Meatballs, hamburger steaks, Chinese-style meat dumplings, fried rice, gratin, tempura and fish boiled with soy sauce — these are just some of the hundreds of frozen food items stocked by the nation's supermarkets.

Frozen dishes have long been a favorite with busy people looking for ways to save time. They constitute a market that has grown steadily, with consumption more than doubling over the past 20 years.

According to the Japan Frozen Food Association, nationwide consumption of such food in 2006 rose 3 percent from the previous year to 2.69 million tons, or 21.1 kg per person.