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Either homemade or easily picked up from a convenience store or specialty store, bento boxes are beautifully presented packed lunches in Japan, tasty goodies organized into different sections of a box and divided into separate compartments. A compact lunch to eat on-the-go, the word bento was taken from the Song Dynasty Chinese slang term for “convenient.” Indeed, bento boxes are easy to make and easily carried to school or work, but the uniqueness comes from the careful presentation of bento boxes, usually balancing an array of colors and ingredients to make a very appetizing and nutritious meal. Boxes can be made from disposable plastic to hand-crafted lacquerware, usually including rice or noodles, and your favorite morsels of meat and vegetables.

This dish is historically rooted in Japanese cuisine since the Kamakura Period, and is now a regular staple meal. Popularly eaten during the intermission of a kabuki show or noh performance, bento boxes are also perfect to bring along for a picnic, particularly handy for a day trip or hanami (cherry blossom viewing party). Children enjoy kyaraben, decorative bento boxes designed to look like colorful characters from anime series or manga comic books. Bentos sold at train stations showcasing local produce are known as ekiben, featuring aesthetically pleasing snacks like Kyoto’s gorgeous vegetables or anago (conger eel) from Hiroshima. Widely eaten in Japanese cuisine, join a bento cooking class to make your own cute kyaraben, or enjoy a tasty local bento on a lunch stop during a food tour. Luxurious or homemade, bento boxes are far beyond your average packed lunch.

Bento

Featuring small compartments filled with a range of beautiful bites to eat, a bento is an aesthetically pleasing and delicious packaged lunch box that’s a typical takeaway meal in Japan. 

Simple in its recipe but concentrated in flavor, dashi soup stock is a key element that’s commonly used in many areas of Japanese cooking. A part of Japanese cuisine for hundreds of generations, most traditional dashi recipes are made from simmered kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). The striking but unusual flavor unlocked from standard dashi is attributed to being the fifth flavor of umami, giving an indulgent savory kick to a variety of classic Japanese dishes. Common dashi variations include kombu dashi (simmered kelp), niboshi dashi (made from small dried sardines, also sometimes used as a katsuobushi substitute), and dried shiitake mushroom dashi. 

Dashi is incredibly versatile, it can be used as a base flavor in noodle broths and miso soup, or it can mixed into savory batters for okonomiyaki and takoyaki. While the significance of dashi in Japanese cuisine has not declined, instant dashi has become more widely used in recent years, greatly replacing dashi that’s homemade from scratch. Dashi is used to create the backbone of so many dishes in Japanese cuisine; it’s almost unavoidable, a complex and quintessential cooking broth that brings depth to traditional dishes in Japan. Learn the secrets of dashi in a delicious Japanese cooking class or become a dashi expert at an ultimate dashi tasting session. Discover dashi in-depth and join one of our Japanese food experiences for a hit of umami flavor.

Dashi

Simple yet essential for a kick of umami flavor, dashi is the almighty soup stock that forms the backbone of Japanese cuisine.

A simple concept that’s diverse in its toppings, donburi is a classic Japanese meal made from your favorite ingredients served over rice. In an array of styles using meat, fish, or vegetables, donburi-mono is the term for these various rice bowl dishes, where according to the region, season, and ingredients, different varieties of donburi are served throughout Japan. For example, a fluffy bed of rice matched with crunchy tempura pieces makes for a tasty tendon, while the classic Japanese fast food, gyudon, consists of a stew of onions and tender sliced beef in sweetened soy sauce. A hearty fill that’s always comforting, other popular donburi bowls include oyakodon (a “mother and child” donburi) made with chicken and eggs, or katsudon, a variation using deep-fried pork cutlet, eggs, and onion slices.

Meanwhile, rice beds laden with soft pieces of eel mark a delicious unadon, and kaisendon (a.k.a. seafood donburi) features seafood slices and raw cuts of fish, with each prefecture flaunting a regional specialty. The donburi list goes on, each a unique dish that’s always delicious. Put together in home kitchens or served in restaurants across the country, it’s a bowl of rice with food on top, simple as that, yet somehow both new toppings and old favorites make them even more delicious than you could imagine. Create your own donburi using tempura or sashimi during a home-style Japanese cooking class, or discover your new favorite flavor while enjoying a donburi lunch on a food tour. Simple yet comforting, donburi are effortlessly tasty every time.

Donburi

Whether it be topped with a pork cutlet, freshly sliced seafood, or fine strips of beef simmered in a sweet soy broth, a donburi rice bowl never disappoints.

Japan’s riskiest dish might be frightening for some, but the idea of eating poisonous pufferfish is a rush for others. A dangerously delicious local delicacy, carefully prepared pufferfish is known as fugu, famous for its incredible texture and unique flavor. Cooked a variety of ways, fugu can be smoked, seared, fried, or thrown into a hot pot, but its best eaten raw. Using exceptionally thin knife blades, fugu can be enjoyed as finely sliced sashimi, strangely textural and ghostly translucent. As the toxic areas of the fish must be skillfully removed, only licensed restaurants can sell fugu in Japan, deadly poisonous if not prepared absolutely precisely. Also enjoyed in fresh sushi, people in Japan have challenged fugu for well over 2000 years, risky business that’s too tasty to pass up.

Outside of specialty restaurants in Osaka, big pufferfish mark the entrances with a matching hefty price tag. This delicacy doesn’t come cheap, but its a culinary wonder that’s prized in Japan. In order to prepare pufferfish in Japan, chefs are required to have a minimum of three years of professional training. For foodie adrenaline junkies, brave a dining experience with us to taste fugu at a qualified restaurant in Osaka, or learn about fugu sashimi in-depth during a fish cutting class in Tokyo. Don’t fear the fugu, delicate sashimi from poisonous pufferfish is possible, but only in Japan.

Fugu

A dangerous delicacy that’s unique to Japan and prepared with the utmost precision, fugu is fine slices of pufferfish sashimi. 

Neatly folded in rice paper wrappers and filled with a delicious mish-mash of meat, vegetables, and seasoning, gyoza are Japanese dumplings, ever-popular and always delicious. Most commonly served pan-fried as yaki-gyoza (juicy inside with a bottom that’s perfectly crispy), gyoza are eaten deep-fried as age-gyoza or boiled in water or a light broth. A cheap but tasty snack, gyoza make for an ideal izakaya appetizer, or accompanying a bowl of piping hot ramen. Succulent gyoza were introduced from China after the Second Sino-Japanese War, adapted from the Chinese dumpling, jiaozi. Easily found in chuka ryori restaurants (selling Japanese-style Chinese cuisine) gyoza have grown into a classic dish in Japan, famously crispy and golden brown. Chewy yet soft, best dipped in vinegar and soy sauce, add a touch of chili and sesame oil for a next level flavor hit. 

Consumed in a frenzy by Hamamatsu in Shizuoka and Utsunomiya in Tochigi, these two cities compete for the country’s highest annual gyoza consumption. Both are home to a number of specialty restaurants as well as throughout Japan, selling unconventional gyoza ranging between mushroom or shiso leaf fillings or tandoori chicken flavor, even with cheesy gyoza fondue dishes! Learn how to make ramen and gyoza during a cooking class (vegan options available!) or taste gyoza with a beer during an izakaya bar hopping tour. Extra juicy and conveniently bite-sized, gyoza are more than your average dumpling.

A popular snack in izakayas and Chinese restaurants, plump gyoza pieces are Japan’s juicy bite-sized dumplings with a big flavor hit. 

A classic donburi rice bowl dish, gyudon is made with thinly sliced beef strips and plenty of onions to create a popular Japanese comfort food served over rice. Simmered together in a semi-sweet sauce of dashi stock, soy sauce, and mirin (sweet cooking sake), gyudon is simple yet infinitely delicious, a meal that’s nutritious, filling, and quick to prepare. Conceptualized around the Edo Period, evolving from hot pot ingredients dished out over rice to the Kanto region’s gyunabe (beef hot pot) eventually becoming the modern gyudon. Particularly likened to sukiyaki, the flavor of this signature hot pot of salty-sweet broth with stewed beef and vegetables added to a rice bowl served as the humble beginnings of gyudon. 

