Japan has tons of amazing food and a very large variety of it. But one of the things that I still get asked by friends and family coming to Japan is: “What should I even eat there?” And after putting together one too many lists (and meeting folks who didn’t know that Japan eats more than just sushi), I decided to make a guide of must-eat Japanese dishes during a trip to Japan.
Our list is long, with a whole 29 entries on our list! Each entry is just a quick guide to these foods. So if you already know it, just add it to your list. If you’ve never heard of it, just take a moment to read about it. Also, these are just my opinions, so accept or reject based on your own tastes and experiences.
Ramen (& Tsukemen)
This bowl of ramen was a three-day exclusive ramen sold at Jinrui Mina Menrui. With a clam and shoyu-base and a topping of fried pork, it was perfect for New Year's!
As you know, we’re ramen lovers here at MiauMall, and Japanese ramen has become so representative of Japanese food for good reason. While this dish originally came from China, the flavor and the variations that spawned in Japan have created a new uniquely Japanese take that is delicious.
And while you can enjoy Japanese ramen abroad, both at restaurants and instant versions, enjoying it in Japan is an experience like no other. Another unique experience is tsukemen, or dipping ramen. Tsukemen restaurants will often give you a bowl of concentrated soup with noodles and toppings on the side. Just dip each mouthful of noodles and toppings into the soup to coat them in flavor and slurp away.
By the way, if you can't make a trip out to Japan to slurp down the good stuff, give our Raving About Ramen Bundle a try for a curated box of regional ramen varieties! (Or just check out our Japanese Ramen Selection!)
Soba
Soba with tempura is my personal summer obsession, even though it's available year-round. Image via Magnific
Continuing on the noodle train, soba is a buckwheat noodle as opposed to a wheat noodle like ramen or udon. Well, mostly a buckwheat noodle. Buckwheat can be fragile, so shops may use a potion of wheat flour to get sturdier noodle than with just buckwheat. But that’s not important here.
Soba is thinner and lends itself to lighter yet flavorful soy sauce and Japanese dashi-based soups. And while there’s a huge variety of soba dishes, my personal favorite is zaru soba, a cold soba usually served on a bamboo plate with wasabi, green onion and a cup of tsuyu, a soy sauce-based dip, on the side.
And even better is ten-zaru soba, a cold soba served with plenty of tempura veggies and fish on the side. It especially hits in summer.
Udon
You can enjoy plenty of varieities of udon, but my personal favorite is curry udon. Image via Instagram
Last stop on the noodle train, we’re going back to wheat with udon, a thicker wheat noodle. In fact, it’s the thickest of the three. Udon has been around a bit longer than ramen, so there are plenty of traditional Japanese noodle dishes that use udon and dashi in perfect combination. Two of my favorites are kitsune udon (an Osaka specialty) and curry udon.
Kitsune udon features a delicious slab of fried tofu on top that adds a bit of sweetness to the deep umami of the broth. Meanwhile, curry udon combines curry with Japanese dashi for a rich, flavorful soup that wraps around each noodle for a warm, comforting dish.
Takoyaki
A lot of people love it but a good amount of people don't like the texture of these octopus balls. But I like the gooey center. Image via Unsplash
Another Osaka food staple, takoyaki is often translated to “octopus balls”, but more specifically, it’s a piece of octopus tentacle inside of a ball of cooked batter. This batter is made with Japanese dashi, so when it’s cooked, it has a solid outer shell, a creamy inside and a meaty piece of octopus in the center.
It’s not everyone’s favorite texture-wise, but we love takoyaki and think it’s worth a try if you’ve never had it. And if you don’t like takoyaki in your home country, you might be surprised by how good it is here. In that case, just share with your friends who do enjoy it.
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki looks different based on if you're in Osaka or Hiroshima, with both staking a claim to being this dish's place of origin.
Often called a “Japanese pizza”, okonomiyaki is often considered to be a type of Japanese soul food. It’s different based on if you’re eating Osaka-style or Hiroshima-style.
Osaka style is usually made by combining batter with cabbage and variations added by mixing in different ingredients or layering on pork, beef, egg and more. Hiroshima-style, on the other hand, has a thin layer of cooked batter with plenty of items layered on top. It’s super tasty and is easily shareable if you’re travelling in a group.
Kushikatsu
Kushikatsu is just a no-brainer. It's fried food on a stick accompanied with a dipping sauce that matches with it perfectly, making it a total must-try. Image via Instagram
Kushikatsu is another Osaka staple and is really its most simple. Kushikatsu is a dish of breaded and fried foods, including meat, fish and vegetables, on a stick. Once served, you dip it into a kushikatsu sauce that adds amazing umami flavor to the fried deliciousness.
