Visiting Japan has become known for many things: the breathtaking temples, unmatched customer service, novelty experiences you can’t have anywhere else…but most of all…the food. From the freshest sushi to the sweetest fruit and bounciest noodles, the Japanese diet is better for both the body and the soul.
As a boutique Japanese travel agency, we’re asked all the time about what should be on you Japan food bucket list, which is why we’re bringing you this ultimate foodie Japan guide. We’re here to give you our local and expert opinions on what, when, and where to eat the most unmissable Japanese food and drink.
Foodie Tours in Japan
Looking for an expert to take you on a foodie Japan tour? You’ve come to the right place! Whether it’s using our in-depth foodie guides to things like Kamakura street food or navigating Nishiki Market, or exploring our local-led guided food tours like Tokyo’s hidden foodie neighbourhoods and Kyoto izakaya hopping, Flip Japan has you covered!
Check all our favourite foodie Japan posts below:
Where to Eat as a Foodie in Japan
If we’re being honest, it’s harder to find a bad meal than it is to find an incredible one here in Japan. From the tiny local soba shops to big chain restaurants, the quality of meals in Japan is just way above average.
That being said, if you are a big foodie in Japan, there are a few places where we guarantee you’ll find delicious and authentic Japanese food that isn’t available anywhere else.
Izakaya
Izakaya are an absolute Japanese staple. These bar/pub/restaurant hybrid establishments offer casual drinking and dining, and are an obligatory visit on any foodie Japan tour. Izakaya can be found in almost every part of the country, from lining busy city roads to being the sole open eatery past 5 pm in rural villages, offering a selection of small plates and drinks.
If it’s your first time, you might want to opt to eat tabehoudai (all-you-can-eat), to try as many different foods as possible. To get you started, here are the must-eat izakaya dishes that we recommended trying:
- Gyouza: Pan-fried dumplings typically stuffed with a mix of pork and vegetables
- Tamagoyaki: A Japanese folded omelette with regional styles of flavours
- Karaage: Fried chicken that’s rich, crispy, and the perfect Japanese drunk food
- Tebasaki: Chicken wings prepared in various ways, like fried with soy sauce or deep-fried with salt
- Tofu: Served either chilled or deep-fried (agedashi tofu), Japan makes tofu taste actually delicious
- Yakisoba: Fried noodles with meat, vegetables, and soy sauce
Kaiseki Restaurant
Kaiseki restaurants offer a traditional Japanese multi-course dining experience where guests are served a set seasonal menu crafted by the chef, rather than ordering individual dishes. Each bite is carefully crafted to reflect balance in taste, texture, and appearance, often served in a serene, elegant setting.
Kaiseki is considered a fine dining experience, and can be tricky to reserve on your own. We recommend asking your hotel concierge for assistance or reaching out to our expert travel planners to secure your kaiseki meal.
Michelin-Star Restaurants
Japan is home to over 500 Michelin-starred restaurants, ranging from world-renowned fine dining establishments to humble ramen shops and casual eateries. And it’s not just about luxury either; Japan’s Michelin Guide celebrates culinary excellence in all forms, including plenty of affordable Michelin-starred options.
Japanese Chain Restaurants
Trust us, adding a few Japanese chain restaurants to your foodie travel itinerary is one of the best ways to eat like a local, without compromising on quality or price. No matter where you eat in Japan, there is an expectation of high quality, and this doesn’t stop at chains.
These are just a few of our top foodie Japan chain restaurants:
- Sushiro: A beloved conveyor belt sushi chain with cheap prices and delicious sushi
- Tendon Tenya: Fast-food tempura where you have to try the popular tempura don (bowl)
- Coco Ichibanya: There’s nothing more comforting than a hot plate of katsu curry from Coco Ichi
- Marugame: Some of the best udon in Japan, served in seconds alongside piping hot tempura
Must-Try Japanese Food
We could make this list infinitely long, with regional specialities, seasonal twists, and a million otsumami (savoury snacks to pair with drinks), but we know you can only eat so much in just one trip to Japan.
