Shoyu and miso are the two oldest and most important flavouring sauces in Japanese cooking. Although their strong, distinctive flavours means they are used more as condiments for dipping or as flavouring for cooking, rather than as a sauce for coating food. The two also have a preservative quality and are good for marinating raw fish, meat and vegetables.
The Japanese have also developed ready-mixed sauces for certain popular dishes such as sukiyaki and yakiniku (barbecue), as well as Japanese vinegar and mirin, both made from rice.