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10 Amazing Foods In Japan That Are A Must Try
There’s no question there’s a ton of unique attractions and sights to see while visiting Japan. It’s a truly beautiful, bustling country which never ceases to amaze me. One of the biggest draws of the country for myself is the food. To say the food in Japan is delicious would be an understatement. It’s absolutely amazing.
Here are some of the standouts that anyone visiting Japan must try!
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Mochi
Mochi is certainly one of the most 10 amazing foods in Japan. A traditional rice cake, mochi is chewy and has a chewy texture and can be either savory or sweet. It’s a versatile rice cake which can be filled with various fillings like red bean paste and have different types of toppings like fruit on top. The freshness, and how soft and chewy the mochi is in Japan really stands out. While mochi can be found worldwide, the mochi in Japan is on a different level!
Ramen
Ramen is easily one of the top 10 amazing foods in Japan. Everyone knows ramen, let’s be honest. Ramen is everywhere in the world but it’s something that absolutely must be tried in Japan. The number of ramen places and different types of ramen are insane. The atmosphere itself, with many ramen shops just being a counter that seats 15 or less is a pretty cool experience. The ordering process, with the ordering machines in the front of some ramen restaurants is certainly an experience as well.
Sushi / Sashimi / Chirashi
Without a doubt, sushi in all it’s variations is one of the 10 amazing foods in Japan that you must have. Japan has some of the best quaility seafood in the world and the quality of the sushi / sashimi / chirashi certainly reflects this. Whenever I go to Japan I eat as much tuna as I possibly can. It’s the best tuna I’ve ever had. The crab, scallop, uni, it’s all outstanding. Whatever your fish of choice is, you will not be disappointed by the quality.
Fruit
Speaking of high quality, the fruit in Japan is on another level from what I’ve ever had in the United States. Quality takes precedence over quanity when it comes to Japanese fruit. Farmers are very attentive and closely monitor their crops to insure their fruit meets lofty standards in association with the fruit texture, sweetness, size, and shape.
These high standards, along with the country being smaller, which leads to less time for the fruit to make it from the farm to the store, leads to some exceptionally high quality fruit.
The melons and strawberries I had were the juiciest and sweetest I’ve ever experienced. With quality comes higher prices though. The fruit is definitely more expensive, but it’s well worth it. Fruit may not be on the radar as one the 10 amazing foods in Japan, but it certainly deserves to be!
Japanese Curry
Japanese curry is a very popular food in the country and is considered a comfort food and is one of the 10 amazing foods in Japan. Japanese curry is its own unique curry and different from other types of curry found in the world. It’s a little bit thicker and is more sweet and savory. Commonly made with both a protein (beef, chicken, or with tonkatsu) and vegtables, it’s more in the vein of curry stew. Served with Japanese short grain rice which is stickier than basmati rice, the rice also really soaks up the curry.
Outside of rice curry, there’s other ways to enjoy Japanese curry as well. One of those “other” dishes is curry soup. A staple in Hokkaido, this is Japanese curry in soup form. While I’ve had curry rice many times, I’d never heard of curry soup before. If you’re a curry fan than this is a must try while traveling through Japan. I actually enjoyed it more than the curry rice. Very tasty with different vegetables and fall- off-the-bone chicken, this was one delicious dish!
Kobe Beef / Wagyu
Kobe beef is a worldwide delicacy renowned for its flavor, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture which easily places it amongst 10 amazing foods in Japan. As the name implies, Kobe beef is cultivated from Japanese Black cattle which is raised in the Hyogo Prefecture region of Japan, near Kobe. It’s considered the highest quality beef that Japanese cattle can produce and is a must try! There’s various cuts of this and obviously the higher the price the better the cut and quality. So the experience can certainly vary upon how much you’re willing to spend.
But it’s an experience that must be tried!
Omurice
Omurice includes ketchup fried rice, yes ketchup fried rice, wrapped in a very thin omlette with ketchup drizzled over the egg. The egg is very crepe like, it’s a very thin layer. The ketchup fried rice is generally mixed with chicken and vegetables. It’s an all-around unique looking and tasty dish that must be tried while in Japan! It’s a very common and popular breakfast item which is why I’m including it on the list of 10 amazing foods in Japan.
Tempura
Another food on the 10 amazing foods in Japan is tempura. Tempura is very famous in Japan and you’ll be able to find it thorughout the country. Tempura, for those who haven’t had it before, consists of seafood (shrimp is a staple) and vegetables coated in a thin batter and deep fried. The quality can differ, but the outer batter should be light and crispy and not saturated in oil. It definitely makes a big difference while enjoying this classic meal.
