Trying all the delicious Japanese food is a highlight of any trip to the Land of the Rising Sun. There are so many different local and regional specialities that there is always something new to taste and discover. So here’s my list of the best Japanese food to have on your next visit!
Takoyaki
An Osaka speciality, these delicious wheat-flour balls are typically filled with octopus and fried on a special moulded grill. They are then seasoned with katsuobushi (fish flakes) and mayo and are eaten piping hot. This is one of the most famous Japanese street food snacks and there are often massive queues at popular stands.
Where to try: Dotonbori, Osaka
Gyoza
Gyoza are one of the things most people will be familiar with on this list. The dumplings originated in China but have become popular in Japan since World War 2. There are many different types of gyoza in the West but in Japan, most gyoza will be filled with pork. They can come fried or boiled and dipping them into soy or chili sauce is a must!
Where to try: City of Utsunomiya is famous for its Gyoza. Alternatively, there are plenty of great spots in Tokyo.
Ramen
The delicious noodle soup is one of the staples of Japanese cuisine. There are loads of variations using different soup bases, noodles and toppings. Ramen is cheap, tasty and there are even museums dedicated to it! Instant ramen is a popular snack and can be bought from vending machines! It’s ideal for those travelling in Japan on a budget!
Where to try: Nagi Golden Gai is a hidden upstairs joint in the super cool Golden Gai area. The ramen here is INCREDIBLE.
Taiyaki
These sweet fish-shaped snacks are usually filled with red bean paste and are common around the country. You can find pre-packaged ones in convenience stores and train stations but I definitely recommend grabbing a warm, freshly made one from a street stall!
Where to try: Yanagiya in Tokyo is famous for its taiyaki and has been around for 100 years!
Okonomiyaki
One of my favourite foods in Japan! Okonomiyaki is a kind of cross between a savoury pancake and an omelette that is very popular in Osaka, Hiroshima and the surrounding areas. There are different styles of okonomiyaki and they can come in many varieties with meat, fish or even vegetarian options. Ingredients are mixed into a batter, cooked and then served on a special hot plate in front of you. Some restaurants even let you make okonomiyaki from scratch!
Where to try: Dotonbori in Osaka has many restaurants serving okonomiyaki while Okonomi-mura in Hiroshima is a self-proclaimed temple to the dish. It has dozens of restaurants across three floors all serving the delicious pancakes! Take your pick, sit down and watch the food being prepared right in front of you.
Katsu Kare
Katsu kare is another popular dish consisting of curry sauce, rice and a tonkatsu (deep fried pork). It’s one of the common variations of kare (Japanese curry) and is popular with many Japanese, including businessmen who often enjoy it as a post-work meal. There are dedicated kare restaurants and some even let you choose your meat, level of spice as well as toppings and side dishes. Best of all, it’s pretty cheap and is a great option for budget travellers!
Where to try: Coco Ichibanya might be a chain but does a pretty good curry and allows you to customise ingredients, amount of rice, spicyness and so on. For a more authentic experience, try one of many kare joints dotted around Japan!
Sushi
This is what you’ve come all the way to Japan for! The promise of tasty sushi at every corner, freshly prepared and practically melting in your mouth. Well, you definitely won’t be disappointed! Japan’s most famous export is just as good as you imagined. Shops serving sushi will range from the familiar-to-Westerners conveyor belt joints to small, traditional shops to high-end restaurants. Prices will also vary from cheap (£1/$1.20 a plate) to meals costing hundreds!
Where to try: Anywhere! From cheap and cheerful convenience store sushi to shopping mall food courts to Michelin-star restaurants, I recommend trying as much as possible in as many places as possible!
Yakitori
Yakitori is one of my favourite snacks! The grilled chicken skewers are served in izakaya pubs, restaurants and street food stalls and are great to enjoy with a cold beer. Pretty much every part of a chicken can be used in yakitori and there are also non-chicken options including beef and vegetarian varieties.
Where to try: Torikizoku, a budget pub chain found around the country, is popular and cheap with prices for all dishes and drinks set at ¥280 (£2/$2.50).