Always comforting and satisfying, a gyudon is now a typical fare sold at fast food chains throughout Japan. Salarymen heading home from the office stop in for a quick meal, and students enjoy eating a hearty gyudon for a reasonable price. To add a level of creaminess, crack open a raw egg or mix through an onsen tamago (soft-poached egg) to coat the meat and seep through the rice. Topped with pink pickled ginger and a shake of shichimi (ground chili pepper flakes), and add some negi (green onions) for a hint of freshness. Discover how to make it in a home cooking class or join a food tour to discover other delicious gyudon options other than Matsuya and Yoshinoya!

Gyudon

A satisfying fast food in Japan, a rice bowl of thin beef slices and onion simmered in a sweet soy sauce makes gyudon a comforting and tasty meal every time.

Higashi is a dry style of Japanese sweet, beautifully-shaped sugary pops of color that are commonly served during a traditional tea ceremony. Perfect to balance out the bitterness of Japanese tea, higashi sweets such as carefully-pressed Rakugan and Uchimono are made from finely ground sugars. Typically colored in an iconic pastel palette, these bite-sized pieces sometimes incorporate different types of flour into the recipe (like rice flour or soybean powder) and are then carefully hand-pressed into molds, traditionally carved from wood. Always intricately designed, the elegant shapes for higashi often take inspiration from the seasons, featuring assorted flowers, fruits, and other delicate motifs. Subtle in their sweetness and crumbly in texture, these tiny pops of color are like edible works of art made from sophisticated traditional techniques. 

Sometimes the term higashi is used to cover a broader range of dry traditional snacks. This category of wagashi includes konpeito sugar candies and crunchy senbei rice crackers, but it most commonly refers to dry hand-pressed candies. Top-quality higashi is most commonly made from wasanbon, a premium, highly-refined Japanese sugar. The dryness of higashi allows them a longer shelf-life, particularly in comparison to “raw” style Japanese sweets such as mochi (pounded rice cakes). Amuse your taste buds and try some higashi by joining an authentic tea ceremony experience, or learn how to them for yourself during a cooking class. Made with basic ingredients, but full of sweet flavor, higashi are best enjoyed with a bitter cup of Japanese tea.

Colorful higashi are traditional dry Japanese sweets that are often served during the Japanese tea ceremony. Join a higashi experience in Japan! Book now on byFood.

Best Higashi Experiences in Japan | byFood

Higashi

Delicately hand-pressed works of art, colorful higashi are traditional dry Japanese sweets that are often served during the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. 

The Japanese love a good drink so it should come as no surprise that they take their izakaya (Japanese pub) food seriously. Addictingly tasty bar snacks accompany classic Japanese drinks like whisky highballs, nihonshu (sake), umeshu (plum wine), and beer. Typical Japanese izakaya food include yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), hokke (grilled mackerel), tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), karaage (crispy and succulent Japanese fried chicken), and tempura (battered and fried seafood and veggies). Agedashi tofu, fried tofu with a crisp exterior and smooth interior, is another classic izakaya food, as is gyoza, Japanese pan-fried dumplings stuffed with juicy meat. But Japanese izakaya food are not just limited to fried and grilled snacks. There are also lighter and fresher options such as salted edamame, crunchy raw cabbage, and sashimi, which are perfect for snacking on in between gulps of cold, refreshing beer. 

During the food experiences below, you will be shown the ropes of ordering Japanese izakaya food. You’ll eat like a local, tasting Japan’s izakaya specialties. Although they come on small plates, Japanese izakaya food are perfectly sharable, so order up a variety for the whole table with your next round of drinks!

Izakaya Food

Snack on Japanese izakaya food like gyoza, fried chicken, and edamame as you down ice cold beer, Japanese whisky, and plum wine! The options are never ending but the night is young; you might just get to try them all!

Locally brewed since the 19th century, Japan’s beer scene is diverse as it is plentiful, producing delicious flavors with astounding quality. It’s no wonder that beer is the lifeblood of the nation, usually the drink of choice for the first round at izakayas (Japanese gastropubs) nationwide. Beginning in the 17th century, beer in Japan was influenced by Dutch traders, later gaining traction around the Meiji period once Japan was fully opened to the world. The home of craft beer in Japan, Kirin opened up its brewery in Yokohama, soon followed by Sapporo beer from Hokkaido, and later Okinawa’s Orion released its American-style summer beer, a tropical brew enjoyed all year round. The rest is history, now with Asahi and Suntory as huge players in the game, pouring typical pale-colored lagers, each with a classic taste. Japanese beer remains unmatched in quality for price. 

Microbreweries have continued to pop up throughout Japan in recent years, elevating beer culture, paired with innovative Japanese cuisine. Pick one up from a convenience store or pop it out of a vending machine, cheers with colleagues at an izakaya, or enjoy a cold one at a classy rooftop bar. Brewed from high-quality malts and Japan’s pure flowing waters, beer fuels daily life in Japan from local pubs to the poshest parties, with a range of prefectural breweries producing different styles. Many Japanese beers are not only made from barley malt, hops, and water, but often incorporate an element of rice for clarity and crispness. Discover the best local beers at a brewery tour or drink beer while hopping through the most hidden bars in Tokyo. Dangerously easy to drink, say cheers with a beer and join one of our unforgettable drinking experiences in Japan.

Japanese Beer

Delicious, diverse, and unmatched in quality, Japanese beer flows freely throughout the nation, ranging from craft beers and microbreweries to Okinawa’s Orion and Sapporo brewed in Hokkaido.

A longtime favorite dish in Japan, Japanese curry was adapted from influences of Indian cuisine during the Meiji Period, a filling meal that’s popular for its intense flavor and hearty spice. Introduced by the Imperial Japanese Navy to prevent vitamin B deficiencies, in its early days, exotic French-inspired curry roux was made using imported British curry powder. Japanese curry is now recognized as yoshoku, a Western-style dish that’s since been modified to better suit Japanese tastes. Maintaining popularity today, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force still eats curry every Friday, with coastal regions like Hiroshima Prefecture specializing in local curry varieties. 

Typically served with vegetables and your choice of protein (make scrumptious katsukare by adding deep-fried pork cutlets), curry rice features curry roux generously ladled over a fluffy bed of Japanese rice, while curry udon uses noodles instead. For a quick curry fix, karepan or “curry bread” consists of a plump dough filled with curry then baked or deep-fried, sold at convenience stores and bakeries. Completely in a league of its own, Hokkaido’s soup curry is another popular spin-off dish, a watery version peppered with secret spices and served with plenty of local vegetables. Join a Japanese home cooking class and learn how to make curry from scratch or enjoy the best backstreet Japanese curry during a local food tour. After just one spicy spoonful, you’ll understand why it’s one of Japan’s most popular dishes.

Japanese Curry

Spicy and full of heart, Japanese curry has been one of the most popular dishes in Japan since its early conception, reinventing Indian curries with British curry powder. 

Enriched with the pillars of miso, sake, dashi, and soy sauce, Japanese home cooking covers all kinds of dishes in Japanese cuisine. Japanese home cooking is incredibly diverse, including delicious rice bowls, hearty noodle dishes, flavors like teriyaki, and group meals such as hot pots. The well-balanced foundation of a typical Japanese meal is rooted in the philosophy of ichiju sansai, meaning “one soup and three side dishes,” where the main dish and two sides accompany a bowl of rice (alongside some obligatory pickles). Japan’s prefectures incorporate their regional produce and seasonal offerings into local home cooking, incorporating fermented foods (good for the gut) and thoughtfully portioned ingredients containing revitalizing health benefits. 

Healthy and wholesome, a home cooked meal in Japan is created with side dishes working together harmoniously. Ohitashi, a mix of boiled greens like spinach, is a common Japanese side dish, served chilled and flavored with soy sauce; while vegetables in goma-ae are served coated with an addictive sesame sauce. Simmered vegetables like carrots and burdock root make for tasty kinpira gobo, and the wild seaweed-like hijiki features in Japanese home cooking, too. Check out our Japanese home cooking experiences below to discover the wonders of Japanese home cooking and the unique flavors found in kitchens throughout Japan. You could join a homemade Japanese cooking class, humble and balanced, or to eat like a local in a Japanese home dining experience.