Tonkatsu
A classic food in Japan, tonkatsu, is certainly on the list for 10 amazing foods in Japan. Tonkatsu is a breaded pork cutlet that’s deep fried in oil. The breaded exterior is nice and crunchy, while the pork, which is generally a pork fillet or tenderloin, is juicy and tender. Served with a side of cabbage and a thick Worcestershire-style sauce, this is a must have while in Japan. Certainly do your research and find a quality spot to enjoy this Japanese comfort food.
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki is a popular, savory pancake dish that is found throughout Japan. Consisting of a flour batter and cooked on a teppan, common ingredients include cabbage, meat, and seafood, with toppings including a thicker worcestershire type sauce, dried seaweed flakes (aonori), bonito flakes, Japanese mayonnaise, and ginger. There’s two distinct types, one hailing from Osaka and one from Hiroshima. The Hiroshima version is layered instead of mixed and uses 3-4x more cabbage.
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Discover the Best Kobe Beef Bowl Near Himeji Castle
If traveling to Himeji to visit the fantastic Himeji Castle, Kushiyaki Kobe Beef, a tiny restaurant located on Otemae Street, is a place you will defintely want to stop by to grab lunch or dinner to sample their kobe beef bowl!
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Kushiyaki Kobe Beef
This tiny hole in the wall restaurant has an ideal location if you’re visiting Himeji Castle. If you’re coming from Osaka or Kyoto on a day trip you’ll most likely be coming in from the Himeji Station. Once you leave the station, the main street it exits to is Otemae Street which will take you right to Himeji Castle.
Conveniently located on the left hand side right before you cross the street over to the castle grounds is where Kushiyaki is located.
This is a very tiny location, with a counter top and six total seats within it. You can also order something to go from the window in the front of the store, which is what I did since there was no seating available at the time I went. One of the most popular items sold is the kobe beef bowl.
As the name would imply, Kushiyaki Kobe Beef has a menu featuring kobe beef items. They also have wagyu and karubi items as well. The menu here is pretty small with skewers, rice bowls, and hamburgers, but that’s all they really need.
The burgers here were quite tempting. I mean a wagyu and kobe beef burger? Sounds pretty amazing, but I really wanted to enjoy and savor the meat itself, so I went with the kobe beef bowl – 2,400 yen, $14.93.
The Kobe Beef Bowl
The bowl itself is not very large. Since this was kobe beef I wasn’t expecting to be getting a huge portion though. It’s a simple dish: about 8 slices of kobe beef over a bed of rice with teriyaki sauce and some garnish. I was definitely excited to dig into this!
To put it simply the kobe beef was AMAZING. THe meat is grilled medium rare. It’s lightly seasoned, just seemed salted but that’s all it needs. It’s extremely tender, juicy, and literally melts in your mouth. There really isn’t much chewing involved. The meat literally melts in your mouth. I can’t recall having any kind of beef like this before. It was certainly an experience.
The rice of course goes well with this and adds some filler. It’s great that they drizzle some teriyaki sauce over it to add some flavor but keep it separated fromt the kobe beef. You really want to savor the kobe beef itself so it’s nice that the don’t put any teriyaki sauce over it.
Is Kushiyaki Kobe Beef Worth A Visit?
If you’re going to Himeji Castle, I definitely recommend stopping by and grabbing the kobe beef bowl. This is legit kobe beef and worth every penny. While the servings are fairly small for the price point, the quality of the kobe beef makes it well worth it. I’ve paid more money at a sitdown grill and gotten the cheapest kobe beef option that was double this amount and the kobe beef was far and away better at Kushiyaki Kobe Beef.
If you’re looking for something light than this will be a perfect appetizer on the way to the castle or for a light meal after you’ve toured it. With it being so close to the castle and the shop having to go orders, it makes it very convenient to grab a quick delicious bite to eat!
Kushiyaki Kobe Beef
Address: Japan, 〒670-0012 Hyogo, Himeji, Honmachi, 68 にの屋敷 D 2
Hours:
Monday 11 AM–5:30 PM Tuesday 11 AM–5:30 PM Wednesday 11 AM–5:30 PM Thursday 11 AM–5:30 PM Friday 11 AM–5:30 PM Saturday 11 AM–5:30 PM Sunday 11 AM–5:30 PM -
Why The Tsukiji Outer Market Is A Must Visit In Japan
The Tsukiji Market has been in existence for 80+ years. Despite the main fish market closing in Tsukiji and relocating to Toyusa the outer market still remains. The outer market is home to wholesale retail shops, produce, fish, as well as many, many restaurants / food stalls. The seafood here is some of the freshest in the city since it comes directly from the Toyusa fish market.
There are a TON of food stalls / restaurants within this vicinity so if you’re a foodie, this is a must stop.
Despite the main fish market moving to Toyusa in 2018, the outer market remains just as popular amongst both domestic and international tourists. Expect big crowds here!
