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Must-Eat Foods In Japan: The Ultimate Checklist For Completionists

Plastic food items in the window of a Japanese restaurant

To compare traveling to Japan to video games, if the main quest is culture and sightseeing, then food is the biggest side quest. There are tons of must-eat foods in Tokyo, Kyoto, and all over Japan. A complete list would be never-ending (you’d be counting hundreds of items, maybe thousands with the regional specialties). 

So I simplified this and prepared this ultimate checklist of must-try foods in Japan. They are the most popular dishes, that you have to try before leaving Japan if you’re serious about food.

This checklist contains 25 items. With 2 meals a day, that would take you a total of 13 days to complete. That’s perfect for a two-week trip. You don’t have to complete everything in one trip though – that’s a good excuse to return to Japan in the future.

I’ve also included restaurant recommendation, and the Japanese words for each item. Copy-paste the Japanese word (the English word should work just fine too though) in Google Maps to see restaurants near you serving this type of food when you’re in Japan.

Sushi (寿司)

sushi plate in a Japanese restaurant

Not introducing sushi. You’ve already eaten sushi back home, but trust me, they’re completely difference in Japan.You can find them at all prices in Japan, from cheap conveyor belts (“回転寿司” (kaiten sushi) in Japanese) to high-end restaurants. In any case, they’re a delicious must-eat. One caveat though: they will never taste the same again back home.

  • Affordable restaurant recommendation: go for a conveyor belt sushi like Sushiro. They have multiple restaurants throughout Japan, so type it in Google Maps (either ‘Sushiro’ or the Japanese writing ‘スシロー’) to see the ones near you. 
  • High-end: you have several very good but expensive sushi restaurants. Personally I went to renowned Jiro Sushi, and although I respect the skills, I wouldn’t recommend going if you don’t have the budget for it, or are not a complete foodie. You can find amazing sushis for much cheaper and the difference in taste is not that big.

Ramen (ラーメン)

Ramen bowl in Kamukura

There are so many different kinds of ramen that there could have been multiple entries on this list. I did add some to the “For the Fanatics” list though. Anyway, lots of variations but guess what? They’re all delicious.

  • Affordable: you can go to an easy-to-find chain like Ichiran Ramen (again, type ‘Ichiran’ or ‘一蘭’ in Google Maps). Or any ramen shop. Chances are there’s at least one located around the corner of your street.
  • Michelin star ramen: sorry to disappoint, but the three Tokyo ramen restaurants that had a Michelin star all lost it in 2024. Now they’re still excellent, so you can still visit. Otherwise, Japanese people use ramendb to rate ramen restaurants. If you’re a ramen fan and are not afraid of navigating a Japanese website, check it out. Note that the higher the rating, the longer the line at the entrance will be. Expect two to three hours wait for the best ones.

Tempura (天ぷら)

I love tempura. They make anything delicious. Shrimp, fish, shiitake mushroom, pumpkin, bell pepper, eggplant, shoes… Well maybe I got carried away with this last one, but you see what I mean.

  • Restaurant recommendation: there are so many affordable tempura places it’s impossible to count. To give one recommendation, I can mention Tenoto located in Nincyocho, where I lived for 5 years.

Yakiniku (焼肉)

Deliciouuuuus. Yakiniku is meat you cook yourself on a grill in front of you. It’s great and goes well with friends and beers. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and smelly. 

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)

This one is hard to find outside Japan. In some places you will make it yourself, in some others the staff will prepare for you. It’s made of dashi-flavored batter, shredded cabbage, tempura flakes, and spring onions. And it’s… delicious.

  • Restaurant recommendation: Sakura-tei in Harajuku

Udon (うどん)

Ok, I’ll stop with the “delicious” repetition joke before you click away. Udon are thick noodles that come in a variety of dishes. The simplest one and what you’ll probably try is similar to ramen: udon comes in a broth with various toppings. 

Soba (そば)

You’ll find soba places everywhere – as almost this whole list here actually. You can eat them hot or cold usually, so that’s an excuse to go two times.

Tonkatsu (とんかつ)

Japanese cuisine fries things. A lot. Tonkatsu is one of the many examples. But its simplicity made it rise to the top of the easiest food to find. Bento in supermarkets, and most restaurants will have tonkatsu. It’s deep-fried pork with tonkatsu sauce and (often too much as you’ll find out) thinly sliced cabbage.

Kaiseki (懐石料理)

Not really a dish in itself, but more of a style. Kaiseki is a type of Japanese fine dining. It consists of many small dishes that all together will make up the whole meal. Basically, a Japanese multi-course meal. Kaiseki is the most expensive item on this list.

  • Restaurant recommendation: I’m not really familiar with kaiseki restaurants, so I’ll just share this list of the best Kaiseki in Tokyo by TimeOut.
  • If you’re feeling on treating yourself though, check out Wabunka’s experiences that include private kaiseki meals in authentic restaurants for the ultimate experience (I keep recommending Wabunka on this blog, because they offer the most authentic and non-touristy experiences out there, including food experiences. And all experiences are private – nobody else will join you).

Yakitori (焼き鳥)

yakitori plate in a Japanese restaurant

Yakitoriiii. It’s my favorite on this list. Yakitori is basically skewered chicken. There are many yakitori restaurants, and it goes perfectly with friends and beers. You can also get some as street food.

  • Restaurant recommendation: Yakitori Omino near Tokyo Skytree (although this one needs advance reservation). You can aso get yakitori as street food if you want to try it for a snack instead. As finding shops selling those, you’ll smell the grilled meat from miles away, no worries.

Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ)

I’ve always found this name funny. For those who played Zelda OOT, it reminds me of Lord Jabu-Jabu. Well, both come from Japanese onomatopoeias (they don’t mean the same thing though). Shabu-Shabu is a hotpot where you boil thin slices of meat and vegetables. You usually gradually put the ingredients in the pot yourself, so you eat while cooking.

Omurice (オムライス)

It’s basically scrambled eggs over rice, often coming with ketchup topping or demi-glace sauce. Simple and easy, but surprisingly so good. You might think something that basic shouldn’t even be on this must-eat foods in Japan list – but it’s a very common dish here.

Curry Rice (カレーライス)

I don’t think I need to explain this one. Curry is a very popular dish in Japan (those who’ve played the latest Pokemon entries know). There are a lot of curry restaurants and chains in Japan, so you’ll have a huge choice. 

  • Restaurant recommendation: personally I love CoCo Curry House. It’s a chain with prices you can expect from chains (pretty cheap), and it’s everywhere. Just type CoCo Curry House or CoCo Ichibanya in Google Maps and you’ll probably find one less than 10 minutes walk from where you are right now.

Oyakodon (親子丼)

I love oyakodon. The name will make you feel guilty though, as it literally means “parents and child rice bowl”. Why is it sad you’ll ask. Because Oyakodon is chicken and egg over rice. Chicken and egg. Parents and child. See? You monster.

Yakisoba (焼きそば)

Yakisoba is stir-fried noodles with cabbages, carrots, and pork with yakisoba sauce. They’re very popular as street food in summer festivals. So if you go to one, make sure to grab a portion of yakisoba at one of the food stands.

  • Restaurant recommendation: Teppan Yakisoba Sakaba Shibuyaki in Shibuya. But as mentioned above, if you’re here in summer you can just grab them at a festival.

Sukiyaki (すき焼き)

sukiyaki pot in a Japanese restaurant

You might have noticed a lot of Japanese food names in this list containing “yaki” by now. It’s because “焼き” – yaki – means grilled. Sukiyaki is grill… Eh no. It’s a hotpot. It’s similar to Shabu-Shabu mentioned above, but uses slightly thicker slices of beef, different flavor, and some other ingredients. You also usually dip your meat in raw egg before eating it. Sukiyaki is often eaten in winter, but you can find it in summer too.

Takoyaki (たこ焼き)

Takoyaki is a staple of Japanese street food. They’re grilled balls made of wheat flour-based batter and filled with minced octopus. They’re topped with shaved bonito and seaweed flakes, mayonnaise, and takoyaki sauce. Takoyaki is a symbol of Osaka as they originated from there, so if you go to this city make sure to save some space in your stomach for these little balls.

  • Restaurant recommendation: not really a dish but more of a snack, I’d recommend getting them at a street food stall or shop. If you don’t find any, you can always get some in most izakaya (Japanese-style restaurants), or in supermarkets and konbini.

Gyoza (餃子)

Gyoza might be from China, but they’re super popular in Japan. And there are a lot of gyoza restaurants you can choose from. Definitely worth being on your must-eat foods list while in Japan.

Onigiri (おにぎり)

You probably know onigiri, so I’ll skip the detailed description. These rice balls can be found in almost all konbini and supermarkets, and are a great snack when you get the munchies mid-afternoon after walking 20km visiting the city. Onigiri fillings comes in endless variety, so if you’re feeling adventurous try different ones and which one you like best!

  • Restaurant recommendation: although onigiri are often bought in konbini and consumed as a snack, you can find onigiri restaurants, like Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku in Asakusa.

Katsudon (カツ丼)

Katsudon is very similar tonkatsu. The difference is, you add egg and a few vegetables. It’s easy to make and good. You’ll find it in a lot of restaurants, and as bento in supermarkets.

Karaage (唐揚げ)

Karaage is fried chicken, and it is a Japanese staple. They’re also everywhere, from supermarkets to more pricey restaurants. What makes a good or bad Karaage is often the coating, called koromo (衣) in Japanese. Not really a meal itself, but you cannot leave Japan ticking this one off your must-eat foods list.

  • Restaurant recommendation: Asakusa Chicken (more of a street food shop than a restaurant)

Sashimi (刺身)

Kind of like sushi but very different at the same time. It’s raw fish. You eat it with soy sauce and wasabi, like sushi. But the rice is in a separate bowl usually. And it’s often part of a “teishoku”, a Japanese set meal coming with different small dishes.

  • Restaurant recommendation: Shibusan Uokin in Shibuya. Or almost all restaurants serving seafood will serve sashimi as well.

Oden (おでん)

This is a classic Japanese winter dish. For those who knows French dishes, it’s always made me think of Pot-au-Feu. Not the same ingredients (oden uses daikon, boiled eggs, konjac, fish, and others) but I find some similar flavors, and ingredients are also boiled in a broth.

Chanko Nabe (ちゃんこ鍋)

You might know this as the ‘sumo food’. It’s a hot pot that Sumo wrestlers eat for gaining weight. You’ll actually find a lot of Chanko Nabe restaurants in Ryogoku, the sumo area of Tokyo. As Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu, it’s part of the Nabe (鍋) type of dishes. Nabe literally meaning “pot”. 

  • Restaurant recommendation: Chanko Tomoegata in Ryogoku. You can find Chanko restaurants all over Tokyo, but it’s more fun eating this dish in the Sumo district Ryogoku.

Unagi (うなぎ)

Unagi means eel, and this dish is grilled eel over rice. Simple as that. It is very popular in Japan, especially during summer (don’t ask me why though, as the dish is served hot) and usually served in a square bento box. It’s slightly more expensive than most of the items in this checklist, and thus is often considered a treat by Japanese people.

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