Yakiniku (焼き肉 or 焼肉), meaning “grilled meat”, is a Japanese term that, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat cuisine. Today, “yakiniku” commonly refers to a style of cooking bite-size meat (usually beef and offal) and vegetables on gridirons or griddles over a flame of wood charcoals carbonized by dry distillation (sumibi, 炭火) or a gas/electric grill. It is one of the most popular national dishes of Japan. In many parts of the world, yakiniku is also commonly referred to as “Japanese barbecue”.
AloJapan.com