Japanese Home Cooking

Humble yet wholesome, Japanese home cooking incorporates a wide variety of soups, sides, and mains, with homemade meals creating the foundation for flavor in Japan. 

Carefully crafted from the finest local waters and high-quality Japanese rice, sake broadly describes alcoholic rice wines in English, however, nihonshu is the official term for rice wine that’s traditionally produced in Japan. Served either warm or cold, sake is Japan’s national alcohol, a versatile beverage that’s also widely used in Japanese cuisine. Sake came to rise during the 10th century when temples and shrines brewed sake for religious offerings and ceremonies. Increasingly popular, sake production exploded during the Meiji period, continuing its cultural legacy into the modern era. Today, each prefecture boasts its own distinct sake varieties, altering brewing methods and local ingredients to create signature styles and flavors. 

Served at izakayas, restaurants, and specialty bars around Japan, this symbolic drink has long played a quintessential role in Japanese culture. A delicious part of daily life, sake is best shared with family and friends. Crafted en mass but maintaining excellent quality, Japan’s top three sake-producing areas are Fushimi in Kyoto, Nada in Kobe, and Saijo in Hiroshima, constantly competing for even greater fame throughout the country for their exceptional brews. Explore one of these districts with a local sake brewery tour, learn in-depth about ingredients and recipes from a range of products at a sake tasting event, or sip on your new favorite during a bar hopping adventure. Uncap the secrets of Japanese sake and check out our sake experiences for a drink you’ll never forget.

Japanese Sake

Raise your glass to Japan’s signature alcoholic drink, sake, the nation’s beloved rice wine brewed from high-quality water and regional Japanese rice. Kampai!

When it comes to Japanese street foods, the crucial word to know is “Yaki” (焼), meaning “to grill.” It’s the base for tasty compound words like takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake), yakisoba (stir-fried noodles), taiyaki (a sweet cake filled with red bean) and more! The word “yaki” brings to mind all things griddled up hot and fresh in front of your eyes.

Japanese street foods vary by region, with each area of Japan producing its own unique festival foods and portable bites, but there are several famous street foods available nationwide. You can’t talk about street food without mentioning takoyaki, those crispy-on-the-outside and gooey-on-the-inside molten balls of batter filled with pieces of octopus. Hailing from Osaka, they’re a fan favorite among the variety of Japanese street foods, topped with a tangy and sweet sauce and katsuobushi (dried fish flakes) that sway from the residual heat of the takoyaki. There’s also the previously mentioned yakisoba and okonomiyaki, as well as foods like fish cakes and tamagoyaki (a sweet rolled omelet) which are classic fish market dishes. 

As for dessert, there are a number of Japanese street foods to satisfy a sweet tooth! Taiyaki is a sweet (and Instagrammable) fish-shaped cake traditionally filled with sweet red bean paste. There are also custard cream, matcha, and even ice cream versions! Crepes and other cute sweets are a must-eat in Harajuku while ningyoyaki (sweet bean-filled cakes that are made in various shapes) is a staple of Sensoji Temple. Discover the diverse food landscapes of regional Japan through the variety of Japanese street food experiences below!

Japanese Street Food

The aroma wafts across the street… the savory tanginess of okonomiyaki, the honeyed cake-like scent of taiyaki. Irresistible Japanese street foods beckon from covered shopping streets, temple grounds, and colorful festivals.

There are many types of Japanese tea: roasted, nutty, floral, earthy, herbal, hot, cold, you name it. A few major varieties include matcha (powdered Japanese green tea used in tea ceremony or “chado”), hojicha (a decaffeinated roasted Japanese tea with a nutty aroma), mugicha (a summertime tea made with roasted barley, often served cold), and genmaicha (green tea mixed with roasted rice). As an umbrella term, Japanese green tea is usually referred to as “ocha” or “nihoncha.” But there are also a variety of regional Japanese teas, such as Ujicha (from Uji, Kyoto) and Yamecha (from Yame, Fukuoka) which are famous nationwide for their high quality. No matter the variety, Japanese tea is usually unsweetened so the natural flavors (and health benefits) can shine through. 

Japanese tea has been consumed for over 1,000 years. Tea was introduced from China and was touted to the wealthy upper-class as a medicinal product with numerous health benefits. Later, Japanese tea became a part of the ritualized Japanese tea ceremony which was influenced by Zen Buddhism and usually accompanied by wagashi (Japanese sweets). Now, Japanese tea is a beverage enjoyed daily all across Japan. There’s an enormous variety of Japanese tea to be explored! Why not join a Japanese tea tasting to discover the characteristics of different types of tea or find out how it is farmed and processed during a tea picking experience? Check out the experiences below and immerse yourself in the aromas of Japanese tea!

Japanese Tea

Matcha and sencha and mugicha, oh my! Japanese tea is much more than your basic green tea. 

Highly sought after outside Japan, Japanese whisky is known for its experimental approach and premium quality, distilled from a mash of malted barley and the purest local waters. Sourced from fresh mountain reserves or low-lying natural springs, Japanese whisky is barrel-aged for a minimum of three years and only made in Japan. A sophisticated drink that’s astonishingly affordable, Japan has put its own proud spin on Scottish whisky since its production began in Japan in 1870. Yamazaki was Japan’s first commercial distillery which opened in 1927, owned by Osaka Prefecture’s Japanese liquor giant, Suntory. Suntory’s famous whisky is rivaled by Hokkaido’s Nikka whisky, and the two giants have a long-running battle for nation-wide whisky glory. 

Meanwhile, other smaller distilleries throughout Japan also produce high-quality single malt whiskies in a range of unique styles and flavors. When it comes to fermentation and blending, Japanese distilleries typically blend different varieties in-house, a system used to create a broader range of products rather than a single signature whisky. High-proof and high-quality, order a mizuwari (two parts water to one part whisky), a classic highball (whisky and sparkling soda), or enjoy whisky on the rocks. Explore a whisky distillery during a tasting experience and compare different barrels and styles, or clink whisky glasses with new friends at an izakaya pub crawl. Check out our Japanese whisky experiences to discover Japan’s finest locally-made liquors.

Japanese Whisky

Take the edge off with a sip of impeccable Japanese whisky, distilled with precision from malted barley and the purest local waters, only made in Japan. 

Incorporating elements of the seasons, kaiseki cuisine is crafted with high-quality ingredients and attention to detail for Japan's traditional multi-course meal. In elegant banquet-style dining, several individual kaiseki ryori dishes are served, each featuring a range of colors, textures, and cooking methods, to create culinary harmony across this luxurious sensory overload. Evolving over a number of centuries, kaiseki cuisine is said to have been born in Kyoto. From beginnings in formal banquets for the aristocracy during the Heian period, kaiseki was later influenced by Buddhist monks’ ritualistic vegetarian cuisine, and continued its development through the rise of the tea ceremony, by slowly adding food to the proceedings. 

The pinnacle of high-class dining in Japan, elegant kaiseki is the country’s representative haute cuisine. Multiple courses are beautifully crafted by a trained chef using local and seasonal ingredients, creating a holistic dining experience. Focused on freshness and balance visual aethestics and flavor, kaiseki is certainly a feast for the senses, where wholehearted hospitality meets impeccable food. Modern kaiseki has redefined Japanese cuisine, this fine art of dining is an immersive and unique experience, only in Japan. Learn about the different essential dishes and make your kaiseki cuisine in its birthplace of Kyoto or experience world-class kaiseki dining in one of the top restaurants in Tokyo. Unleash the beauty and flavor of this traditional feast, and join one of our kaiseki experiences for a seasonal meal you’ll simply never forget.

Kaiseki

Refined in both flavor and aesthetics, kaiseki cuisine is a seasonal feast for the senses, Japan’s high-class banquet dining that uses local ingredients, traditional craftsmanship, and honest hospitality to create the finest multi-course meal.

