Beginner’s Guide to Japanese Cuisine
Overwhelmed by the choice of dishes you’ve never heard of beyond ramen and sushi? Intimidated by the plastic food in restaurant windows? Once you get to know the defining features and most iconic dishes of Japanese cuisine, as well as what flavours to expect, we’re absolutely sure that there is no turning back!
We hope this article helps you navigate Japanese cuisine a bit easier and helps you experience truly authentic food, no matter your budget!
Japanese cuisine in a nutshell
Japanese cuisine is characterised by the generous use of seafood, seasonal fresh produce and rice. Contrary to many other Asian countries, spice levels tend to be on the lower end of the scale. Many Western foods like cakes and pastries, burgers and steaks, pasta and pizza are also widely popular and can be found across the country and, in most cases, adapted to Japanese taste.
There is significant regional variation in what ends up on your plate. Ingredients, food combinations and even cooking methods vary across the country. Every region has its own famous dish, and Japanese people seem to embrace this regionality – many travel just to experience food right at the source, in the best possible way.
At the same time, convenience food also plays a huge role in everyday life. Convenience stores are stocked with pre-cooked meals, packaged sandwiches and rice balls, and pastries that can best be described as lab food.
This dichotomy results in a colourful food landscape where surely everyone can find something to die for.
Dining culture
Japanese dining culture is quite different from what you might be used to in Western countries. Eating out is much more common, which is partly due to the affordability but also due to the small size of kitchens in many Japanese apartments. Invite-over parties are rare and people tend to meet outside in e.g. bars or izakayas (more about them later). Also, convenience food is widely available – you would be hard-pressed to walk more than 5 minutes before stumbling across a convenience store stuffed with fresh and packaged goodies.
Eating alone is also quite common in Japan, and not frowned upon at all. There are many restaurants where you find single-booth seating, but there are also standing sushi bars where you can grab a quick bite while on the run.
Ordering & payment
In general, waiters will not come to your table after you’ve placed your order and you’ve been served. This might seem a bit rude, but you have to grab the staff’s attention yourself by looking for eye contact or calling an audible “sumimasen” (“excuse me”).
Ordering, in many cases, can also be done on a tablet, where you are presented with the whole menu and you simply pick what you would like to eat. There are restaurants where ordering can be done on a machine, often outside the restaurant. You pick what you want to eat, press a button and pay – in return, you receive a ticket that you hand over to the staff once seated. In larger cities, menus are usually available in English as well. Sometimes the translation might be a bit confusing, so you might have to resort to your translation app of choice.
It is uncommon to make payments at the table, usually you take your bill and pay at the counter at the exit. Many places also have a fun machine where you can insert your bills and throw in your coins yourself. Credit card and SUICA payments have become more and more available in the last couple of years.
Omakase & Osusume
These are two very useful phrases you will read on menus or you can use while ordering.
Omakase literally means “I leave it up to you” and is usually relevant in fine dining or more high-end restaurants. In this case, guests do not order from a menu but let the chef decide what to serve. For example, in an omakase sushi restaurant, you might get a dining experience consisting of 15-20 pieces of freshly prepared sushi. The chef sets the order and the timing of the courses, based on thoughtful food pairing and considerations.
Osusume can appear in more casual settings as well. It means “recommendation”, which you might find on an extra page of the menu or simply ask the staff politely: “Osusume wa nan des’ ka?” literally meaning “What is your recommendation?”.
Tipping
Tipping is basically non-existent in the country, including restaurants. Some places include a small seating charge in the final bill, which might be considered a service fee. Usually, you will receive a small appetiser, often pickled vegetables, in exchange. It is not optional, so do not wonder if your water turns up with small plates you didn’t actually order. It will usually be noted on the menu whether the restaurant applies the seating charge or not.
Attention to detail
I find that there are three great perks in restaurants in Japan. First, there are always some boxes to store your stuff – usually, the staff point out where you can pick a box to put your bag, purse and coat in, so that you don’t have to put them on the floor. Sometimes, there is even storage cleverly built into your chair.
Second, drinking water is always free. It’s good old regular tap water, which is perfectly safe to drink in Japan. You can of course order some sparkling or bottled water for an extra charge.