One of the entrances to Tsukiji Outer Market 
Food everywhere, with lots and lots of tourists The Food Experience
There’s going to be too much food here to try it all (for most people). Budget may also play a part in what you look to purchase too. Depending on what you’re looking to eat, certain items can certainly get pricey. But that’s what’s nice with such a large and varied market, there’s something for all budgets to be found here.
Here’s what I got on my visit:
Mochi and Tanghulu
This shop near one of the entrances to the market (photo above) specialized in strawberry mochi and tanghulu. This was just too tempting. I HAD to start off the food tour with this, it looked too good!
I decided on going with the strawberry flavored mochi with strawberry (400 yen, $2.83 USD).
The mochi was incredibly soft, chewy, and very fresh. It was also filled with red bean paste and powdered sugar( the powdered sugar was a nice surprise!). The strawberry is very juicy. It wasn’t overly sweet but I really couldn’t notice due to the sweetness of the red bean paste / powederd sugar.
I couldn’t just get the mochi with all that delicious tanghulu on display. I opted for the grape and strawberry tanghulu (600 yen, $4.24 USD).
Both the grapes and the strawberries were very sweet and juicy in their own right. I don’t want to understate the juiciness of these grapes and strawberries. These fruits EXPLODE with juice when you bite into them. The sugar coating provides additional sweetness of course, as well as a hardy crunch.
Tamagoyaki
What exactly is Tamagoyaki? It’s a sweet and savory type of Japanese type of omlette. I’d never had it before but had heard of it. I saw this restuarant and figured today was the day to give it a try! The price for a block of it was only 150 yen ($1.06) too. Good deal!
The egg is super soft, fluffy, and light. It’s also very sweet though. I was expecting it to be sweet but this was much more sweet than savory.
Grilled Wagyu
Yes, this is a fish market BUT there’s also wagyu here! There’s a few stalls that sell grilled wagyu skewers within Tsukiji. The cuts of wagyu vary and the price points reflect accordingly. They also have skewers of various seafood (octupus, squid, scallop, unagi, all 1000 yen, $7.09 USD) and even have skewers of wagyu with uni (sea urchin) spread over it. There’s a lot of skewer options!
I opted for the rump wagyu, which was the cheapest cut of wagyu – for 3000 yen, $21.27 USD.
The meat is grilled medium rare. It’s lightly seasoned with just salt with a teriyaki glaze drizzled over the top. The glaze is a little sweet with a hint of spice to it. The meat just melts in your mouth. No exaggeration. You barely have to chew. The wagyu is unbelievably good!
Tuna Nigiri
No visit to Tsukiji would be complete without eating some seafood, specifically tuna. I decided to give Maguroya Kurogin a try. They specifically specialise in tuna here with various cuts served as sashimi over rice, nigiri, or sushi.
Decisions, decisions. It’s a tough choice on what to get 
Sooo much tuna!! Look at how huge these chunks are! 
The tuna gets cut right in front of you as you wait in line 
This definitely helps point out what you’re getting I went with the six pieces of nigiri that consisted of special fatty tuna, very fatty tuna, medium fatty tuna. This was 3400 yen, $24.10 USD.
I ate this at the stall. They have a little area right next to the counter where you order at that has some tables you can stand around and a counter you can enjoy your food. They give you a cup of tea as well. The food comes out and the server goes over what nigiri is what. They speak English really well here. I believe from left to right it goes: special fatty tuna, very fatty tuna, medium fatty tuna.
The speical fatty tuna 
Very fatty tuna 
Medium fatty tuna These were all very high quality pieces of tuna. I couldn’t say that one cut was better than the others. The fattier pieces may dissolve faster but ALL of the cuts essentially dissovle in your mouth when you start eating them. The sushi rice is also high quality. Overall, these are six pieces of nigiri you won’t be disapppointed with.
Conclusion
I ate a variety of food in my time at Tsukiji and barely scratched the surface of everything that’s there. There was a lot of stuff that I wanted to get but skipped over on this trip, like grilled crab legs, and grilled scallops, and a boatload of other food. Not to mention the number of sit down restaurants that all looked delicious.
I will advise that many of the places here accept ONLY CASH, so that keep that in mind if you plan on visiting. There’s also an atm on the premises if you forget to bring some cash. It’s located in the facility which also has a public restroom.
I did have a budget in mind and how much I wanted to spend here, so that took some of the food out of the equation…this time around. Some of the restaurants had very long lines which I also avoided since there was a lot I wanted to that day. Bottom line: There’s A LOT of food here.
The total for everything I ate came out to 7,550 yen / $53.53 USD. Not too shabby! It was definitely a fun time walking around and trying multiple dishes. If you’re a foodie this is must visit place.
One final tidbit of advice: Choose your stomach space wisely!
