There are some vegetables in Japan that I've never heard of and others I'm familiar with that are eaten frequently.

Bamboo Shoots - Takenoko

Burdock Root - Gobo
Gobo is a very long and thin root. Brown on the outside, paler once the skin is cut away.

Chinese Cabbage - Hakusai

Cucumbers - Kyuri
Cucumbers grown in Japan are smaller and crunchier than cucumbers we're used to in the US. They're still green though.

Daikon Radish
Daikon radishes are long, white roots, that taste similar to small red radishes, but not quite as spicy.

Eggplant - Nasu
Eggplant is most commonly seen as a large dark purple plant, related to a tomato. Japanese variety eggplants are long and thin, unlike the large rounder eggplants that are commonly seen in the US. It is often cooked before serving, and becomes soft and squishy.

Japanese Pumpkin - Kabocha
Japanese pumpkins are smaller that our typical orange pumpkins in the US. They have green, tough skins, and an orange inner flesh. A good kabocha has an unblemished skin.

Lotus Root - Renkon
Lotus roots are oval shaped, close to the size of a russet potato, and sometimes 2 are stuck together by a joint. The raw texture is slightly similar to a russet potato, and lotus roots are often cooked before eaten.

Mushrooms - Kinoko
There are many varieties of mushrooms eaten in Japan.

- Shiitake

- Enokitake
Enoki mushrooms are small and white. They have very long stems and small, smooth tops.

Pickled Vegetables - Tsukemono
Eating pickled vegetables is very common in Japan, and almost any vegetable can be pickled.

Sea Vegetables -

- Kelp - Konbu

- Seaweed - Nori
Nori is used as wrappings for onigiri or sushi, or is cut into shapes for decorating food. It can also be put into soups.

Sweet Potatoes - Satsuma imo
Sweet potatoes are more commonly used in Japan for desserts. The inside of sweet potatoes can range from orange to yellow and really are very sweet to eat.

Taro - Sato imo
Taro is a root vegetable which can be eaten boiled or baked. Its skin is brown and hairy with a white inside.

Turnips - Kabu

Yams - Yama imo
Yams grown in Japan have brown skins and white insides. They don't taste sweet like the orange yams we use in the US.