu Doi

224 pages, Hardcover

Published January 13, 2026

Reviews

[a_geminireader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books help you slow down, enjoy the cooking, the eating, and the little pauses in between and " Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles" is exactly that kind of gentle companion. I don’t usually read books like this, but maybe that’s why it felt like such a comforting surprise. It doesn’t shout for your attention; it simply invites you into a softer way of living, one bowl of rice and one mindful breath at a time.

This isn’t a cookbook—it’s more like sitting with someone who has mastered the art of simple living and is quietly teaching you how to return to yourself. Through the most humble foods warm rice, miso soup, salty pickles ,the author shows how traditional Japanese meals are actually tiny rituals of care. While reading, I could almost feel the calmness of preparing the same soothing meal again and again, the way repetition becomes reassurance, and how a kitchen can transform into a place of comfort.

What touched me most was how beautifully the book captures the emotional side of food: how a routine can ground you, how small acts can nurture your mind, and how slowing down can make life feel kinder. It’s warm, meditative, and deeply human. This book doesn’t just talk about food ,it teaches you how to live more gently, be more present, and savour the quiet magic hidden inside everyday moments.

[Periplus Bookshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resep hidup Jepang yang sederhana namun bermakna dijabarkan dengan indah dalam buku ini: makan nasi, sup miso, dan acar tidak hanya sebagai unsur masakan tradisional, melainkan sebagai filosofi gaya hidup yang mengutamakan kesederhanaan, kesehatan, dan rasa syukur setiap hari. Penulis mengajak pembaca menghayati konsep washoku—makanan rumahan Jepang yang selaras dengan musim, tubuh, dan lingkungan, serta menekankan pentingnya rutinitas makan yang menenangkan pikiran. Struktur makanan yang tampak biasa—nasi polos, sup miso dengan sayuran musiman, dan acar asin—diperlakukan sebagai pusat keseimbangan fisik dan mental. Buku ini bukan buku resep biasa, melainkan sebuah wawasan budaya dari seorang chef yang dihormati di Jepang, yang mendorong pembacanya untuk menciptakan kehidupan dan dapur yang sederhana tapi penuh makna. Terjemahan ke dalam bahasa Inggris membuka kesempatan bagi pembaca internasional untuk memetik hikmah dari hampir setengah juta eksemplar yang telah terjual di Jepang. Visual-visual dan cerita kecil memperkuat bagaimana persiapan yang konsisten pada hidangan sederhana dapat mendatangkan keteduhan batin serta rasa nyaman di rumah sendiri. Sewaktu Anda menyajikan hidangan-hidangan dasar ini, Anda juga sedang merawat tradisi, tubuh, dan hubungan dengan makanan sebagai bagian dari identitas budaya. Cocok dibaca oleh para pencinta budaya Jepang, peminat gaya hidup minimalis dan mindful living, chef rumahan yang ingin menanamkan makna dalam masakan sehari-hari, serta siapa pun yang sedang mencari jalan menuju hidup yang lebih seimbang, sehat, dan bahagia. https://blog.periplus.com/2025/09/22/...

[_booksagsm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yoshiharu Doi’s Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life reads less like a cookbook and more like a quiet meditation on the everyday rhythms of nourishment. Early chapters such as “One Soup and One Side Dish” and “Food Is Our Daily Life” immediately resonate for anyone who cooks for themselves, especially single readers who know how easily motivation erodes and how quickly cooking can feel like a burden. Doi treats food not as a hobby or performance, but as the scaffolding of daily existence—an idea that feels surprisingly universal. In describing how easily we turn to takeaway and processed snacks when tired or alone, the book highlights a subtle health truth: the effects accumulate slowly, showing up years later in fatigue, hair loss, muscle weakness, and other signs of nutritional neglect. By contrast, the simple structure of rice, miso soup, and pickles becomes symbolic of a philosophy that values mindfulness, seasonality, and bodily respect. Later themes—such as comfort foods in “Things We Never Get Tired of Eating,” the emotional relationship between the one who cooks and the one who eats, and the cultural roots of flavor—extend the book beyond Japan, reminding readers that quiet routines, clean spaces, and attentive eating are forms of self-care that transcend culture. Though reception has been mixed and its slower, reflective tone will not appeal to everyone, the book’s strength lies in its ability to make ordinary rituals feel meaningful and to reconnect readers with the idea that caring for food is a way of caring for the only home they truly inhabit—the body.

[Henrietta P Featherstone · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I’ve been stuck reading the power broker and the idiot and I just needed a quick reprieve so I picked up Beloved by Toni Morrison. Who would’ve thunk, that’s yet _another_ beautiful but dense af book.

I was at the HND airport in Tokyo so figured I’d pick this up post beautiful week of gorgeous meals. I love how he talks about separating the beautiful occasion meals from the daily simple meals… I’m excited to be home and cooking again.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mediation on cooking, the pleasures of eating and our relationships to food, nature and the seasons. Consisting of many short vignettes related to those themes, at times the book felt rambling and the author leaned a bit too far into the “Japanese people are so unique from other races…” narrative that I tend to disagree with.
That said, I learned a few new things and enjoyed mulling over the author’s thoughts and questions about the role food plays in our daily lives.

[Sabs ✨️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC rating 2 ⭐️

I really struggled to rate this one. Tbh, I nearly dnfed this one a few times.

Overall, I'm not sure this one was for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and Yoshiharu Doi for providing this book for review. All opinions are my own.

[Tiago Wiesner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Stars! Motivated me to cook more Japanese food! :))
However, it was sometimes a bit repetitive.