Japan has some of the best food in the world, including traditional Japanese foods like Sushi, Ramen, Tempura and Udon. You absolutely can’t miss out on these top foods to eat in Japan, and if you’re feeling inspired, I’ve included some easy recipes for you to try out at home too!
Try these foods when you’re in Japan:
Takoyaki
Cooked in a special moulded pan, Takoyaki is a popular Japanese street food made from balls of batter filled with pieces of octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion. Upon serving, they are normally brushed with takoyaki sauce, drizzled with mayonnaise, and topped with aonori (dried seaweed) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
A staple at festivals, Takoyaki can also be found in food courts, restaurants, and even have their own specialised shops.
Places I can personally recommend for Takoyaki
Takoyaki Kukuru Dotonbori
Address: Japan, 〒542-0071 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Dotonbori, 1 Chome−10−5 白亜ビル １階
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 – 21:00, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 – 21:00
Odaiba Takoyaki Museum
Address: Japan, 〒135-0091 Tokyo, Minato City, Daiba, 1 Chome−6−1 デックス東京ビーチ シーサイドモール 4F
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 – 20:00, Saturday & Sunday 11:00 – 21:00
まねき多幸
Address: 82-3 Fukakusa Inarionmaecho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0881, Japan
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 16:30, closed Thursdays
Okonomiyaki
A customisable, savoury pancake, Okonomiyaki consists of a variety of ingredients mixed into batter and cooked on a hotplate.
Typically, an okonomiyaki pancake is made from flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, green onions, seafood and/or pork belly slices, and sometimes tempura scraps. Toppings then include okonomiyaki sauce (similiar to Worcestershire sauce), mayonnaise, aonori and katsuobushi.
There are a few regional variations of okonomiyaki, such as Hiroshima-style, where the pancake is made from layers of ingredients rather than them all being mixed together, often with a layer of noodles and an egg on top (as below).
Monjanyaki is another style seen in Tokyo with a more liquid batter, which is cooked spread thin, and eaten straight from the griddle with a small spatula.
Places I can personally recommend for Okonomiyaki
Okonomi-Mura
Address: 5-13 Shintenchi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima, 730-0034, Japan
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 14:00 & 19:00 – 02:00
Sometarō
Address: 2 Chome-2-2 Nishiasakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0035, Japan
Opening Hours: 12:00 – 14:45 & 17:30 – 20:15 Sunday – Friday, 12:00 – 14:45 & 17:30 – 21:30 Saturday, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Sushi
We all know sushi – vinegared rice paired with seafood, vegetables, or meat. Styled in multiple ways, including nigiri, maki, temaki and gunkan, sushi is normally accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.
Unsurprisingly, Japan serves up some of the freshest and most delicious sushi in the world. It can be enjoyed in many settings, from the fun conveyor-belt chains to the high-end restaurants where chefs personally and carefully prepare each piece.
My personal favourite piece of sushi is ‘Otoro’, a fatty piece of tuna that is rich, buttery and melt-in-your-mouth. It’s expensive, but totally worth it.
Places I can personally recommend for Sushi
Sushiro (Chain)
Address: Japan, 〒104-0028 Tokyo, Chuo City, Yaesu, 2 Chome−1−1 B1
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 22:30 Monday – Friday, 10:30 – 22:30 Saturday & Sunday
Nishiki Sushi Shin
Address: 169-2 Higashiuoyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8055, Japan
Opening Hours: 12:00 – 18:00 Daily
茶寮 器楽
Address: Japan, 〒605-0862 Kyoto, Higashiyama Ward, Kiyomizu, 1 Chome−２８０番地 朝日堂本店 ２階
Opening Hours: 09:30 – 18:00 Daily
Nokabanzai Ichibaya Omicho Sohonten
Address: 19-1 Shimotsutsumicho, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0917, Japan
Opening Hours: 07:00 – 15:00 Daily
Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu is one of my favourite Japanese dishes, consisting of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. Normally, you choose between either pork loin (fatty and rich) or pork fillet (leaner and lighter), which is then coated in panko crumbs and fried until crispy and golden. It’s then served in a set meal with shredded cabbage, steamed rice, miso soup, and tangy tonkatsu sauce.