And while I didn’t really think of it as special, I realized how special it was when friends visiting from overseas really fell in love with it.
Sushi
A good, affordable sushi set is one way to get your sushi fix while in Japan. Even some top-quality restaurants will offer lunch sets with their best stuff.
Sushi kind of speaks for itself. If you already like sushi, then you have to experience it here in Japan. With tons of fresh fish and an emphasis on quality, Japan has plenty of places to enjoy delicious fish cut with amazing care.
Note from a pro: while Sushiro and Kura Sushi are great for conveyor belt sushi, you can find other places that are higher quality, still affordable and have conveyor belts.
If you really love sushi, we also recommend trying kaisendon, a beautiful bowl of various sashimi over rice that is an absolute treat for seafood lovers.
Unagi
While unagi usually comes in a box topped over rice, this style of eel over egg is super popular on Japanese social media. Image via Instagram
On the topic of fish, we have to talk about unagi. Sure, you can find unagi, or eel, at a sushi restaurant, but we think that it’s worth its own meal. Grilled unagi is one of our favorite treats. It’s a little more expensive than other fish, but the amazing flavor makes it worth it.
While a classic unagi box is always welcome, our current obsession is a bowl of rice topped with egg and unagi. Honestly, it’s a combo made in heaven.
Japanese Curry
Japanese curry is something I find myself craving every winter. But Hokkaido soup curry (pictured below) is something I crave year-round. Image via Magnific
Japanese curry is such a warming and delicious comfort food and is definitely worth a try if you’re travelling in Japan. No, curry is not Japanese, but it’s been in Japan for a long time and adapted to the Japanese palate.
It’s sweeter than your average curry (a point that lovers of traditional curry either love or hate), and is commonly thicker and served with white rice. And with toppings like fried shrimp, tonkatsu or fried chicken cutlet, it’s one of the most comforting things to eat in Japan.
I also am a huge lover of Hokkaido's soup curry style, which can be found at shops all over Japan. Image via Instagram
You can try this dish with any of the items in our Japanese Curry Selection, whether you want a quick and easy pre-made version or curry roux for a more homemade experience.
Tempura
Tempura actually comes from frying techniques introduced by Portuguese traders, but has evolved to be a staple of Japanese cuisine. Image via Unsplash
We mentioned Ten-soba (soba with tempura) earlier, but we have to make a dedicated spot for tempura. If you don’t go for ten-soba, then definitely give just tempura a try. These deliciously battered and fried vegetables and fish have an amazing crisp to them and a flavor that is accentuated by sauces and seasonings served on the side at tempura shops.
I’m personally a sucker for a ten-don, a bowl of rice with plenty of tempura on top with a special sauce to drizzle over the tempura.
Tonkatsu
A good tonkatsu combines the crispy fried outer with a tender, juicy pork inner. Image via Magnific
Tonkatsu is a delicious cut of pork that is breaded, deep-fried and topped with a tasty tonkatsu sauce. It’s usually served with rice and a healthy serving of cabbage as well. This food is popular in Japan for both how crispy the outer breading becomes and how amazingly tender the pork can be.
High-quality restaurants especially nail the tenderness aspect for a perfect combo of crunch and melt-in-your-mouth softness. Also, if you’re in Nagoya (or a Nagoya-style tonkatsu restaurant), give the Nagoya specialty miso katsu a try for an even richer umami flavor.
Gyukatsu
Gyukatsu is a great yet unique way to enjoy wagyu. It's the perfect combo of crispy and melt-in-your-mouth and is so addictive. Image via Wikimedia Commons
Speaking of deep fried meat, gyukatsu is another experience that, although similar to tonkatsu, is unique enough to warrant its own spot on our list. Gyukatsu uses beef instead of pork and the beef is usually not fully cooked but is sliced and comes with a small grill for you to cook the sides to your desired doneness.
The beef melts in your mouth while the outer deep-fried part offers a delicious crunch, which is why it’s such a good thing to eat in Japan.
Wagyu & Kobe Beef
Uncooked wagyu may seem super fatty, but the marbling renders out to create a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Image via Unsplash
Speaking of beef, we have to mention wagyu. Japanese wagyu, especially the higher-grade stuff, is famous for its amazing marbling, which makes for a juicy, soft experience when cooked. Generally, Kobe beef refers to that high-grade premium wagyu, but not all Kobe beef actually comes from Kobe, with other cities in the area contributing via farms.
Also, Kobe beef is wagyu, but not all wagyu is Kobe beef, meaning that you can find A5 wagyu that isn’t necessarily Kobe beef, like the Matsusaka beef pictured above.