Mochi
Mochi are soft and chewy rice cakes that come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavours. They have many different fillings, are colourful and very very tasty! Dango is a type of mochi that’s sold on wooden skewers and covered in delicious sauces and seasonings.
Where to try: You can usually find Mochi in department stores, markets and specialty stores. I loved the variety on offer in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market.
Senbei
Senbei are Japanese rice crackers and are a great snack, often served hot at street stalls around the country. They are crunchy and are usually baked or grilled and also come in many different sizes and flavours. They can be savoury, like the popular soy and pepper flavours or sweet with apple and plum versions available. They are usually inexpensive and perfect for a quick bite between meals!
Where to try: My favourite was a small stall in the small post town of Magome on the Nakasendo Trail where the senbei were freshly handmade by the owner at the back of her shop.
Karaage
Japanese LOVE their fried chicken (there is even a Christmas tradition to have a special KFC meal) so it’s no wonder that karaage is one of the most popular foods here. You can try it in specialist restaurants or as a snack in an izakaya alongside a beer. Make sure to dip the chicken in the delicious mayo that usually accompanies the dish.
Where to try: Izakayas are a great place to order a plate of karaage while enjoying a cold beer.
Kaisen-don (sashimi rice bowl)
These steamed rice bowls are topped with fresh raw meat or fish slices and sometimes served as a teishoku set with green tea and various side dishes and miso soup. I was lucky enough to try a kaisen-don at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. The tuna was caught only a few hours before and practically melted in my mouth. It wasn’t cheap but was unlike any sashimi I’ve ever had!
Where to try: Arrive early to the Tsukiji Fish Market and enjoy a kaisen-don for breakfast or wait until after touring the market itself.
Melon Pan Ice Cream
Melon Pan was probably the thing I ate the most in Japan – it was my go-to breakfast, lunch and post-dinner snack. The delicious sweet bun is sold in all convenience stores and even at street stalls and is super cheap yet filling. While it’s great on its own, cutting one in half and filling it with ice cream is basically the best thing ever.
Where to try: I got mine from a van on Dotonbori, Osaka with a massive queue waiting for their sweet treats.
Gohei Mochi
Gohei Mochi is a rice cake that is grilled and skewered on a wooden stick before being slathered with a delicious paste, giving it its unique flavour. I tried it on my hike between Magome and Tsumago on the Nakasendo Trail and it was so good, I had to go for seconds! This snack is popular in the southern Nagano region of Japan and is not easily available across the rest of the country.
Where to try: Yuya or Yamagiri Shokudo offer delicious gohei mochi in the ancient post town of Tsumago.
Kobe Beef
Kobe beef is as premium as it can get. The term refers to meat from Tajima-gyu breed of cattle in the Hyogo Prefecture and it has to go tick a LOT of boxes to receive the prestigious classification. The cows are said to be treated to massages, relaxing music and even given beer to create the right environment for the cows. As you can imagine, this makes it pretty expensive – but so very worth it.
Where to try: If you are in the area, head to Kobe itself for the real thing. There are a number of restaurants and stalls selling 100% Kobe beef with queues for popular places reaching epic proportions.
Have you had any of these delicious Japanese dishes? Have I missed any out? Let me know!
Oh wow I wish we had your guide before we went! Somehow we seemed to have missed loads of these dishes, probably because we were living on amazing sushi and ramens. We saw many things like that Okonomiyaki in packets, but didn’t buy anything … however we did LOVE Bento boxes at the train stations, we loved trying to find the most elaborate ones… great post! will pin for if we can ever afford to go back!
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Yeah I saw all the beautiful ekiben at train stations! Amazing aren’t they? I miss Japanese food so much – writing this post took ages because I just kept thinking about it!
It’s so easy to live on just a few things there because it all tastes so good! I probably didn’t even try half of what I wanted – there is always next time! YES – the ekiben! I did have it once on the train from Kyoto to Tokyo – wish I got it more often though to try all the different varieties!