Combining two of the country’s staple foods to make an effortlessly delicious dish, kaisendon brings succulent sashimi slices together with a humble bowl of rice. Maximizing easy access to seafood, kaisendon in Japan is textural and fresh, a rice bowl dish that falls under the donburi family of Japanese cuisine. Topped with fatty tuna or neon-fleshed salmon, salty mackerel or squishy squid, each piece of sashimi is sliced with precision by an experienced chef, delicately laid over a fluffy bed of Japanese rice. A meal that’s both fresh and comforting, a kaisendon topped with luxurious crustaceans, shrimp, or raw fish makes for one of Japan’s incredible seafood culinary experiences.

With famously fresh fish, salmon roe, and winter crabs, Hokkaido guarantees a mean kaisendon, although adding the local delicacy of uni (sea urchin) is undeniably divisive. Kanazawa’s positioning by the Sea of Japan offers consistency in high-quality seafood catches, best enjoyed in the busy maze of Omicho Market, although unmatched by Toyosu, now the world’s biggest fish market in Tokyo. Eat an elaborate kaisendon on a market tour of Tsukiji, or learn how to put one together yourself at a seaside cooking class. Enjoyed with soy sauce and dab of wasabi, sashimi and rice in a kaisendon is unmissable, emphasizing Japan’s quality ingredients and freshness.

Kaisendon

Sourced from the quality waters of the Sea of Japan or freshly fished from Tokyo Bay, succulent slices of sashimi over rice make for a seafood favorite in Japan: a luxurious kaisendon.

Incomparable to your average nugget, chicken karaage (a.k.a. Japanese fried chicken) is known for its consistently crunchy coating, yet with its meat still so succulent on the inside. Although mostly synonymous with deep-fried chicken, technically speaking, karaage covers this particular style of deep-fried food in Japan as a whole. With links to traditional Chinese-style deep-fried foods, karaage generally includes various meats and fish pieces rolled in potato starch, followed by a seasoning marinade, then deep-fried to crispy perfection. Pick some up from street food stalls and convenience stores, eaten as a home-cooked meal or in bento lunch boxes, karaage is incredibly popular as an appetizer or a meal. 

Chicken karaage has pleased the deep-fried needs of Japanese people since the 1920s, whereas legend goes, its popularity is said to have spread from a humble restaurant in Oita, Kyushu, the city that’s also now home to the annual Karaage Festival. Locally known as zangi, Hokkaido’s specially spiced karaage is extra juicy, made from high-quality chicken that’s locally-bred. Meanwhile in central Japan, Nagoya’s purebred cochin meat from native chickens represent the “Kobe beef” of Japanese chicken, also making for outstanding karaage. Perfectly matched with a beer or some sake, try karaage at an authentic izakaya during a bar hopping tour, or learn its secrets of cooking at a karaage cooking class. Explore our food experiences with deep-fried karaage, because who could possibly pass up Japan’s amazing fried chicken when it tastes this good?

Karaage

Fused with a secret seasoning, juicy karaage is the epitome of all things fried in Japan, taking on the form of deep-fried chicken that’s impossibly tender and perfectly crispy. 

The center of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, powdered matcha green tea continues to be a symbol of refinement and relaxation in Japan, long since tea culture was established through Zen Buddhism in the 12th century. Full of antioxidants, green tea is healthy but bitter, perfectly balanced by a bite of an elegant Japanese wagashi sweet. Once a traditional meeting place for elite aristocrats, the tea ceremony in Japan represents high sophistication in a peaceful moment of pleasure. Still honored as a humbling ritual enjoyed in tea houses and matcha cafes throughout Japan today, the meditative preparation process extends to the fine art of brewing, serving, and drinking matcha.

It’s lovingly produced around the country, however, the city of Uji (just to the south of Kyoto) produces some of the best matcha in Japan, boasting country-wide fame. Richly colored and intensely flavored, green tea leaves are dried and milled, with each regional variety showcasing a noticeably different style. Matcha is also used in a variety of desserts like mochi, matcha ice cream, and wagashi sweets, but it’s also gained popularity in modern snacks such as Pocky sticks, Kit Kats, and signature Starbucks lattes. To experience a traditional tea ceremony in Tokyo or to taste high-quality matcha during a tea tour in Kyoto, join one of our immersive green tea experiences and be captivated by the culture of tea in Japan!

Matcha

Rich in color and intense in flavor, matcha green tea serves as an iconic symbol of the Japanese tea ceremony, signifying refinement and sophistication in a cup. 

A combination of fermented soybean paste and dashi soup stock, savory miso soup is a simple yet indispensable element of traditional Japanese cuisine that’s been used for generations. Ancient military operations fed samurai warriors with miso soup as a part of their daily rations, an easy hit of protein during the Kamakura period that remains healthy and quick to make. Subtle in flavor and low in calories, 3 out of 4 people in Japan eat miso soup at least once every day. Fermenting time controls the intensity of miso paste, and with choices of shiromiso (white), akamiso (red), and mixed varieties, just add in some tofu cubes, green onions, or a slither of wakame seaweed and voila! Miso makes for a perfect soup to accompany almost any Japanese meal. 

Throughout Japan, regional specialties and seasonal recipes using miso vary depending on the prefecture. While Nagoya is known for being absolutely miso-mad, Hokkaido has famously developed high-quality miso (often matched with butter in locally-made ramen). Not only a humble soup, miso offers itself as a versatile ingredient that can be used to flavor nabe hot pots, as a concentrated glaze slathered over wagyu beef, or a thick dipping sauce to serve. Learn how to use this essential ingredient during a Japanese cooking class, or compare regional flavors at a miso tasting event; discover the magic of miso at one of our delicious food experiences.

Miso Soup

Indispensable as one of Japan’s most classic flavors, a simple yet refined bowl of miso soup serves as an essential accompaniment to almost any typical Japanese meal. 

Curious and textural, mochi is the word for Japan’s famous pounded rice cakes. A long-serving quintessential part of Japanese culture, mochi is made from glutinous rice which was initially introduced from China. Once a Shinto ritual offering of “food for the gods” in ancient Japan, mochi has also been a symbol for happy marriages and still retains strong ties to Japanese New Year. As rice is Japan’s staple food, mochi is now eaten on a day-to-day basis with the term covering all different styles and flavors, featuring seasonal influences and regional specialties. Mochi is used for both sweet and savory dishes, where pieces of mochi in savory okonomiyaki or a nabe hot pot become stretchy and gooey as they cook, while sweet chewy mochi often uses bean paste and sesame, or other vegan-friendly ingredients. 

From classic balls of strawberry daifuku mochi to sticky sakura mochi in spring, diverse mochi desserts extend to mochi ice cream and the unusual shiruko (silky mochi balls in a red bean soup). One of Japan’s most treasured traditional foods, join us and learn about the process of mochi making during a sweet mochi class. Taste bespoke mochi in a depachika (an underground food hall) or witness one of the fastest mochi pounders in Japan during a food tour. A street food dessert or a special souvenir, discover the wonders of mochi and check out our mochi experiences below.

Mochi

Chewy, gooey, and stretchy, a historic culinary treasure in Japanese culture that’s made from the country’s number one staple food, pounded rice cakes known as Japanese mochi can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.

Monjayaki is commonly referred to as the Tokyo version of okonomiyaki, but it’s so unlike okonomiyaki that it really should be considered a separate category of Japanese food. Both monjayaki and okonomiyaki are grilled on a teppan (iron plate), but monjayaki has a completely different texture, made with a liquidy monjayaki batter that spreads quickly across the surface of the teppan, without the stability and structure of the typical Osaka okonomiyaki. Often, monjayaki is eaten partially cooked, right from the steaming hot teppan with an adorably tiny metal spatula. At restaurants, you can griddle up some monjayaki to share with all! Monjayaki-making is a fun communal activity for groups, as the molten hot monjayaki needs to be eaten quickly before it burns. It’s like the food version of “The Floor is Lava” game, but instead of avoiding the lava, you embrace it.

