”芋” (imo) is a kanji character in Japanese that mainly refers to root vegetables. Sweet potatoes are especially sweet, and yaki-imo, or roasted sweet potato, is very popular. During the fall and winter seasons, yaki-imo stalls can often be seen selling yaki-imo in the city. The sweet potato was introduced to Japan in the 16th century and is deeply rooted in Japanese food culture because of its high nutritional value and preservability. “Sweet potato” is also a familiar ingredient in Japanese home cooking and as a snack, and is easily accessible to people from other cultures.
「芋（いも）」は、日本語で主に根菜類を指す漢字です。特に「さつまいも」は甘く、焼いて食べる「焼き芋」が人気です。秋冬の時期には、街中で焼き芋を売る屋台もよく見られます。さつまいもは16世紀に日本に伝わり、栄養価が高く、保存が利くため、日本の食文化に深く根付いています。「芋」は、日本の家庭料理やおやつとしても親しまれており、異文化でも親しみやすい食材です。