You’ll also be given a small pestle and mortar and sesame seeds, and the way to eat the tonkatsu is to grind the sesame seeds down, and then mix in some tonkatsu sauce, creating a dipping sauce for the meat.
You can also eat tonkatsu in a dish called Katsudon, which is a rice bowl dish where tonkatsu is placed on top of steamed rice and then simmered in soy sauce, dashi, and eggs, and then topped with green onions.
Places I can personally recommend for Tonkatsu
Katsukura Shijo Teramachi
Address: Japan, 〒600-8004 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Naramonocho, 379
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 21:00 Daily
Katsu Curry
Combining tonkatsu with Japanese curry, katsu curry is a thick, mildly spiced dish (although you can adjust the spice to your taste normally) served over rice with a fried pork cutlet. Traditionally, chunks of potato, onion and carrot are added to the curry sauce.
The toppings vary wildly though, and you can eat katsu curry with chicken, beef, prawns, sausages, vegetables, and all manner of other things.
Places I can personally recommend for Katsu Curry
CoCo Ichibanya (Chain)
Address: 2番1号, エドグラン地下1階B05, 2 Chome Kyobashi, Chuo City, Tokyo, Japan
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 22:30 Daily
Teppanyaki
Not necessarily a dish, but more of a cooking style, teppanyaki is where food is cooked on a large, flat iron griddle known as a teppan. Ingredients like meat, seafood, vegetables, rice and noodles are fried or grilled directly on the teppan, often right in front of diners, making it a fun and unique experience.
The most famous form of teppanyaki uses high-quality cuts of beef like Wagyu, Kobe, or sirloin steak. The beef is seared and paired with dipping sauces including soy sauce, garlic butter, and ponzu. In a set meal, you’re likely to be served small portions of seafood (like scallops or prawns), vegetables, and rice or noodles.
Places I can personally recommend for Teppanyaki
Kobe Beef Steak Ishida.Main-Shop
Address: Japan, 〒650-0012 Hyogo, Kobe, Chuo Ward, Kitanagasadori, 1 Chome−21 ２TAKAIビル 3F
Opening Hours: 11:30 – 15:00, 17:00 – 21:30 (Closed Tuesdays)
Itoh Dining
Address: Japan, 〒605-0085 Kyoto, Higashiyama Ward, Sueyoshicho, 80
Opening Hours: 17:00 – 21:00 Daily
Yakiniku
A style of Japanese barbecue, yakiniku is where meat and vegetables are grilled over an open flame in the middle of the table. It’s a really fun way to eat dinner!
You often get premium cuts of beef in yakiniku, including short rib, loin, skirt steak and beef tongue, so it can be a good way to try different types in one setting. Some restaurants specialise in certain types of meat, like Genghis Khan in Sapporo, which serves a variety of delicious lamb cuts.
Places I can personally recommend for Yakiniku
Sapporo Genghis Khan (Main Shop)
Address: Japan, 〒064-0806 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 6 Jonishi, 6 Chome−7−1 第６旭観光ビル 1 階
Opening Hours: 17:00 – 22:00 (Closed Wednesdays)
Shabu Shabu
Shabu Shabu is a hot pot dish where thinly sliced meat and vegetables are dipped in a pot of boiling broth, then dipped in sauces. The name comes from the sound the ingredients make as they are swished back and forth. It’s another fun dining experience, where you can cook your own ingredients at the table.
Gyūdon
Gyūdon is a cheap dish made from thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a sweet and savoury sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and dashi. The beef and onions are then served over a bowl of steamed white rice, and it’s often accompanied by miso soup, pickled vegetables and ginger, and additional toppings like eggs.
Places I can personally recommend for Gyuudon
Yoshinoya (Chain)
Address: 1 Chome-17-1 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Opening Hours: 05:00 – 02:00 Daily
Ramen
Another dish pretty much everyone knows, ramen generally consists of noodles in broth with toppings including eggs, nori, green onions, sliced pork and vegetables.