The cooking technique to make monjayaki is a little particular, so it’s best to go with someone who is well practiced in monjayaki-making or to ask the server for help. The basic steps include (1) grilling up the ingredients, (2) making the ingredients into a donut shape, (3) pouring the liquidy batter into the center and letting it cook, then (4) adding toppings and grilling until the edges have set and the center is still gooey. Then, whip out your tiny spatulas and dig in! There are a variety of monjayaki flavors and mix-ins, from cheese to pollock roe to shrimp. But don’t just read about it, join one of the food experiences below and practice grilling up the perfect monjayaki for yourself!

Monjayaki

While monjayaki often plays second fiddle to okonomiyaki (another style of Japanese savory pancake), the contrasting textures of gooey and crispy sure makes for a dish unlike any other!

The term nabe covers all hot pot dishes that are made in a large pot and enjoyed as a communal meal. Nabe can include all sorts of ingredients, from simmered fish cakes and meats to veggies and mushrooms. Oden is a fast food option commonly found in convenience stores during the winter. You can take your pick of ingredients from a variety of options like daikon, fish cakes, boiled eggs, imitation crab, and fried tofu, which are all simmered in a light broth of dashi and soy sauce. Another common type of Japanese nabe is sukiyaki, a stew of beef and veggies which are removed from the pot and dipped into raw beaten egg for a creamy texture to compliment the bold savory flavors. Udon noodles can also be added to the soup to soak up all of those complex flavors left over from stewing the meat and veggies. Chanko nabe is a different style of nabe which brings to mind the sumo wrestlers who eat it on a daily basis. It consists of sumo-size portions of meat, veggies, and fish, often accompanied by rice. Yet another type of nabe, motsu nabe, consists of pork or beef offal. And for the adventurous, there’s always fugu nabe (pufferfish hot pot), which has a mild flavor that pairs perfectly with the citrusy kick of ponzu sauce.

The Japanese have a saying, “mottainai,” which expresses regret about wastefulness (similar to “Waste not, want not”). Making a nabe at home is a great way to use extra vegetables, meat, and seafood. Leftover rice is also perfect for making a creamy and flavorful zosui (rice porridge) after all the tasty ingredients have been picked out the broth. With endless interpretations and versions, nabe never gets boring, especially during those chilly winter months. Why buy a pocket warmer when you can warm up with one of the nabe experiences below?

Nabe

The umbrella term for Japanese hot pot dishes is “nabe,” covering a variety of classic winter dishes from slowly stewed oden to hearty sumo wrestler-style chanko nabe. There are endless versions of Japanese nabe to explore!

One of Japan’s many prominent soy-based products, natto is made from fermented soybeans, a culinary discover from thousands of years ago which has since become a part of traditional Japanese breakfasts. Natto tends to be an acquired taste, for its texture is infamously sticky, stringy, and slimy. Sound yummy? Fresh from the packet, the fermenting bacteria in natto makes the smell powerful (some people describe the flavor reminiscent of fermented cheese), certainly a pungent food that’s strange but inexpensive, loved by some and detested by others. Regions to the east and north of Japan tend to be fans of natto (although it does come down to individual preference), with Ibaraki Prefecture just to the north of Tokyo famous for its local natto and natto products. 

Certainly one of those bizarre foods “only in Japan,” surprisingly natto is bursting with health benefits, packed with protein, probiotics, and dietary fiber. Fermented foods make up a significant part of the Japanese diet, so the healthy enzymes in natto work well together with miso and pickles. Mass-produced since the Edo period, it’s regularly consumed as a breakfast food in Japan, often eaten over rice with with raw egg. Although admittedly not for everyone, the texture and taste can be balanced using soy sauce and some spicy Korean kimchi, or with condiments such as wasabi, mustard, pickled ginger, or green onions. Check out our food experiences, take on the challenge and taste this fermented superfood on your next adventure to Japan.

Natto

A curious yet classic Japanese breakfast item, stretchy fermented soybeans called natto are incredibly healthy, an ancient superfood that’s been a part of Japan’s cuisine for thousands of years.

A warming staple household meal in winter, oden is a traditional Japanese dish of various ingredients simmered together in a light dashi broth. Flavored with soy sauce, sake, and mirin, oden is midway between a soup and a hot pot, comforting if curious upon first encounter. Restaurants cook oden in stainless steel vessels, while home cooking often uses a wide ceramic pot. Tasty and nutritious, classic ingredients (however seemingly unidentifiable) range between fish cakes and tofu, to daikon radish as well as eggs and beef sinew, or konnyaku. Oden emerged from a dish called dengaku, tofu grilled on a stick with a dollop of miso, later added to a soy sauce broth with other ingredients as simple yet nourishing soup that eventually became oden.

Of course featuring regional varieties, Okinawa simmers local pig feet in a pork broth, Shizuoka Prefecture specializes in beef stock, while Nagoya can’t help but add miso to everything (oden included). Scoop your favorite oden pieces to-go at your local convenience store in winter, or buy it from specialty shopfronts in hidden back streets. Embrace Japan’s winter soul food in an oden experience, and join a traditional Japanese cooking class and learn how to make home-style oden; taste it from a local street cart on a food tour, or in a cozy izakaya on a bar crawl. Add a kick of mustard or chili paste, perfect on a cold day.

A comforting staple meal served during winter in Japan, oden warms the heart with its choice of simmered ingredients in a light broth; from fish cakes to tofu, just take what you like. 

Literally translating to “grilled as you like it,” a hearty slab of okonomiyaki is delicious and comforting, one of Japan’s best soul foods in the form of a savory pancake. Sometimes called “Japanese pizza,” okonomiyaki is a versatile dish mixing ingredients of your choice, perfectly grilled on a teppanyaki hot plate. Originally developed from a crepe-style pancake eaten during the Edo period, okonomiyaki became a typical Kansai specialty before World War II. Made from a batter of flour and cabbage, this cheap and filling meal gained popularity throughout the post-war period, continuing Osaka’s legacy of flavorful street food that’s now eaten everywhere across Japan. 

Hiroshima serves its own signature style of okonomiyaki using layered ingredients, best grilled with fresh local oysters. Sometimes packed with udon or soba noodles, jazz it up by adding premium wagyu beef, seafood pieces, or thinly-sliced pork; or try vegetarian okonomiyaki using mochi and cheese. Thickly painted with semi-sweet soy sauce and a squiggle of creamy mayonnaise (an element from Osaka introduced during the 1940s), top it off with dancing katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and a dusting of dried seaweed. Join an okonomiyaki cooking class and learn how to layer Hiroshima-yaki or try your hand at flipping it like a pro. For a unique meal in Japan, book an intimate teppanyaki dining experience or a street food crawl to enjoy Japan’s tastiest okonomiyaki, just how you like it.

Okonomiyaki

A savory pancake that’s hearty and comforting, okonomiyaki is a classic soul food in Japan made from a variety of delicious ingredients grilled your way on a hot teppanyaki barbeque plate. 

When bright yellow eggs beautifully folded into a fluffy omelet were ingeniously teamed with chicken fried rice (generously fused with ketchup), a modern Japanese favorite was born, omurice (or, omuraisu). A blend of Western-style omelet and Japanese fried rice invented within the last 100 years, this Japanese loanword contracts the English words “omelet” and “rice,” as a Western-style yoshoku dish, a fusion of foreign food that’s been adapted to fit Japanese tastes. In fact, since the surge of Japan’s egg consumption following World War II, omurice is now one of the country’s most popular yoshoku dishes. Moist with a generous drizzle of creamy sauce or demi-glace, the omelet’s gentle creaminess matched with the sweetness of ketchup is a match made in heaven. 

Omurice is enjoyed as a home cooked meal using leftover rice (a favorite meal for kids), but specialty restaurants and diners throughout Japan regularly offer this casual dish, too. A variant substituting yakisoba noodles with rice is omusoba, while omutako from Okinawa features a blanket of omelet over taco rice (an iconic Tex-mex style dish that resembles a taco) or with hot dog wieners or ham stirred through. Simple yet comforting, discover this delicious yoshoku dish during a food tour and see a velvety omelet unveiled, slit down the center and unfolding before your eyes. Alternatively, learn how to make this household classic dish during a home cooking class in Japan.

Omurice

A fluffy yellow omelet delicately laid upon a bed of ketchup infused rice, omurice is a fusion dish of western-style yoshoku cuisine, now a modern Japanese favorite.