AAAAAAAAAAH!!!! Everything looks so delicious!!!! I love japan food! And this guide is amazing!!!!
Thank you! Japanese food is so tasty! I could live on it quite easily!
I love Japanese food! That ice cream looks amazing. A great guide that will come in handy when visiting!
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Perfect timing, I head to Tokyo next month so your post will be my mission to accomplish! LOL!
You will have an incredible time – I am so jealous!! Try everything!
I love most Japanese food (at least what I can get in the States), but there are some things on this list I’ve never heard of that look incredible! It makes me excited for the day we can visit and eat our hearts out; if we do make it over there, we’ll definitely use this guide. Yum!
You guys definitely should go! You’ll find plenty of good hiking outside the cities and the food speaks for itself!
Everything looks so yummy – now I want to visit Japan and eat all the goodies. Eating local food while travelling is my favourite thing to do.
This is a really useful guide as we wouldn’t know where to start! Have pinned this for future reference. Great post! #feetdotravel
I used to work in chain restaurant in the UK that liked to think it’s Japanese. The real thing looks sooooo much better. Want to eat all of this! 😀
I am yet to find a good sushi place in London other than one less-visited chain which does some great take-away rolls. Nothing compares to the real thing though!
I pretty much live for ramen and just got so hungry reading that. Also the gyozas – I know gyoza isn’t a rare find but those gyozas in your photo look so good. Japan would definitely be a food paradise for me 😀
The ramen I had in Tokyo was just incredible. I can’t praise that place enough!
I love Japanese food! Great guide, I have pinned with the hope of visiting Japan soon 🙂
Wow. This is amazing. We love Japanese food. Definitely going to bookmark this page for the future.
We’ve eaten 11 out of the 15 on the list! Great list too! I am so glad you have Melon Pan Ice Cream on there. We also got ours from from a food truck in Dotonbori, Osaka and I have been obsessed ever since! Love love love this list! Pinned for future drooling…I mean reference
That’s really good going guys! You definitely did your trip right! Dotonbori is amazing, isn’t it? We probably got it from the same place!
Since I don’t eat seafood, I’ve always wondered if there would be food in Japan that I could eat. You answered this question! There are so many yummy options to choose from! I must go make dinner now – I’m drooling over all of this goodness!!
Jenn, you would find plenty of great food there! There is so much variety and it’s all so delicious!
Oh my gosh…I don’t think I can go to Japan. I would never stop eating! I’d be worried about fitting on the airplane to get home. 😉 Everything looks SO good. Aaaand now I have a craving for Ramen. Mmmm.
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Just do what I do and walk everywhere! Great way of seeing the country and also a perfect excuse for eating loads – gotta get those energy-replenishing carbs in! Now you mention it, I am craving ramen too!
Lots of deliciousness to choose from. Can’t wait to visit Japan and try some of these dishes. Have to do some hiking after these meals because I would definitely over eat! Pinning for later, thanks!
Thanks Lisa – I did a lot of walking in Japan so that was my way of justifying eating so much over there!
Yum! This list is making me hungry and Japanese cuisine is awesome! Gyoza are awesome, as are basically everything on this list. Man, I can’t wait to go back to Japan!
Japan comes across as a paradise for foodies. You have rounded up the best from Japanes cuisine in your post.
Reading this when hungry is not a good idea!!! My daughter is off to Japan in July so will be sharing this and making sure she reads it!!
Can’t wait to visit Japan! Would eat all of that (except anything with fish!!)
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She will have an amazing time and so will you when you eventually go! There is plenty to eat in Japan other than fish, so you will be absolutely fine!
So interesting to see that there is so much more to Japanese cuisine than sushi and Kobe beef. It all looks so delicious, I can’t even pick a favourite..!
There is so much more too! I need to go back and try all the other amazing stuff!
It is never getting any better than sushi for me! It appears Japan has much more to offer… the list of foods looks so delicious. Would love to visit Japan one day – pinned and tweeted not to miss all these dishes!
Japanese sushi will turn your world upside down! It’s soooooo good! Plenty of other yummy stuff everywhere you go too!
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