A lot of places in Japan let you customise your ramen from the thickness and hardness of the noodles, to the toppings, to the broth. There’s four main types of broth: Miso, Tonkotsu (pork), Shio (salt) and Shoyu (soy sauce).
There’s also a version of ramen you can try called tsukemen, where the broth and the noodles are served separately, and you dip the noodles in the thicker, richer broth before eating them.
Places I can personally recommend for Ramen
Ichiran (Chain)
Address: Japan, 〒111-0032 Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 1 Chome−1−16 ＨＫ浅草ビル B1F
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 22:00 Daily
Tokyo Ramen Street
Address: Japan, 〒100-0005 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Marunouchi, 1 Chome−9−1 東京駅一番街 B1
Opening Hours: 09:00 – 22:30 Daily
Ganso Ramen Yokocho Sapporo
Address: Japan, 〒064-0805 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 5 Jonishi, 3 Chome−8番 Ｎ・グランデビル ラーメン横丁
Opening Hours: Varies
Yakitori and Kushiage
Yakitori is a simple yet traditional dish of skewered and grilled chicken pieces. It’s a very common street food and izakaya dish, and it’s normally seasoned with either salt or a sweet, savoury sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar.
Different types of yakitori include chicken thigh (momo) or chicken thigh with green onion (negima), chicken meatballs (tsukune), chicken skin (torikawa), chicken liver (reba), and chicken heart (hatsu).
Kushikatsu, or kushiage, is similiar to yakitori but consists of different skewered food breaded in panko and deep-fried. Meat, seafood, vegetables, and more unusual items such as cheese and chestnuts can be used. It’s commonly served with dipping sauces.
Places I can personally recommend for Yakitori
Torikizoku (Chain)
Address: Japan, 〒100-0006 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Yurakucho, 1 Chome−2−11 Orchid Square３F
Opening Hours: 16:00 – 04:00 Monday – Friday, 15:00 – 04:00 Saturday & Sunday
Hantei (Kushikatsu)
Address: 2 Chome-12-15 Nezu, Bunkyo City, Tokyo 113-0031, Japan
Opening Hours: 11:30 – 15:00, 17:00 – 22:00 Daily (Closed Mondays)
Karaage
Another popular izakaya dish, karaage is made from small pieces of chicken (normally thigh) marinated in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, then coated in flour and fried until golden and crispy. It’s a common side dish or snack, and seen a lot in bentos.
Omurice
Omurice is made from folding a fluffy omelette over fried rice and drizzling it with ketchup.
The rice is stir-fried with ingredients like chicken, onions, peas, carrots, and seasoned with ketchup. Sometimes it includes ham or shrimp.
Yakisoba
A common street food, especially at festivals, yakisoba is a stir-fried noodle dish that mixes noodles with vegetables and meat such as pork, chicken or seafood. It’s often served in a sweet and savoury sauce, and sometimes topped with aonori, katsuoboshi, pickled red ginger, and mayonnaise.
Gyoza
Gyoza are Japanese dumplings filled with a mix of ground meat and vegetables. Served steamed or pan-fried, it’s often served as a side dish, starter, or popular street food item.
Places I can personally recommend for Gyoza
Nishiki Gyoza
Address: 504 Nakauoyacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8125, Japan
Opening Hours: 11:30 – 17:00 Daily
Onigiri
Onigiri are a staple Japanese food, and are made from rice balls shaped into triangles or ovals and wrapped with a sheet of nori. They’re a quick, easy and portable snack, found everywhere from convenience stores to specialist shops. Popular fillings include umeboshi (pickled plum), salmon, tuna mayo, yakitori, and okaka (bonito flakes).
Dango
Served on skewers, dango are sweet dumplings made from mochi and a popular snack. They’re commonly coated with either sweet soy sauce, kinako (roasted soybean powder), anko (sweet red bean paste), or matcha (green tea powder), but can come with anything from fruit to jelly.