Also known as omusubi or nigirimeshi, the humble onigiri rice ball has long served Japan as a meal on-the-go, tiny compressed triangles that fit in your pocket. Sporadically documented throughout history, onigiri as we know it today was eaten during the Heian period, although, there’s archeological evidence of rice moulding in Japan from over 2000 years ago. A historically convenient snack in Japan, onigiri are simply Japanese rice and nori (seaweed) wrapped around a wide range of fillings. There’s classic flavors like salmon or tuna, or fillings of sweetened kombu (kelp), but for some snackers out there, simple salty onigiri are inexplicably addictive, while others are committed to the classic tuna mayo. Tasty and functional, simple yet satisfying. Onigiri are inexpensive, easy to make, and easily edible. 

From sour umeboshi pickled plum to stretchy natto soybeans fillings available are diverse and divisive, but always an exciting surprise in a tidy seaweed package. Try tasty tenmusu (popular prawn tempura onigiri) in Nagoya, or try spam onigiri in Okinawa, or one from Kyushu with sweetened seaweed. Grab one handmade at your local specialty shop, or pick them up from convenience stores. Or even better, learn the best onigiri making technique at a bento cooking class in Kyoto, or discover Tokyo’s oldest onigiri shop during a food tour. A quintessential Japanese fast food, this tiny ball of bliss will satisfy anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Onigiri

Seaweed and rice packaged in a surprise, pick them up at convenience stores or from handmade hole-in-the-wall specialty shops; onigiri rice balls are simple and compact, Japan’s triangular snack to grab on the run.

On New Year’s Day in Japan, it is common to celebrate by eating osechi ryori, the traditional Japanese New Year cuisine. Usually packaged in beautiful lacquered boxes (called jubako) that resemble stackable Japanese bento boxes, osechi ryori consists of many types of symbolic Japanese foods. Each food has a special meaning and eating them is supposed to bode well for the new year, representing wishes for good luck, wealth, health, and more!

One symbolic osechi ryori dish is kuromame, sweetened black soy beans. “Mame” means “bean” but also has a second meaning: “to work diligently.” Kuromame also represents good health in the new year. Another osechi dish, consisting of mashed candied chestnuts and sweet potatoes, is called kurikinton, which translates to “chestnut gold mash.” It represents prosperity and wealth. Datemaki is an osechi ryori dish which is quite similar to the rolled omelet, tamagoyaki, except it contains hanpen (a type of fish cake) in addition to eggs. Since datemaki is rolled into a scroll-like shape, it represents education and learning. And for couples, the osechi ryori dish called kazunoko (herring roe) represents fertility and children. There are many more types of osechi ryori, each with their own significance and meaning, which you can learn about in some of the osechi ryori experiences below! 

Why not ring in the new year by joining an osechi ryori cooking class or going on a Japanese New Year themed food tour? After enjoying osechi ryori, you’re sure to be blessed with a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!

Osechi Ryori

Osechi ryori is the traditional Japanese New Year cuisine enjoyed on New Year’s Day. It consists of a variety of symbolic foods that represent wealth, health, fertility, and more!

Ramen is a dish said to have originated in China, but it has grown into a uniquely Japanese phenomenon, with some ramen shops in Japan even reaching pop culture celebrity. In 1970s and 80s Japan, during the economic boom, ramen was considered the accessible and cheap food of the working class. This is still true today, but there is a new breed of ramen in Japan, infused with wild creativity from some of Japan’s most out-of-the-box chefs. 

Ramen shops in Japan have room to play with various combinations of broth, noodles, and toppings, giving way to endless variations to confuse and tickle your taste buds. From savory Sapporo miso ramen to Nagoya’s spicy “Taiwan Ramen,” every region has a specialty ramen. There are also creative ramen dishes like black squid ink ramen and mabo tofu ramen, and tsukemen, a style of ramen in which hot, concentrated broth and cold noodles are served separately, meant for dipping. Ramen in Japan is really its own food group, always adapting to the changing landscape of Japanese cuisine; keeping ramen aficionados on the edge of their seat. To become a ramen expert, check out some of our ramen experiences, like ramen tours and cooking classes, below. You’ll never go back to Cup Noodle again.

From rich and fatty Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen to black squid ink ramen, Japan is rife with regional and creative ramen varieties. 

As an island nation, Japan has access to some of the best seafood in the world that makes for impeccable sashimi, the signature Japanese delicacy that’s artfully prepared from high-quality raw fish and meats. Making up a considerable portion of the Japanese diet for centuries, fish is a healthy protein that honors refinement in simplicity and quality in freshness. A seemingly effortless dish that’s distinct from sushi (similar, but hold the rice), each piece of sashimi is skillfully sliced by the hand of a trained chef, preparing each seafood species with careful consideration to emphasise their best inherent characteristics. 

For the adventurous foodies, horse meat sashimi and raw chicken sashimi can be rivaled by sashimi fugu (pufferfish) in Osaka, or Okinawa’s specialty of raw goat meat! Complex in flavor and texture, Hokkaido is particularly famous for serving exceptional seafood sashimi, which can be enhanced by a dash of rich soy sauce and matched with a touch of zingy wasabi. Could there possibly be anything more satisfying than a succulent piece of sashimi? Taste the best sashimi of your life during a Tsukiji Market Tour, or learn how to prepare your own sashimi bowl during a Kanazawa cooking class. One of Japan’s greatest and most elegant delicacies, discover the intricate art of freshly-sliced seafood or meats during one of our fine sashimi experiences.

Sashimi

Intense in textures and flavor, ranging from slices of the freshest seafood to slivers of raw horse meat, sashimi is skillfully prepared with the utmost care making it a signature delicacy of Japan. 

Overflowing with flavor, shabu shabu is a typical nabemono (hot pot dish) in Japan, where a range of ingredients are simmered in a communal pot of soup. Lovingly named after the sound of swishing of liquids, the onomatopoeic term “shabu shabu” was coined in Osaka, the noise of ingredients being dipped in a boiling broth. A fun dining affair full of meat strips, vegetables, tofu, and noodles, shabu shabu was developed under the influence of Chinese hot pots, but the name is trademarked by the original concept restaurant, Suehiro, which opened in the late 1950s. Ingredients for a shabu shabu are prepared raw, and are added to the boiling pot throughout the meal, cooking as you go. 

A typical shabu shabu broth is made from dashi soup stock and kombu (kelp), a basic starting point of flavor to develop as the pot ingredients brew. Paper-thin strips of meat and fresh vegetables, cabbage, seaweed, mushrooms, udon, anything can be added to a tasty shabu shabu. Some restaurants offer pots with dividers for different broths, where new-age flavors like kimchi or tomato have now become the norm. A great group dinner, specialty restaurants sit wide pots on portable burners or have stove tops set in tables. Check out our hot pot experiences to enjoy a warming meal of shabu shabu during a home cooking class, or to book an upscale feast of fresh soupy goodness.

Shabu Shabu

Dip your meats, vegetables, tofu and noodles into this interactive hot pot, a fun mish-mash of color and flavor in a soup brewed with love. Swish, swish! 

Originating over 500 years ago, although sake (a.k.a. nihonshu) is the better known alcoholic beverage, shochu is Japan’s other delicious national drink. In fact, shochu is consumed more widely than sake in Japan and is distinguished as a distilled spirit (rather than a fermented and brewed beverage). Diverse in flavor, shochu is made from a range of ingredients such as kome (rice), mugi (barley), imo (sweet potatoes), buckwheat, brown sugar, and more. A clear drink, shochu is low in calories with an alcohol content of roughly 25 percent. Retaining the flavors of its base ingredient, premium top-shelf shochu is known as “authentic” honkaku. These are single-distilled and best enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or with a dash of water (hot or cold). Diverse in its uses, multiply-distilled shochu is usually used in cocktails or as a mixer for drinks like chu-hai (shochu highball) which is made of shochu and soda doused with a fruity flavoring. 