Third, the wet wipes. I cannot remember any restaurants in the country, be it a small mom-n-pop-style establishment or a chain restaurant – there are always wet wipes available somewhere either at your table or at the counter. At more upscale places, you will get a warm wet cotton cloth to wipe your hands before starting your meal.
Chopstick etiquette
If you are not used to eating with chopsticks, this might be a daunting part of the dining experience. Traditional Japanese dishes are made for eating with chopsticks, with only a few exceptions like curry. You won’t automatically find Western cutlery on the table, however, if you do not feel comfortable using chopsticks, do not hesitate to ask the staff for a knife and fork. I would definitely recommend practising at home so you can show off your skills when in Japan and enjoy the food the way it was meant to be enjoyed!
It is considered good manners to rest your chopsticks on the little chopstick rest provided. If there is no chopstick rest on the table, you can use your bowl or plate to place your chopsticks on the rim, parallel to the table. Never stick your chopsticks into anything while eating, and do not stick them into the rice to park them while not in use. Also important to note: do not pass food to someone else from chopstick to chopstick – this is actually a part of funeral rituals, so doing so might invoke some inappropriate associations in other restaurant guests.
Slurping noodles?
Well, speaking of etiquette… You might find it weird at first, but slurping noodles is completely accepted in Japan. Only noodles, nothing else gets slurped. Apparently, it helps cool down the noodles while eating, and also supposed to enhance the flavour. Otherwise, table manners are quite similar to Western countries – burping, loud chewing and, alas, spitting are all frowned upon.
Queueing
Waiting and queueing in front of restaurants is considered absolutely normal in Japan, and people are willing to wait long-long minutes for a good meal. This is mostly due to the high population density in cities – it simply takes time to feed everyone. Many places even have a queueing system with tickets and chairs to sit down while in line.
Finding restaurants
Google Maps works extremely well in the country, with most restaurants marked on the map either in English or Japanese. Many restaurants are located in multi-tenant buildings on higher floors, which is a bit unusual at first and makes finding the place a bit harder. Luckily, data quality is continuously improving in Google Maps, so keep an eye out for the details of the address, like the floor number, entrance and the building name too.
Another great website to find restaurants is called Tabelog. The platform used to be available only in Japanese, but the company has started investing in the standalone app as well as in an English-language user interface in the last couple of years. Therefore, this option has become much more viable for tourists too, not just locals.
What is an izakaya?
Many times, you will find restaurants categorised as an “izakaya”. These are casual places that serve snacks, hot food and drinks, similar to a pub or even a tapas bar. Many people go to an izakaya after work for a couple of drinks and a nice chat.
About ratings & reviews – the Japanese scale
Japanese people seem to rate restaurants differently from what you might be used to. You can find amazing places with an average rating of 3,5 stars on Google Maps, for example. This is because people take advantage of the full spectrum of the 5-star scale, so you have to interpret the ratings as:
- 1 star: “Very bad experience, will never return. Food was bland, or the staff was rude.”
- 2 stars: “Underwhelming food or service, below expectations. Not recommended.”
- 3 stars: “Good food, good service, will return for a nice meal!”
- 4 stars: “Exceeded my expectations, definitely recommend this place!”
- 5 stars: “The best meal of my life, period.”
Keep this in mind while looking for restaurants frequented by locals and not (just) tourists. I am always a bit suspicious if a normal, non-fine-dining restaurant has a rating above 4.25 stars, as this usually indicates that tourists rate the place above its actual comparative value on the “Japanese scale”.
Japanese dishes not to miss
Finally, to the fun part! As a good starting point, we compiled a loooong (but by all means not exhaustive) list of some of the traditional and iconic Japanese food we definitely recommend trying! Even if you’ve already had some of the dishes outside of Japan, we think you should still give them another go – often you will find that their Westernised counterparts taste completely different (usually due to the way of preparation and use of “inappropriate” ingredients).
