A Guide to Japanese Cuisine: What and Where to Eat in Japan

In Japan, food is as important an experience as the sightseeing itself: alongside sushi and ramen, very different flavours such as tempura, yakitori, okonomiyaki, udon and soba await you. The most enjoyable experiences often come in small restaurants that specialise in a single dish, in eateries around stations and even in convenience stores (konbini). Regional specialities also change from city to city, so your table will be different in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

The logic of Japanese cuisine

Traditional Japanese cuisine (washoku) is based on seasonality, simple presentation and the natural taste of the ingredients. A meal usually consists of rice, miso soup, pickles and a few small dishes. The deep, satisfying flavour called umami is achieved with kombu seaweed, dried fish (katsuobushi) and soy sauce.

Another feature is specialisation. Many restaurants in Japan make just one dish: only ramen, only tempura, only tonkatsu. So when choosing a place, you first need to decide what you want to eat.

Dishes you must try

• Sushi and sashimi: Raw or cooked seafood on vinegared rice (sushi), or just sliced raw fish (sashimi). Conveyor-belt sushi restaurants (kaiten-zushi) are both fun and an easy place to start.
• Ramen: A filling noodle soup made with meat or fish stock. There are tonkotsu (pork bone), shoyu (soy sauce), miso and shio (salt) based varieties.
• Tempura: Prawns, fish and vegetables dipped in a light batter and fried.
• Udon and soba: Thick wheat noodles (udon) and buckwheat noodles (soba), served in hot soup or cold with a dipping sauce.
• Yakitori: Chicken skewers grilled over charcoal. Often found in the evenings at Japanese pubs called izakaya.
• Tonkatsu: Breaded and fried pork cutlet; a chicken version is also common.
• Onigiri: Triangular rice balls with a filling, wrapped in seaweed. Found in every konbini, they make a practical breakfast or snack.
• Matcha and wagashi: Green tea powder and the traditional Japanese sweets served with it.

Regional specialities by city

Tokyo has examples of every cuisine. The Tsukiji outer market has fresh seafood and street food, and the narrow streets of Shinjuku and Shibuya have small ramen and yakitori shops.

Kyoto is known for its delicate, refined cuisine. Kaiseki, a formal multi-course menu, tofu and yuba (soy milk skin) dishes and shojin ryori, the vegetarian cuisine of Buddhist monks, stand out here. Nishiki Market is a good place to taste local pickles and snacks.

Osaka is famous as "the city where people live to eat and drink". Takoyaki (octopus dough balls), okonomiyaki (a savoury pancake with cabbage and fillings of your choice) and kushikatsu (fried skewers) are Dotonbori essentials. When eating kushikatsu, never dipping into the shared sauce pot twice is an established rule.

Hiroshima's layered okonomiyaki and Hokkaido's seafood and miso ramen are also specialities to try in their regions.

Where to eat?

• Konbini (convenience stores): Fresh sandwiches, onigiri, bento boxes and hot snacks. Their quality usually surprises travellers.
• Station and department store floors: Food halls in major stations and in department store basements (depachika) offer a huge variety of ready meals.
• Shokudo and teishoku eateries: Everyday restaurants serving set meals of a main dish, rice, soup and pickles.
• Izakaya: For an evening meal and drinks with small plates to share.
• Ticket machine shops: In many ramen and noodle shops, you choose your meal at the machine by the entrance and pay for a ticket, then hand the ticket to the staff.

The plastic food models (sampuru) in restaurant windows are a great help if you do not speak the language: you just point to what you like. Many places also have picture menus.

Special dietary needs

Pork, fish stock (dashi) and alcoholic cooking ingredients such as sake or mirin are common in Japanese cuisine. For visitors who eat halal, vegetarian or vegan, the following help:

• Remember that a soup that looks vegetable-based may also be made with fish stock.
• Halal-certified and vegetarian restaurants are increasingly common in big cities; research the area you are staying in beforehand.
• If you have a food allergy, carrying a small card explaining it in Japanese makes communication easier.
• Shojin ryori in Kyoto is a traditional option without meat or fish.

If you are travelling with a group, letting us know about these needs in advance makes planning easier.

Table manners in brief

The basic rules are not sticking your chopsticks upright in rice, not passing food from chopstick to chopstick and saying "itadakimasu" before you start eating. Slurping noodles, on the other hand, is not considered rude. There is no tipping. For details, see our Japanese etiquette article.

Food opportunities on our tour

TatiliYakala's Japan tour includes a free evening in Shinjuku in Tokyo, Gion in Kyoto and Dotonbori in Osaka on the last evening; these stops offer natural opportunities to get to know Japanese cuisine. We clarify which meals are included in the programme and any special dietary needs together at the quote stage.

Frequently asked questions

Is it hard to find halal food in Japan?

Big cities have halal-certified restaurants and options for Muslim visitors, but not everywhere. Because pork and alcoholic cooking ingredients are common, you need to research in advance.

What is there to eat in Japan besides sushi?

Ramen, udon, soba, tempura, yakitori, tonkatsu, okonomiyaki and takoyaki are the most common options. Kaiseki and tofu dishes stand out in Kyoto, and street food in Osaka.

Is konbini food worth eating?

Yes, konbini in Japan are known for their fresh and varied products. Onigiri, bento and sandwiches are both practical and tasty; many travellers have breakfast there.

Is it rude to slurp ramen?

No. Slurping noodles is common in Japan and not considered rude.