Honestly, the best way to enjoy wagyu in my opinion is yakiniku. Some places will even cook certain cuts for you to make sure it's properly cooked. And for those, like me, who don’t really like animal fat, the fat in wagyu is not at all similar to the fat in regular beef. The marbling cooks out, basically acting as an oil once cooked.
Many of my friends have said it’s probably the best beef of their lives. Plus, it’s cheaper here than anywhere else.
Yakiniku
Yakiniku is a great option for groups. Just make sure to split grilling duties evenly so one person doesn't do all of the grilling. Image via Unsplash
We mentioned yakiniku just a second ago, but let’s get into it really quickly. Yakiniku is meat that you grill on a table grill at restaurants that provide cuts of meat for said grilling. It’s very similar to Korean barbecue, but Japan tends to opt for a more simple flavor profile, allowing both the flavor of the meat to shine through and for the customer to build the flavor profile they want with sauces and seasonings.
And with tons of high-quality beef, pork, chicken and vegetables, Japan is a great place to enjoy some tasty grilling.
Yakitori
Yakitori is another great food for groups of friends and usually have a nice, long menu of both various cuts of chicken, chicken dishes and drinks. Image via Unsplash
Staying on the grilled meat throughline, yakitori is a dish of grilled chicken skewers. Yakitori chefs grill cuts of chicken over a binchotan charcoal grill, giving it a deliciously smoky flavor. The skewers can also have either a salt topping or a sauce glaze (and even a spice seasoning at some places) that just adds flavor.
Yakitori is perfect with a cold beverage and is popular for after-work parties.
Egg Sando
The key to the egg sando's deliciousness is the combo of the shoku-pan bread and the egg mixture. Image via Instagram
You’ve probably seen the famous tamago sando (egg sandwich) on social media. And while our inner contrarian wants to say that it’s overhyped, it’s actually really good. The bread is always soft and pillow-y and the egg mix is delicious and creamy.
If the convenience store version doesn’t hit for you, try a local shop where the quality is usually even better. Also, if you go to Family Mart, try the viral hack of putting a Fami-chiki in your egg sando. It’s so good!
Gyoza
As a gyoza lover, the Craft Gyoza Festival in Osaka (and other parts of Japan) is a highlight of my year. The one that happens alongside the Ramen Festival is another highlight.
Gyoza, also known as pot stickers, is another import to Japan from China. However, gyoza in Japan is known to have a slightly different flavor, which can allegedly be attributed to a healthy helping of garlic.
Japan also has a pretty big amount of unique variations on gyoza, as evidenced by the time we went to the Gyoza Festival. Japanese gyoza is definitely worth a try, especially with how affordable and tasty it is.
Kakigori
Matcha kakigori, at some of the fancier places, can come with sweet red beans and pieces of mochi. Image via Magnific
Kakigori is shaved ice, which is a summer staple in many parts of the world, but Japanese kakigori sits in the middle of American shaved ice and Korean bingsu. Japanese shaved ice sold at cafes is shaved super smooth, giving it an almost ice cream-like softness.
Topping it with flavors of syrup like strawberry, matcha and more is a great way to enjoy an amazing sweet treat in the summer (or winter). If you want to try making it yourself, you'll need a block of ice, a really good knife and a good syrup. For syrup, we recommend one from Waira Tamba.
Mochi (Fresh Pounded)
Mochi comes in various shapes and sizes. You could probably eat a different type of mochi every day during a short trip and still not eat all of them.
Mochi, pounded rice cakes, are a staple of Japan, dating back many years. You can find a huge variety of mochi in Japan, from plain or topped with soybean powders to stuffed with fruit and red bean paste. It’s a delicious, chewy treat that is best enjoyed here in Japan, especially when it’s been freshly pounded.
Our favorite type is strawberry daifuku with white bean paste instead of red.
Dango
Mitarashi dango is a treat that I got into more and more as I ate it. There's something about grilled mochi in that delicious glaze that is almost addicting. Image via Maginific
Speaking of rice cakes, dango is technically a variation of mochi. However, unlike mochi, dango is usually steamed after the pounding. Dango also comes in many different forms. Our favorites are dango with flavored creams on top, like purple sweet potato, and mitarashi dango, a dango with a sweet soy sauce glaze.
We actually made a video about one of our favorite Osaka dango spot.
Soft-Serve (& Cremia)
Yes, you can have soft-serve anywhere. But the quality (especially Cremia) and flavors in Japan make at least one cone a must-try during a trip to Japan. Image via Instagram
Fun Fact: Japan has really good soft-serve ice cream. And especially in the summer, you can find great ice cream shops all over the place. While we know some people may snub soft-serve over “real” ice cream, it really is worth a try, especially the iconic matcha-vanilla swirl.