Important note: we included many chain restaurants in the recommendations. The reason is that we think this is a great way of trying new food without breaking the bank. The ones we listed are available in many locations and have consistently decent quality. We tried to avoid places where there is a high chance of you being disappointed and giving up on the meal altogether. If you like the concept of a dish, you can always opt for a mid- or higher-end restaurant.
Ramen
Delicious hot broth, chewy noodles and toppings in perfect harmony. An excellent hearty dish if you need some comfort food or some energy for the rest of the day!
There are 4 major types of broth, cooked with different base ingredients: tonkotsu (pork), shio (salt), miso (miso paste), shoyu (soy sauce).
Regional variations:
- Toyama black ramen, which gets its black colour from the long-simmered broth based on soy sauce.
- Nagoya “Taiwan” ramen, while a Japanese creation despite its name, is made with a spicy broth and heavily reminds of Chinese noodle soups.
Try here:
- Ichiran: a popular chain with counter seating designed for eating alone with zero staff contact.
- Ippudo: a long-standing chain, established in 1985 in Fukuoka.
- Menya Iroha: a chain serving the aforementioned black ramen, also available outside of Toyama.
Udon
Thick and slightly chewy noodles made of wheat flour, often served with a mild broth made from dashi, soy sauce and mirin.
Common toppings include scallions, tempura, fried tofu pockets or fish cake.
Regional variations:
Nagoya Miso Nikomi udon: a hearty dish with thick noodles and rich miso-based broth. It is often topped with a semi-raw egg.
Try here:
Marugame Seimen: a chain with many outlets across the country, serving affordable hand-crafted bowls.
Soba
Buckwheat noodles usually served cold with dipping sauce or warm in the form of a soup. They are a frequent guest in teishoku (traditional set) meals, like in the picture.
Regional variations:
Izumo soba: originated in Shimane Prefecture, this variation can be characterised as “whole grain”, as the buckwheat is milled with the husks together into flour. The result is darker noodles with higher nutritional value.
Try here:
Kamakura Matsubaraan in Kamakura: a popular restaurant near Kamakura beach. Be prepared to wait in line for a bit, but it’s absolutely worth it! While not the most affordable restaurant, the quality and the flavours are excellent.
Okonomiyaki
A pancake-style dish consisting of wheat flour batter, cabbage and optional ingredients like meat, shellfish, cheese and vegetables.
In many restaurants, the ingredients are served in a bowl. You need to mix them well and cook them on the hot plate in the middle of the table. Finally, you just add the sauces, sprinkle on some katsuobushi flakes, and you’re ready to enjoy! If you don’t feel comfortable about the DIY cooking, you can ask the staff, and they will be happy to prepare everything for you.
Regional variations:
Hiroshima okonomiyaki is prepared with an additional layer of yakisoba noodles.
Takoyaki
More of a street food than a restaurant meal – fried battered octopus balls with a good sprinkle of spring onions, bonito flakes, takoyaki sauce (similar to Western BBQ sauce) and Japanese mayonaise.
Be careful, the inside is usually scorching hot! Make sure to wait a couple of minutes before indulging.
Regional variations:
- Tokyo-style: crispy on the outside, soft on the inside
- Osaka-style: soft on the outside and creamy on the inside
Try here:
- As this is a street food, a perfect spot would be Osaka Dotonbori – there, you will find many outlets serving takoyaki.
- You can almost always spot takoyaki at festivals with food carts and food stalls as well.
Tempura
Deep-fried seafood or vegetables coated in light and crispy batter.
They are rarely served alone – you will often find them in set meals, bento boxes, or alongside noodle dishes like udon or soba.
Try here:
Tendon Tenya: a lesser-known chain amongst tourists, founded in Tokyo in the 80s. Their aim was to provide affordable tempura dishes by automating and speeding up the cooking/frying process.
Karaage
Fried bite-sized juicy chicken pieces coated in potato starch or cornstarch batter.
It is often served as part of a set meal or alongside rice and shredded cabbage.
Yakitori
These juicy flavour packets are skewers of vegetables, meat, and seafood, grilled over charcoal. Usually they are quite small, consisting of just about 2-4 pieces of meat or veggies, but also very affordable – you can mix & match as you like! This dish is very popular with foreigners too.
