What are the best foods to eat in Japan? After living in Japan for over a year, I tried nearly every dish they offer. The food in Japan is incredible and there are so many must-tries. When I choose where to eat, I’ll always choose Japanese! I don’t think you can go wrong with any of their meals.
Here, I’ll share with you, the foods I couldn’t wait to share with my husband. Before our trip, my husband was complaining about having rice and noodles for every meal, but upon returning he sang the praises of the Japanese cuisine!
1. Japanese style ‘breakfast’ buffet
In Japan, the idea of eating all you want doesn’t really resonate. In fact, I heard stories of Americans getting kicked out of buffets because they ate too much! But some hotels try to accommodate American’s style and offer a buffet breakfast. This is quite the experience. The Japanese eat salads, vegetables and pickled foods for breakfast. Our buffet had a small plate of fried eggs and hash browns and everything else was pretty unrecognizable. We, of course, tried some of everything, but it definitely wasn’t the breakfast our body was used to. The expectation is to eat most everything you take.
2. Mochi (もち)
Mochi is rice made into a cake. It is sticky and dense. The Japanese do all sorts of things with Mochi, try out different kinds stuffed with beans or even strawberries. Some are flavored or colored. It isn’t very sweet (but none of the Japanese treats are very sweet), but its so Japanese you have to try it.
3. Curry Udon with Tonkatsu (うどん = Udon, とんかつ= tonkatsu)
Udon (fat noodle), Curry or Tonkatsu (panko covered meat, deep fried) individually are all delicious, but if you happen to find an udon shop where you can order all three in one dish, SCORE! We found this amazing meal inside a train station! You don’t have to spend a ton to have an amazing meal in Japan.
Udon is fat noodles made into a soup or used in curry. We had a long day of sight-seeing and were really hungry so as we got off the train we used a kiosk in the station to order Curry Udon. We fully expected it to be the quality of train station food. However, we were blown away by the flavor and quality as we ate to the sounds of screeching trains.
4. Ramen (ラーメン rāmen)
Ramen in America is like a poor-mans food. Its what we lived on in college. It is plain and somewhat flavorless. This is NOT the case in Japan. There are entire restaurants of all different flavors of Ramen. Its called a Ramen-ya. The Japanese add all sorts of vegetables, pickled items and flavors creating a delicious noodle soup. You’ll never think of Ramen the same. And hopefully, you come home and add more goodness to your college staple and fall in love with Ramen again.
5. Curry bread (カレーパン karē pan)
Curry stuffed into dough dipped in bread crumbs and deep fried.
6. Convenience store seaweed wraps and bakery items
Konbini is the Japanese term for the convenience store. Lawsons and 7-11 are among the most popular.
When I lived in Japan, convenience store food became our saving grace. We needed it fast, but quite honestly it is really good! The seaweed wrapped onigiri (おにぎり) is awesome for an on-to-go pick me up. They are stuffed with tuna or salmon or yellowtail. You should also try a bento (lunch box style with several different foods) and Anpan (Bread stuffed with beans or other flavors.
7. Try something foreign from a grocery store
I love spending time in a foreign countries grocery store. I spent 1 1/2 years trying to figure out what I could buy that I could actually use and eat in my cooking. Every trip we took to the store, we tried to buy something unfamiliar. Some of our favorite foods came from this adventure.
Apple juice in Japan is amazing! They must make it out of Asian pears because it tastes more like pear juice. American apple juice is nothing compared to this sweet and flavorful drink.
Look in the bread section. Their loafs of bread are so small and cut into 4,5, or 6 slices based on the thickness you like.
Look at the rice prices! Considering how much rice they eat, their food budgets have to be large!
8. Vending machines
You will find vending machines all over and in the strangest places in Japan. They are full of interesting types of drinks and jelled items. Even alcohol and cigarettes can be bought in vending machines. Carry yen around to try out a different drink from every machine.
Calpis soda (カルピス Karupisu) is one of my favorite drinks. It is an uncarbonated soda made with yogurt as its base (no, it doesn’t taste like drinkable yogurt. You just need to try it.)
9. Sushi and Sashimi (すし)
When I first went to Japan, I was pretty uncultured. Just the thought of raw fish made me feel a bit squeamish. But give it a try! The flavor and texture of the fish are heavenly. There is no other food on the planet that I literally have to just shut my mouth and savor every flavorful second as it melts in my mouth. Getting me to stop talking on our dates is a miracle says my husband!