But a step even above that is Cremia, a popular, high-quality soft serve ice cream that has a higher milk fat content and uses more cream from Hokkaido, a prefecture famous for its dairy. It’s a rich and delicious experience that we think you’ll love.
Japanese Crepes
While there are savory crepes perfect for breakfast or lunch, my sweet tooth draws me to the many sweet varieties. Image via Instagram
We’ve already talked quite a bit about Japanese crepes on our blog, but we have to mention them here. If you have a sweet tooth, Japanese crepes are a great option to satisfy that. Japan’s crepe game is on point, with soft yet crispy crepes being filled with everything from ice cream and fruit to custard and cheesecake.
Add variations like fully crispy crepes and creme brulee crepes, and you have a whole world of crepe-y goodness to explore in Japan. Harajuku is particularly popular for their crepes, but there are tons of options all over the country.
Melon-pan
While Melon-pan of course has a melon flavor, you can also find chocolate and matcha varieites of melon-pan. Image via Instagram
While fami-chiki and egg sando are conbini staples, melon-pan (or melon bread) is another staple that shouldn’t be slept on. With a crispy outer shell, a fluffy inside and a tasty melon flavor, this is a treat that many people fall in love with at first bite. And while you can find this in any conbini, give it a shot at a local bakery too. I personally love the melon pan with the melon creams in the middle.
Taiyaki
Taiyaki is another pleasure of mine that I have to fight myself from buying when I see it. Image via Magnific
We lose our minds over taiyaki, a fish-shaped pastry with a red bean paste filling. The bread is similar to a waffle with its outer crisp and inner softness. And while red bean is traditional for the filling, you can also find chocolate, custard, matcha custard, white bean filling and more.
It’s best piping hot, but in that case, break it in half and give it a moment to cool to avoid burning your mouth.
Honorable Mentions:
Onigiri
Honestly, onigiri are a perfect food for breakfast, a quick snack or a nice lunch. If you're ever on a trip in Japan, you'll probably end up having one anway. Image via Instagram
Don’t get us wrong. We love a good onigiri, whether they’re from the convenience stores or from a specialty shop. Honestly, rice balls are so readily available in Japan that instead of a must-eat, it’s more of a will-eat.
Pancakes
While some folks are not a fan of these souffle-style pancakes, I'm more inclined to say it depends on where you get them. Find a good shop for these, and they'll blow you away.
Japanese pancakes are super popular on social media as the souffle-style pancakes are perfect for an Instagram photo or a TikTok video. While I love both the flat and souffle styles, some folks don’t like the souffle style. Personally, I think they’re great, especially covered in cream and syrup.
Omurice
Omurice is a dish that I don't think about often, but I always enjoy it when I have it. Image via Magnific
Omurice is absolutely delicious. Omelettes were introduced into the Japanese diet as a way to incorporate more hearty Western foods to help Japanese folks grow more overall to rival the larger Western soldiers and leaders they met after Japan was forced open. However, it was changed to fit the Japanese palate, stuffing it with a tasty tomato rice.
Nowadays, the most popular version is the runny egg omurice that looks beautiful when the omelette is cracked open. I think omurice is fine in general, but a really tasty omurice blows my socks off.
Shabu-Shabu
Shabu-Shabu is especially great if you're traveling in winter with how warming, filling and delicious it is. We love a good hotpot course when it's cold. Image via Instagram
Shabu-shabu is Japan’s take on hotpot dishes. We were debating whether or not to include it on this list, but doing hotpot in Japan is amazing, so we put it here. First, you can enjoy delicious Japanese bases, including dashi, tonkatsu, miso and more. Second, high-quality shabu-shabu shops will have high-quality Japanese beef, pork and more.
And leading into our third point, you can do shabu-shabu with tons of Japan-exclusive ingredients, like fugu, kanburi (winter yellowtail), and local Japanese beef or pork.
You can also do shabu-shabu at home. All you need is a hotpot, a tabletop stove, a soup base and ingredients. Recently, Nishiya Kitchen has been popular on our site for their shabu-shabu soups.
Part of what makes Japanese dishes so good is the attention to both the ingredients (especially local ones) and the craftsmanship behind these dishes. Image via Unsplash
And that’s our list! While we would include restaurant recommendations, this blog is already long enough. We hope this list will help you to find some of the amazing food that Japan has to offer! And if you want to explore Japan with us and see some of the best places in Osaka and the Kansai area to try these foods, check out the MiauMall official Instagram, TikTok or YouTube channel!