Regional variations:
In the North, like Hokkaido, seafood skewers are more common, whereas in the Kanto region, you will mostly find chicken as the main ingredient.
Try here:
Hanbey: a super exciting retro izakaya with multiple branches! Each restaurant has a 60s style Showa-era theme and serve a wide variety of food – including very cheap kushiyaki skewers.
Yakiniku
The most fun food experience with friends! Yakiniku literally means grilled meat, but is also used to refer to the specific style of dining. In essence, you grill your pre-cut veggies and meat on a grill built right into the middle of your table.
At most yakiniku restaurants, you either order a set of vegetables, meat (usually beef) and dipping sauces, or order per single item as you like.
The staff provide you utensils and help you with setting up the grill and the correct temperature.
Try here:
Gyukaku: a popular all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurant with efficient tablet ordering and a big grid built into every table.
Japanese Curry
One of the fine examples of a dish adapted to Japanese taste. The curry is not spicy but rather sweet, which might be unusual coming from Thai or Indian-style curries.
You can also pick up some S&B Golden Curry cubes at any supermarket. It’s a super easy dish to cook at home and will definitely bring back all your Japan memories! 🙂
Try here:
CoCo Ichibanya and Hinoya Curry are both popular, long-standing chains, where you can try different Japanese curry dishes with an affordable price tag.
Katsu curry
Pork or chicken cutlet coated in panko (Japanese-style breadcrumb with large and airy flakes) and fried until crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. It is served with curry sauce, and is cut into bite-sized pieces to be able to eat with chopsticks. Usually also accompanied by rice and a heap of cabbage.
Try here:
When in Nara, at Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Nara Park: a random find, but oh-so-delicious katsu curry on your way back from Nara Park!
Kushikatsu
A dish from Osaka, these are skewers battered in panko breadcrumbs and deep fried until golden and crispy.
There is a wide variety of skewers; meat, seafood and different vegetables are all popular ingredients.
Try here:
Again, Osaka is a perfect place to try kushikatsu: it is best to wander around Osaka Shinsekai and pick an inviting restaurant.
Shabu-shabu
A hot pot dish, where you quickly boil the ingredients, usually thinly sliced meat and vegetables, in a hot broth. You usually also get some side dishes like pickled radish, and dipping sauces. It’s a fun do-it-yourself experience, but the staff always help set up the correct temperature and so on.
The term shabu-shabu comes from the noise the ingredients make as you swoosh them around in the hot broth.
More upscale places can get a bit pricey, but the quality of the meat is usually unparalleled.
A pro tip: do not fully cook you beef! It will curl up, lose its texture and turn grey – not the piece you would enjoy. Stick to the method implied by the dish’s name: just quickly swoosh it around in the broth! Vegetables need a little more time in the hot bath though.
Try here:
- Kumachan Onsen: a fun concept with bear-shaped broth that slowly melts as you heat up the pot. Not the best taste, but surely the most fun experience. Very popular amongst tourists.
Gyoza
Pot-sticker dumplings filled with ground meat and vegetables and fried in a pan. Their origin can be traced back to China. The moon-shaped dumplings are served with dipping sauce made of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sometimes chilli oil.
Onigiri
Rice balls wrapped in nori seaweed with delicious filling inside. Popular fillings include salmon, tuna-mayo, pickled vegetables, pickled plum (umeboshi) and salmon roe. They are tiny but mighty – two or three pieces can make up a quick yet filling lunch on the go.
Regional variations:
Tarako butter yaki onigiri is a grilled variation from Hokkaido. The rice is mixed with butter and cod roe.
Try here:
Convenience stores are always stocked with onigiri, any time of the day, you cannot really go wrong here. Prices usually range between ¥100-¥180, depending on the filling.
Gyudon
A hearty beef rice bowl with different optional toppings like onions, cheese and mayo dressing.
You can also get a set with a small miso soup and a small side salad for a relatively low price.
Try here:
Sukiya, Matsunoya and Yoshinoya are all popular chains, perfect for a quick, affordable and filling bite.
