Japanese yam; Dioscorea japonica
A wild yam native to Japan, often used in cooking. The term can also refer to related species in the same genus.
See also: 山の芋
I grated the Japanese yam and made tororo.
This Japanese yam is very sticky.
Standard kanji spelling for the wild yam.
Katakana spelling, often used in botanical or culinary contexts.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, sometimes used for readability.
Compound of 山 (yama, 'mountain') + 芋 (imo, 'potato, tuber'), literally 'mountain potato'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name reflects its natural habitat.