Shochu has a number of regional varieties in Japan, with some protected and only produced in their respective areas, like Kumamoto’s rice-based shochu. Kagoshima and Greater Kyushu are famous for their sweet potato shochu, while Oita uses barley. Okinawa’s local shochu is another drink in itself, awamori, made from Thai rice. However, Ryukyu Awamori, named after Okinawa’s indigenous people, can only be made exclusively in Okinawa. Other variations of craft shochu have emerged in recent years, while kasutori is another variety that’s distilled from sake lees. Popularly enjoyed with colleagues at izakayas after a long haul at the office, or served in fancy cocktails at secret hidden bars, shochu is Japan’s diverse and preferred drink of choice. Discover the potential of shochu with one of our experiences and join a tasting session or on an awesome night out bar-hopping.

Shochu

A multifaceted Japanese spirit distilled from rice, sweet potatoes, barley, and more, shochu is the alcoholic alternative to sake in Japan with a range of distinct regional varieties. 

Originally eaten in sacred temples, the representative cuisine of Japanese Buddhist monks is called shojin ryori. A traditional Buddhist cuisine with a legacy spanning hundreds of years in Japan, shojin ryori was adopted from China during the 13th century to accompany the rise of Zen Buddhism. In alignment with Buddhist values where eating meat is forbidden, shojin ryori is strictly made from plant-based dishes, making a humble meal that’s entirely vegetarian. Minimal in seasoning yet full of flavor, the use of vegetables in the place of meat has long been a feature in Japanese cuisine. This cooking technique called modoki ryori substitutes meat and fish products with mushrooms, tofu, and seaweed, creating a fine balance of flavor that’s simple yet refined.

Spiritual and humbling, anyone can enjoy shojin ryori, typically consisting of a simple soup and three side dishes. With a diverse balance of flavors, textures, and aromas, the result of shojin ryori is an honest meal, somehow so harmonious and beautiful in its simplicity. More accessible than ever, shojin ryori can be eaten at Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo or enjoyed during a local temple experience. You can even learn about ingredients and methods for making this meaningful meal for yourself in a hands-on cooking class. Join a shojin ryori experience to discover the unfailing beauty of this simple and honest food.

Shojin Ryori

Simple yet harmonious, shojin ryori is Japanese Buddhist cuisine that’s solely made from vegetables and plant-based dishes, served as humble food for the enlightened.

As buckwheat flour is rich in vitamin B, soba noodles are not only tasty but are also known for containing a bounty of health benefits. Originating from China, soba supposedly came to Japan during the ancient Jomon period and is now a typical Japanese dish of either white or greyish-green soba noodles. Simple, filling, and healthy, this versatile noodle is eaten as cold zaru-soba with fresh condiments and a dipping sauce or as kake-soba served in a bowl of hot broth. Salarymen devour soba in standing restaurants on station platforms, chefs throughout Japan carefully prepare artisanal te-uchi-soba handmade noodles, and since the Edo period, it’s become a Japanese tradition to eat soba on New Year’s Eve. 

To make soba by hand using traditional tools is a meditative process, from mixing and rolling the fragrant dough, to cutting the noodles with precision. Especially delicious when served with local vegetables, fresh soba makes for a wholesome meal, a specialty that’s likely found in mountainous or regional areas such as Hakone, incorporating fresh produce and high-quality local water. Soba noodles can be made with matcha green tea in Uji or eaten ramen-style in Okinawa; evidently different prefectures flaunt their own version of local soba. A traditional dish deeply rooted in Japanese culture, learn how to make soba noodles from scratch at a cooking class, or eat an authentic soba lunch during a unique food tour.

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Soba

Popping with B vitamins and health benefits, typical Japanese soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, eaten in a warm broth during winter and served cold during summer as a healthy and versatile noodle dish.

Both salty and sweet, sukiyaki is a warming hot pot dish in Japan, flavored with thinly sliced beef and an intense broth of sugar, soy sauce, and mirin (sweetened cooking sake). Regarded as a classic Japanese dish since the Meiji Period, sukiyaki is usually cooked in a shallow cast-iron pot. Typically in the Kansai and Osaka region, some of the meat is eaten before it’s added to the pot, seared with that delicious sugary soy sauce seasoning. The Kansai or Tokyo style, however, uses these ingredients to make a sukiyaki sauce called warishita, in which everything is simmered together simultaneously. Like typical nabemono (hot pots), making sukiyaki is a communal event that’s best shared with family and friends, enjoying each other's company as the ingredients cook at the table over a stand-alone burner. 

Developing the flavors of the broth as they stew, vegetables, noodles, and plump tofu pieces bubble away, resulting in a soup that’s bold and flavorful, infusing sukiyaki’s signature sweetness. Best when cooked with marbled slices of premium wagyu beef (ultra-luxurious when Kobe beef is involved), raw egg is traditionally used as a dipping sauce, coating ingredients with a layer of creaminess. While it’s a popular dish for year-end parties (bonenkai) and perfect during the cold winter months, sukiyaki is delicious all throughout the year for its sweet, tempting soup. Check out our hot pot experiences to spend an afternoon learning how to make sukiyaki at a cooking class in Tokyo or enjoy up-scale dining, eating sukiyaki Osaka-style.

Sukiyaki

Bold and flavorsome, sukiyaki is a classic Japanese hot pot dish featuring thinly sliced beef and a signature broth of salty-sweet soy sauce. 

It’s one of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of Japanese cuisine, a humble piece of rice meets a simple slice of raw fish to make one of Japan’s best creations: sushi. The dish originated in ancient Japan eons before the invention of refrigeration, preserving rice and fish with salt to become edible for longer and travel-friendly. Individual pieces of perfectly-vinegared nigiri sushi as we know it today gained popularity during the Edo period, when eating fresh raw fish from Tokyo Bay became the eastern capital’s latest “in” thing. On the other hand, maki (“rolled”) sushi varieties make for easy snacking on-the-go, conveniently wrapped in a layer of salty seaweed. 

Once a functional fast food, the delicate art of sushi has since evolved, incorporating new-age flavors, elaborate ingredient combinations, and prefectural specialties to become a quintessential Japanese food. Highly textural and extremely versatile, sushi can be found packed into a market stall bento box, trundling around a conveyor belt at a kaitensushi restaurant, or served as the chef’s choice (“omakase”) skillfully prepared before your eyes at an intimate upscale experience. Taste this integral part of Japanese culture, eating unforgettable sushi during a local food tour or mastering the artform by making your own sushi at a cooking class. For happiness in bite-sized pieces, the land of sushi awaits.

Simple yet diverse, the taste of Japan is refined in the form of seaweed, rice, and the freshest ingredients, from an elaborate hand-rolled maki to a perfectly-pressed piece of nigiri; welcome to the land of sushi. 

From a dense batter that’s a little bit chewy, taiyaki are Japan’s little fish-shaped cakes, a traditional sweet snack that fits somewhere between being cake and a waffle. A typical Japanese dessert, taiyaki is made from a pancake-like batter poured into a special cast iron mold. With a classic filling of azuki red bean paste, taiyaki falls under the category of wagashi (Japanese sweets), served warm from street food stalls and local specialty stores. Named after the Japanese red sea bream “tai” for their shape, the lucky fish that was historically expensive and saved for celebrations. Taiyaki evolved from its predecessor of the Edo Period’s imagawayaki (a similar recipe but made from a circular mold). Almost 100 years later, taiyaki grew in popularity to become a typical festival food.

Other popular fillings of this cute fish-shaped cake include custard, chocolate, or sweet potato. Sometimes specialty stores even sell savory ones filled with cheese or pizza flavor, there’s even okonomiyaki-flavored taiyaki out there. Ones using croissant pastry have emerged in recent years, a buttery French twist on this classic Japanese dessert. Grab one at from a festival stall or a specialty shopfront throughout Japan, best served hot off the grill while it’s still crunchy! Discover this traditional Japanese dessert during a wagashi experience, or taste taiyaki during a sweet food tour for a freshly baked fishy delight.

Taiyaki

A traditional Japanese dessert, fish-shaped taiyaki cakes are best hot off the grill, filled with sweet red bean, custard, chocolate, and more!