Sushi
Sushi definitely deserves its own section! Many people are afraid of trying sushi, especially in a foreign country, being worried about getting food poisoning. You don’t need to be afraid though – Japanese food hygiene standards are very high and chances of becoming sick are minimal. Chefs are especially careful with seafood, as it is one of the main ingredients in many-many Japanese dishes. (The same applies to raw eggs too, by the way.)
There are four main forms of sushi:
- Maki: rolls of seafood and vegetables encompassed in vinegared rice (shari) and seaweed (nori).
- Nigiri: unlike maki, a larger piece of seafood is placed on top of a bite of pressed vinegared rice.
- Sashimi: thinly sliced raw fish without rice – a true delicacy, where the emphasis is entirely on the taste of the fresh fish.
- Temaki: cone-shaped roll, the ingredients are wrapped in rice and a large piece of seaweed. It is usually eaten by hand.
You can enjoy sushi with or without wasabi, which can add a little more heat and excitement to the bite.
Pickled ginger is also served with sushi, this can be used between sushi pieces as a palate cleanser.
Soy sauce is almost always used to emphasise the flavour of sushi. You can pour a small amount into the designated soy sauce dish you are provided with, and dip the fish into the sauce (without disassembling the sushi, which is considered impolite). Dipping the rice is also possible, however, the piece might fall apart due to the rice becoming too moist. At more upscale restaurants, the chef adds a brush of soy sauce on top of the fish before serving.
Try here:
- Sugidama: a casual yet more traditional-looking restaurant chain offering set meals and delicious sushi for a very affordable price.
- Uobei: a great entry to the world of sushi, this conveyor belt restaurant is popular amongst tourists and locals alike. They mostly have single-seating arrangement in front of the conveyor belt, and you order on a tablet. All sushi is made to order and delivered to you on small plates on the belt.
- Sushi Zanmai: a popular more upscale chain of the famous Sushi King. He became famous for spending large sums on the first tuna catch of the year, which is supposed to bring luck to the restaurant owner.
Iconic drinks
Japan is known for its funky snacks and drinks – the creativity is unparalleled here. From transparent coke to weird tea concoctions, you can treat yourself to a worrying variety of soft drinks. Without trying to take the fun out of exploration, here are some of the most iconic as well as traditional drinks you should try:
- Pocari Sweat: the funnily named isotonic drink is a true classic! It surely helps you get through the hot-n-sweaty summer. Or some exercise, if you’re into that kind of thing. It contains a lot of sugar though, so be mindful of your intake or opt for a sugar-free or low-sugar version, e.g. ION Water.
- Calpis: also known as “milky water”, it’s a thin probiotic yoghurt drink. It has a slightly acidic taste, and feels very refreshing.
- Sake: probably the most well-known Japanese drink outside the country. Sake is a spirit made of fermented polished rice. It can be enjoyed either chilled or warm.
- Umeshu: “plum wine”, made by steeping ume plum into 10-15% spirit with sugar. It has a nice sweet-and-sour taste.
- Shochu: a distilled liqueur, most commonly made of rice, barley, sweet potatoes or buckwheat.
- Chuhai: short for “shōchū highball”, this popular drink is usually made of barley shochu, sparkling water and fruit juice.
- Strong zero: the heavy hitter of the party, which falls into the chuhai category – it doesn’t really taste like alcohol at all, but oh boy, you will definitely feel the effects after a can or two.
- Float: the love child of a glass of soft drink and a scoop of ice cream. Yes, the popular Coca-Cola Float is nothing less than a glass of coke with a scoop of vanilla ice cream floating on the top. Try it once to tick it off the list, I would say.
Dessert
You will find that Japanese pastries are almost always very soft in texture, which is an interesting contrast to their Western crunchy counterparts. There are many chains and bakeries, at larger train stations, you will surely find at least one outlet.
Some of our favourite sweets:
- Taiyaki: a fun fish-shaped cake with soft red bean filling inside.
- Dango: rice flour balls on a skewer with syrup.
- Mochi: sweet & chewy rice cake made of glutinous rice flour. Daifuku mochi (round balls) is probably the most popular variation, best enjoyed with red bean paste filling, a strawberry peeking out of the middle or coated with kinako powder (roasted soy bean powder).