These are the must-try Japanese foods that we make sure every single one of our clients gets the chance to try:
Sushi
It goes without saying that most foodie Japan visits should start with sushi. In most cases, sushi in Japan refers to nigiri (a rice ball topped with a piece of raw fish) and can be enjoyed in many different ways.
For a luxury experience, go for omakase (chef’s choice tasting menu experience), for fun and uniqueness, choose kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi), or for something more hands-on, why not join a sushi-making class?
Yakitori
Yakitori is a popular Japanese dish consisting of bite-sized pieces of chicken skewered on bamboo sticks and grilled (traditionally) over charcoal. There are lots of yakitori varieties, like thigh, breast, skin, and even organs, seasoned with either shio (salt) or tare (a sweet soy-based sauce).
Yakitori is commonly enjoyed at casual eateries called yakitori-ya or at izakayas alongside drinks. You can get yakitori at all budgets, from high-end yakitori omakase to super cheap prices like Torikizoku, where every item on the menu costs just ¥390.
Noodles (Ramen, Soba, and Udon)
Japanese noodles come in all shapes and sizes, but there’s no missing ramen, soba, and udon.
When it comes to ramen, Japan is a playground of different flavours, toppings, and broths, where every region has their own speciality type of ramen. You can sample many ramen versions at one of our favourite ramen chains. Wherever you go, make sure to try visiting independent ramen-ya (ramen shops) for a more local experience, or join a ramen-making experience and learn to cook it for yourself.
Soba is made with buckwheat noodles served in a light broth and is both a comfort food and a health food for people in Japan. This is because the noodles themselves are surprisingly high in protein, with the broth bringing a deep umami flavour to the dish.
There are few things more enticing than a bowl of bouncy, chewy, thick-cut udon noodles. They’re commonly served in a mild dashi-based broth, and topped with ingredients like green onions, tempura, or a soft-boiled egg. Udon dishes are enjoyed hot and cold, making them a versatile comfort food across all seasons in Japan.
Japanese Beef (Gyugatsu, Yakiniku, and Wagyu)
Japanese beef is prized for its incredible marbling and melt-in-your-mouth texture, with Wagyu being the gold standard for premium cuts. Among the various types of Wagyu, Kobe beef is the most renowned due to its rich flavour, fine fat distribution, and strict quality standards.
Our top ways to enjoy Japanese beef are:
- Gyukatsu: A breaded and deep-fried beef cutlet finished at your table on a small personal grill
- Yakiniku: Bite-sized pieces of premium beef that are cooked over a charcoal or gas grill
- Sukiyaki: Thinly sliced beef simmered in a sweet soy-based broth with vegetables, tofu, and raw egg for dipping
- Shabu-Shabu: Beef slices dipped into a hotpot of boiling broth for just a few seconds before enjoying with ponzu or sesame sauce
Japanese Fusion Foods
To complete the real foodie Japan experience, you have to try some Japanese fusion dishes. Perhaps the most famous is omurice, Japan’s take on a Western omelette served over rice, but there are so many other amazing examples.
We highly recommend checking out taco rice (an Okinawa dish inspired by American cuisine), and Japanese Italian food, which is a whole genre of its own, mixing Italian cooking with Japanese ingredients and tastes.
Must-Try Japanese Drinks
The foodie Japan experience doesn’t end with just food. Tantalise your taste buds with some of these quintessential Japanese nomimono (drinks).
Tea
Of course, tea (or cha) has to sit top of this list. With historic roots in the ritual of a tea ceremony, the hot beverage has played a role in Japanese culture for centuries. You can partake in your own tea ceremony experience, book an elegant afternoon tea, or stroll the streets of Uji, Japan’s matcha capital.
Japanese Alcohol
When it comes to Japanese alcohol, there is simply so much to sample. You’ll find the usual classics on every izakaya menu, such as lemon sours (a popular Japanese drink made with shochu, soda water, and freshly squeezed lemon juice, whisky highballs, and Japanese beers, with lots of izakaya also offering nomihoudai (all you can drink options).