Places I can personally recommend for Dango
Cuckoo Dango (Flying Dango)
Address: Takinoue-211 Genbicho, Ichinoseki, Iwate 021-0101, Japan
Opening Hours: 09:00 – 15:00 Daily
Fushimiinari Soratsuki
Address: 2-3 Fukakusa Kaidocho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0806, Japan
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 Daily
Asakusa Soratsuki
Address: 1 Chome-36-4 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032, Japan
Opening Hours: 07:00 – 15:00 Daily
Crepe
Similar to a french crepe, Japanese crepes are wafer thin pancakes rolled and stuffed with a huge variety of different sweet or savoury fillings. My favourite is the whipped cream, strawberry and chocolate version!
Places I can personally recommend for Crepes
Angel Crepes
Address: 1 Chome-16-9 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 21:00 Daily
Daifuku
Daifuku is a traditional Japanese sweet made from mochi and filled with different sweet ingredients. A common daifuku is red bean paste and strawberry filling, but you can get custard, ice-cream, other fruit, and many other different fillings.
Places I can personally recommend for Daifuku
Mitoya
Address: 1 Chome-22-21 Nipponbashi, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0073, Japan
Opening Hours: 09:30 – 18:00 Daily
Try some Japanese recipes at home!
Okonomiyaki (1)
- 100g Okonomiyaki Flour
- 100ml Water
- 1 Egg
- 1tsp Dashi Stock
- 1/4 Cabbage (shredded)
- 1-2 Spring Onions (sliced)
- 3-4 Rashers of Bacon
To serve
- Kewpie Mayonnaise
- Okonomiyaki Sauce
- Bonito Flakes
- Aonori
Mix together the flour, dashi, water and egg until just combined. Mix in the cabbage and onions. Lightly oil a frying pan, and place over a medium heat. Spoon in the pancake mix, and heat until bubbles show through the mixture. Lay over the rashers of bacon, then flip the pancake. Fry for a further few minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the pancake cooked through.
Serve by squeezing over drizzles of the mayonnaise and sauce, and sprinkling over the bonito and aonori.
Katsu Curry (4)
- 4 cubes S&B Golden Curry Mix
- 1 large diced potato
- 1 large diced onion
- 1 diced carrot
- 800ml water
- 4 chicken breasts
- 140g sushi rice
Fry the meat and veg in a splash of oil for about 5 minutes on a medium heat, until the onions are translucent and the meat is sealed. Add the water and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the sushi rice. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then add 140ml of water to a pan with the rice and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and leave with the cover on for a further 15 minutes.
Turn the heat off the meat and veg, and add the curry sauce mix to the pot, stirring it in until completely melted. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then serve over the cooked rice.
Easy Omurice (1)
- 1 chopped onion
- 8 diced white mushrooms
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp soy sauce/Worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs
- 140g uncooked sushi rice
Cook the sushi rice. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then add 140ml of water to a pan with the rice and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and leave with the cover on for a further 15 minutes.
Fry the onion in a bit of butter and/or oil until translucent and beginning to brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until most of the water is out and they’re also beginning to brown.
Add the rice, stir well, then add the soy sauce/Worcestershire sauce and the ketchup, mixing until the rice is well coated. Turn out onto a plate.
Crack the eggs into a bowl and mix well with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, wipe out the frying pan, then add a little oil/butter and the egg. When the bottom is cooked, shake the pan gently to move the uncooked egg on top to the edges to cook. When the omelette is cooked through, slide it out over the rice and serve with a drizzle of ketchup or okonomiyaki sauce.
Delicious Japanese Potato Salad
- 4 medium potatos
- 1tsp dashi stock
- 3tsp rice/sushi vinegar
- 2 eggs
- 2 slices ham
- 1/4 cucumber
- 1/2 carrot
- 1/2 onion
- 6tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
Peel and dice the potatoes, then boil them for around 10 minutes until they’re cooked through and soft. Mash them roughly with the dashi stock (you don’t want them completely smooth). Put them back on the heat and mix in the vinegar, then cool off the potatoes in the fridge.
Boil the eggs for about 10 minutes for a hard-boiled result, then place them in cold water to cool them off. Dice up the ham, cucumber, carrot and onion, then the eggs when they’re cool. Add the mix into to the potato with a pinch of salt and the mayonnaise, then garnish with sesame seeds if you choose.