- Tokyo Banana: super-soft banana-shaped pastries with cream filling. Also a great souvenir or a companion to your ekiben on the Shinkansen.
- Mr. Donut: an affordable Japanese donut chain with delicious varieties and seasonal specials.
- Soufflé Pancake: a.k.a. fluffy pancake, a social media craze from a couple of years ago. Try it at Flipper’s in Shimokitazawa in Tokyo, where you can watch the staff make the pancakes live.
- Strawberry shortcake: a very light cake layered with sponge cake, fresh strawberry slices and fluffy whipped cream.
- Parfait: ice cream-based dessert often with pieces of fresh fruit, mochi or jelly and whipped cream, served in a tall glass.
- Shu cream: no, not shoe cream – this dessert is inspired by the french choux à la crème (vanilla cream puffs) and has tuned into a staple in Japanese cuisine over the years.
Breakfast
Traditionally, Japanese breakfast is a warm meal consisting of rice, fish and vegetables. Western-style breakfast, however, is gaining popularity, and you can find many bakeries, cafés and pastries in supermarkets. The best way of experiencing a traditional breakfast is either staying at a ryokan, where breakfast is usually included in the price of the room and served as set meal, or by booking an all-you-can-eat breakfast option at your hotel. This way you can sample many dishes – if nothing is to your liking from the traditional line-up, most hotels also serve Western-style food at the buffet.
There are a couple of popular café chains where you can find affordable Western breakfast sets, usually a sandwich with a drink. Take a look at Tullys, Caffé Veloce, Hoshino or Komeda – they all have many outlets in major cities.
Vending machines
From simple green tea to used ladies’ underwear – there is a vending machine for everything in Japan, basically. The most common ones you will find on every street corner dispense hot (marked with red) and cold drinks (marked with blue), and sometimes canned soups. Our favourites are black coffee, barley tea, green tea, and hot corn soup – perfect on a cold evening on the way back to your hotel. Most machines take cash or SUICA card payments. Every beverage manufacturer has its own machine offering the company’s products, and there are mixed ones, often a bit pricier compared to the branded machines. Sometimes you will find ¥100-machines, which sell everything, well, for ¥100 (+tax).
Best of convenience stores
There is no Japanese holiday without looting a convenience store (aka konbini) for some nice junk food. Here are some of our recommendations:
Colloquially, each convenience store is “famous” for different things that many people prefer to get from the specific shop.
- FamilyMart for the one-and-only “Famichicki”, the juicy fried chicken.
- Lawson for the best black coffee (at least when it comes to konbinis).
- 7-Eleven for the strawberry and other fruit sandwiches, and fresh fruit shakes.
- Ministop for fast food and a seating area.
- Daily Yamazaki for their freshly baked pastries.
Tips for vegetarians in Japan
As you might have noticed, seafood and meat are ubiquitous in Japanese cuisine. Also, most broths, condiments and sauces contain seafood derivatives in some form, so, even if it’s not obvious at first glance, you will likely run into some undesirable ingredient.
Luckily for travellers, vegetarian and vegan diets are gaining popularity in Japan, especially in larger cities. The HappyCow app works quite well in urban areas, so we would recommend checking it for nearby restaurants. Another great resource is Vegewel, a Japanese website (also available in English) dedicated to vegetarian and vegan restaurants.
Where to buy foody souvenirs
Japan is a heaven not only for foodies but for hobby cooks as well! There are gadgets for every kitchen scenario imaginable, and countless food-related souvenirs you can pick up. You can even find shops specialising in plastic food models (shokuhin sanpuru). Japanese craftsmen are also praised for their skills in crafting extremely high-quality knives.
One of the best areas to browse for kitchen items is Kappabashi Street, filled with stores catering not only to tourists but commercial customers as well. It is conveniently located near Senso-ji Temple, so chances are that you will be in the area anyway. Another great option is the all-rounder Don Quijote (Donki) department store with multiple branches across the country. If you are picking up electronics, make sure that they are compatible with your home country’s network – Japan runs on 110V (like the US, for example), so you might need a voltage converter (which are big and bulky, unfortunately).
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