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What to eat in Japan

Eat your way through one of the top culinary destinations in the world

Japan is widely considered one of the top culinary destinations, so knowing what to order may feel daunting. It’s easy to get food confusion (foodfusion) in a new place, but we’ve put together a simple guide to help you get started. There are the usual staples – like sashimi and ramen – but you can dive even deeper into the cultural culinary experience by learning how to cook from local hosts at a homestay or joining monks for a vegetarian meal at a temple. If you want the most out of Japan’s cuisine, lean on a local leader to help you know what to order, translate the menus and get the scoop on cultural etiquette – did you know it’s actually polite to slurp your noodles?

What to eat in Japan

Ramen

If you were to only eat one thing in Japan, it would have to be ramen. This tasty, salty broth of noodles and meat comes in many different flavours and regional varieties. Sit and indulge at a ramen restaurant or slurp down a bowl at a market or karaoke hall – you'll find this on the menu pretty much everywhere.

Okonomiyaki

One of Osaka’s signature dishes, okonomiyaki is batter layered with cabbage, cheese, sauce and your toppings of choice grilled to perfection – its name literally translates to ‘grilled as you like’. Join an Intrepid food tour and you can learn how to make it yourself!

A plate of raw fish in Japan with a traveller's hand picking up a piece with chopsticks.

Sashimi

Japan has an abundance of fresh seafood to sample and even if you don’t like raw fish, it’s worth a try while you’re here. Sashimi is made with seafood caught using a special fishing method then sliced very thin and served raw. Best enjoyed with soy, ginger and wasabi, it’s worth being a little adventurous.

Soba noodles

Unlike the thick, juicy udon or hardy ramen, soba noodles are a delicate affair. Made from buckwheat, the subtle and nutty flavour makes them delicious on their own or with just a bit of pickled ginger to cut through the sweetness. It’s also yummy served cold with a bit of soy sauce on a hot day.

A traditional setting for a meal in Japan with lots of little bowls of different foods.

Monk-style meals

Even if you identify as a carnivore, the vegetarian (sometimes vegan) meals served in temples are a worthwhile cultural experience. Buddhist cuisine (shojin ryori) is often served as multiple courses made by monks as part of their spiritual practice. Pop in for a lunch or you can even sleep at a temple on an Intrepid trip to Japan.

A plate of different grilled chicken skewers in Japan, some glazed with sauce and peppers.

Yakitori

There’s plenty of street food to choose from in Japan and yakitori is one of them – skewered chicken cooked on a grill with a caramelised savoury glaze. It’s the perfect late-night bite, street food grab or a snack to munch on at a local bar.

Monjayaki

Often called monja, monjayaki originated in Tokyo, making it one of the city’s most traditional dishes. It’s a savoury pancake with a gooey, cheese-like texture and often comes as an interactive dining experience prepared directly on a teppan (iron plate) at your table and loaded with cabbage, tempura scraps and seafood or meat.

Mochi

When you’re ready for something sweet, order mochi – a traditional Japanese rice cake made from sweet glutinous rice called mochigome, which turns into a sticky and chewy outer layer wrapped around sweet pastes, fruits or ice cream. You can get them in lots of flavours but you should definitely try the matcha.

Vending machine munchies

Grabbing a vending machine snack (or meal) in Japan is just as essential as sampling sashimi. Japan has more vending machines per capita than anywhere else in the world, with ice cream, instant ramen, cold beer, hot coffee, sake and warm meals all available.

Does Japan have good vegetarian and plant-based options?

Vegetarian and vegan options are available in Japan but can be a little tricky to figure out as an English-speaking visitor. Dishes are sometimes seasoned with dried fish or egg that isn’t listed on the menu, and broth made from pork bones or fish is the base of many bowls of ramen. It’s certainly not impossible, but travelling as a vegetarian takes some planning in Japan.

Tokyo has a variety of great vegan and vegetarian restaurants, so travellers should have no problems there. Outside of Tokyo, some vegetarian dishes to look out for in standard restaurants are eggplant or bamboo nigiri, tempura vegetables, natto rolls and kappa maki (cucumber rolls).

You should also keep an eye out for shojin ryori (Buddhist cuisine), which are prepared by monks and are always vegetarian. Travelling with a local who speaks the language makes this a lot easier. If you travel with Intrepid, you’ll have a local leader by your side who can help you decipher menus and recommend good plant-based options.