If you are accustomed to eating sushi in America, you may be a bit disappointed with sushi in Japan. It is not made with all the sauces and flavors that are added here. Even if it isn’t what you are used to the freshness and the beautiful way they prepare it are still worth the experience of eating sushi in Japan. Slabs of fresh fish (sashimi) from Tsukuji Market in Tokyo are delicious.
10. Hiroshima okonomiyaki (お好み焼き o-konomi-yaki)
I lived in Hiroshima for 4 months. We ate Okonomiyaki at least weekly. The amazing okonomiyaki sauce mixed with the cooked noodles are divine. When I moved to another part of the country I tried okonomiyaki again and it was just a weird flavored pancake. blah! Okonomiyaki began as a cheap way for the poor to eat and just used flour and egg. From there has gotten more exciting and flavorful, especially around Hiroshima.
It is a fun experience to have the chefs make it right in front of your eyes. Basically, this ‘egg and noodle pancake’ includes a thin layer of pancake (more like a crepe), fried noodles (with a delicious sauce), cabbage and bean sprouts. They top it with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. Eating it with chopsticks can be tricky, but the flavors are worth it!
11. All you can eat meat (yakiniku) 
You sit down in front of a grill and order the meats you would like. They bring it to you raw and you cook it yourself, to your liking right in front of you.
In Japan, all-you-can-eat literally means that you have to eat it all. In America, we take what we *think* we will eat and then if we don’t like it, we waste it. When you order at an all-you-can-eat in Japan, they will give you a small amount and once you eat all that you may get more. It slows down the eating process so you don’t eat as much. If you waste the food or can’t finish what you ordered, they will charge you more for not eating it.
12. McDonald’s
When I had lived in Japan about 2 weeks, I was so overwhelmed by all the new smells, sounds, language, and tastes. I longed for something familiar. Seeing a McDonalds looked like home! I could understand the sign and it was comfortable. However, internationally McDonald’s is a bit different than we know here in the states, so even a trip to McDonald’s was a foreign experience.
Inevitably in our travels, there is a time when we need quick and convenient… McDonald’s to the rescue. McDonald’s has its own flair internationally so it is still an experience to see how the American company is adapting to serve a unique food pallet. For example, in Japan, there are a lot more fish items on the menu. Even if you don’t eat there, take a peek inside and see all the differences, so close to home, but not quite! Plus, this will be a little softer on your food budget.
13. Tempura (天ぷら)
Tempura is breaded vegetables deep fried.
14. Eat in someone’s home
I know this may not be possible, but if you are lucky enough to know someone who lives in Japan and makes Japanese cuisine, and they invite you for a meal, you will be delighted. They make the most interesting dishes! You can tell they spend a lot of time on many different dishes and on the display of those foods.
15. Natto (Rotten beans) and raw egg (なっとう)
I’m sort-of kidding on this one because natto is one flavor that Americans tend to despise! It smells disgusting. However, when I first arrived in Japan and people asked how I liked the food I said I loved it. They would reply, “But do you like natto?” Meaning, can I accept ALL of their foods and flavors? So I determined that I would try and love natto. And I did. How do you eat natto? Well, it gets worse. You mix it with raw eggs. I know RAW EGG. Americans freak out about this, but the Japanese eat raw egg all the time and they are fine (They even keep their eggs on the counter, not in the fridge and they survive!)
I’m not sure what the difference is in Japan, maybe their chickens are better? Regardless, you should at least try this once to experience a very foreign flavor and texture. It is pretty slimy!
*Oh, and to make matters worse, it is considered a breakfast food! This will wake up your senses!
Just in case you are looking at the symbols on a menu or at the store, here is a Japanese guide for my recommended foods.
Mochi もち
Udon うどん
TonKatsu とんかつ
Ramen ラーメン
Curry bread カレーパン
Onigiri おにぎり
Calpis soda カルピス
Sushi すし
Okonomiyaki お好み焼き
Tempura 天ぷら
Natto なっとう
You’ll have plenty of opportunities to try all of these foods when you follow this itinerary through Japan.
These bucket list experiences are sure to add to your memories of Japan.
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