Abstract Objective Globally, the Na consumption of most people exceeds the WHO recommendation. To be effective, salt reduction programmes require assessment of the dietary sources of Na. Due to methodological difficulties however, comprehensive assessments are rare. Here, we identified Na sources in the Japanese diet using a 4 d diet record that was specifically designed for Na source description. Design A cross-sectional study. Subjects Apparently healthy men ( n 196) and women ( n 196) aged 20–69 years. Setting …