Japan is also home to an abundance of alcohol tastings and tour opportunities like sake breweries, gin distilleries, whisky distilleries, beer breweries, and even wineries.
Want to drink like a local? Why not join our Tokyo Bar Hopping and Local Izakaya Tour to discover the best kept secrets of Shibuya nightlife.
Seasonal Food in Japan
If you want to eat like a local in Japan, the secret is simple: follow the seasons. Japanese cuisine is built around ingredients that taste best at a particular time of year, so what’s on your plate often reflects what’s happening outside. Want to try it all? Looks like it’s time to start planning another trip!
Spring Food and Drinks in Japan
Spring in Japan is all about delicate, fresh flavours like sakura mochi, bamboo shoots, and young mountain vegetables (sansai) that celebrate the season’s new beginnings. There are always fun new limited-edition cherry blossom drinks and snacks, as well as seasonal ingredients like iyokan (a Japanese citrus) and clams, with the clamming season peaking in March to April.
Learn about the best Spring foods in Japan
Best Summer Food in Japan
As the heat and humidity ramp up, so does the desire for cool and refreshing Japanese food. You can replace hot meals with cold udon and zaru soba (soba dipped in a cold broth), then enjoy a delicious (and literally frozen) kaki gori (shaved ice) for dessert.
Summer in Japan is also festival season, which means festival food! You can try savoury yakisoba (fried noodles), a cooling choco banana, and delicious takoyaki (crispy octopus balls). When it’s really hot, a cold and refreshing cucumber on a stick is always a local favourite.
Best Autumn Food in Japan
Autumn brings fresh, crisp days and beautiful koyo (autumn leaves). Japanese food reflects this with heartier flavours which use the seasonal harvest. You’ll often find mushrooms, kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), and persimmons in autumnal dishes, with many of the best fall foods all being found in our favourite fall food, oden.
Dive deep into Japanese Autumnal food
Best Winter Food in Japan
Whilst steaming hot bowls of ramen and nabe (Japanese hotpot) are a must-try during winter in Japan, some of the best seasonal eats come in the form of winter sweets. Strawberries are considered a winter fruit in Japan, with treats like ichigi daifuku (strawberry mochi) lining the shelves. You’ll also find lots of unique winter edition drinks on offer at cafes across the country.
Foodie Japan Guide to Tokyo
Tokyo is a whole world of its own when it comes to the foodie Japan guide. See it best with one of our full or half-day personalised Tokyo tours, or check out our dedicated foodie Japan guides for dietary requirements like vegan and vegetarian options or halal restaurants in Tokyo.
Where to Eat Authentic Japanese Food in Tokyo
There are so many places to eat authentic food in Tokyo, from exploring the stalls at Tsukiji Market to some of the best soba restaurants in Japan and even Tokyo ramen experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
FAQs
Why is Japan a good foodie destination?
Japan is renowned for its quality of both ingredients and meals, offering a huge variety of fresh, seasonal dishes, from Michelin-starred fine dining to casual festival stalls.
Where to eat in Tokyo as a foodie?
It’s hard to find a bad meal in Tokyo, but there are some areas considered especially foodie, such as Tsukiji Market and Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai Market, Ginza for gourmet meals, and Ebisu for fusion food.
Is it rude to ask for a fork in Japan?
It’s not considered rude, especially in tourist-friendly restaurants, but it’s always appreciated if you give chopsticks a try first.
Is it illegal to eat while walking in Japan?
It’s not illegal, but it is generally frowned upon in most places and considered rude. Even at festivals, street markets, and food stalls, the best practice is to eat next to the place you bought the food or at the communal tables.
Which part of Japan is known for food?
Every part of Japan has its own regional food specialities, but Osaka is famously called “Japan’s kitchen” by the Japanese due to the city’s rich street food culture.