A classic dish of Kansai cuisine, takoyaki is Japan’s unique street food, octopus balls (like bite-sized octopus dumplings). Textural and curious, each with a hidden piece of tako (octopus) inside, takoyaki was invented in 1935 by an Osaka street food vendor, inspired by akashiyaki from Hyogo Prefecture, a similar dish of octopus balls in a soup. Today, Osaka is flooded with takoyaki stalls, frying balls throughout the day on specialty cast iron pans. From a watery batter teamed of tako, tempura puffs, green onions, and pickled ginger, takoyaki are expertly flipped then grilled until golden. Piping hot off the grill, practice some patience before taking a bite, as the inside is still gooey and molten hot!

Greasy and comforting, these tiny takoyaki balls are surprisingly filling. Now everywhere in Japan, its served soft in Osaka but prefered crunchy in Tokyo, takoyaki is also known as a typical festival food, and with specialty shops offer experimental toppings. Slathered with thickened sweet soy sauce and Japanese mayo, tasty takoyaki are best topped off with some katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings), wiggling in the heat. Discover takoyaki during an Osaka food tour (grilled in front of your eyes), or taste some at night on an authentic bar crawl in Tokyo. Get hooked on this unusual street food during one of our takoyaki experiences, where you can learn to make it youself in a takoyaki party cooking class.

Takoyaki

Greasy and comforting, takoyaki are Kansai’s famous street food known as octopus balls, fried molten bites of battery goodness, each with a piece of octopus inside. ????

The Japanese omelet that’s seasoned with sugar and soy sauce, tamagoyaki is made from several fine layers of egg gently folded to become a golden rolled omelet. Glowing yellow with its flavor secretly both savory and sweet, tamagoyaki is a staple dish in Japanese cuisine that requires just the right amount of patience, skillful rolling technique, and ideally a rectangular tamagoyaki pan. Tamagoyaki makes for a tasty side dish in a Japanese breakfast or packed inside a bento boxed lunch, while its also popular sliced as a topping of nigiri sushi. In fact, sushi restaurants prepare their own tamagoyaki as a point of pride, as back in the day, the quality of sushi was judged by the restaurant’s ability to make tamagoyaki well. 

Eaten daily throughout the country, Japan’s consumption egg sky-rocketed following World War II, now among the highest three egg eating countries in the world. However, when dashi stock is added, tamagoyaki technically becomes a slightly different dish named dashimaki tamago, literally “dashi stock rolled egg.” Sometimes with a splash of sake too, this dish is distinguished by the stock which gives a finer texture and an umami kick, still not overpowering but more juicy, infused with another level of complexity in flavor. Served as both street food and in home cooking, get your roll on and learn how to make this classic Japanese omelet during a home cooking class. Discover the unique taste of tamagoyaki on a local market food tour, or during one of our sushi tasting experiences.

Tamagoyaki

A breakfast treat that’s sweet yet savory, fine layers of egg beautifully folded into a tamagoyaki become soft and spongy in the classic Japanese rolled omelet. 

Teishoku, the Japanese set meal, consists of staple elements like rice, soup (usually miso soup), and tsukemono (Japanese pickles) alongside a main dish and sometimes accompanied by side dishes as well. A staple of restaurants all across Japan, teishoku is a versatile meal set, just swap out the main dish or side dishes! Classic teishoku sets include protein mains such as succulent ginger pork (shogayaki), crispy and crunchy Japanese fried chicken (karaage), breadcrumbed and deep-fried pork cutlet (tonkatsu), and broiled fish (yakizakana). With the main served alongside fluffy steamed white rice, umami-rich miso soup, and tangy pickles, a teishoku set is a complete meal, satisfying and filling. 

One interesting element to note about teishoku is its particular layout. The rice is served on the left (as it is normal to hold the rice bowl in your left hand and use your chopsticks in your right hand), the soup is usually on the right side, and the main dish is normally placed at the top of the tray farthest away from you. These are just general guidelines though, and it varies by teishoku set type and restaurant. You can learn more about the teishoku layout in one of our teishoku cooking classes, or join a dining experience and try this traditional balanced meal for yourself! Why not try eating the Japanese way and incorporate the ichijiu issai or ichijiu sansai layouts into your home cooking? It’ll bring you a step closer to a more nutritious and varied diet!

Teishoku

Based on the traditional Japanese meal layouts of ichijiu issai (“one soup, one dish”) or ichijiu sansai (“one soup, three dishes”), teishoku is a balanced, delicious, and versatile Japanese set meal. 

Typically made from a variety of root vegetables and seafood ingredients, deep-fried golden tempura was originally introduced to Nagasaki by Portuguese missionaries during the 16th century. Salty, crunchy, and satisfying, tempura has since become a staple food of Japanese cuisine. Made from a light batter of flour, eggs, and water, tempura evolved from being a food reserved for the elite to eventually becoming a tasty snack enjoyed by the masses, an inexpensive bite to eat between meals. During the Edo period it was common to stop off for some crispy tempura at local street stalls, and then later during the Meiji period, tempura restaurants began to emerge. 

Now a simple and accessible meal, this deep-fried crowd favorite is popular over a tendon rice bowl, or when eaten with a serving of soba noodles. Available widely throughout Japan, tempura is particularly delicious when made with locally-harvested vegetables or freshly-caught seafood, not forgetting a piece of obligatory ebi (shrimp) tempura and some other classics like white fish, kabocha (pumpkin), or a fragrant piece of shiso leaf. Irresistibly crunchy and perfectly-fried, take on tempura and learn how to make it during a Japanese cooking class, or experience high-quality tempura at a luxurious kaiseki banquet. From street food tours to fine dining, discover deep-fried perfection and check out our mouth-watering tempura food experiences below.

Tempura

Introduced by Portugal during the mid-16th century, tempura has since evolved into one of Japan’s most popular foods, consisting of perfectly deep-fried ingredients with an irresistible crunch.

Wonderfully wobbly and packed full of protein, tofu is Japan’s multifaceted bean curd, a beloved soybean product that is transformed into blocks and blobs. Tofu-making techniques were introduced from China during the Nara period, and its safe to say that Japan has never looked back. Surprisingly diverse but commonly used throughout Japanese cuisine, tofu can be served either hot or cold with endless cooking styles and flavor variations. Silky soft or firm to touch, pale tofu alone is seemingly bland, but it’s easily jazzed up: warm it through in miso soup or a nabe hot pot, have it semi-sweet and wrapped around inarizushi, or enjoy it deep-fried as agedashidofu at an izakaya pub. Tofu serves as an integral ingredient that’s part of the everyday Japanese diet, not to mention being key in the Japanese Buddhist cuisine, shojin ryori. 

Full of amino acids, iron, and calcium, tofu makes a great meat replacement that’s cheap as chips. In the classic Japanese mentality of waste-not-want-not, Japanese cuisine also utilizes tofu byproducts like yuba (tofu skin) and okara (tofu “lees”). Used in regional specialties around Japan, have it boiled as yudofu for winter in Kyoto, or as spicy Szechuan-style mabodofu. And for the brave, pungent fermented tofu is a delicacy served in Okinawa. For a more conventional tofu encounter, try your hand cooking with tofu at a vegetarian cooking class or taste tofu during a vegan food tour. Explore the possibilities of tofu during one of our food experiences; you’ll be surprised by how Japan has incorporated tofu in the most creative ways. Tofu donuts, anyone?

Tofu

Silken, soft, firm, or deep-fried, tofu is Japan’s beloved bean curd product, a multifaceted protein made from soy that marks one of the main pillars of Japanese cuisine. 

Dripping with juices and impossibly tender, a deep-fried piece of panko-crumbed pork cutlet could only be one thing, and that’s Japan’s irresistibly crunchy tonkatsu. Uncomplicated yet addictive, tonkatsu originated during the 19th century under the influence of European cuisine and the steady rise of meat consumption in the Japanese diet. A Western-style yoshoku dish, tonkatsu was initially categorized as a foreign food, adjusted to fit the Japanese palate. Beautifully seasoned with salt and pepper, tonkatsu is a classic and filling meal on its own. Deep-fried till golden, juicy tonkatsu is served on a pile of shredded cabbage with a helping of rice, miso soup, and pickles on the side. 

Whether it’s the lean fillet or the fattier loin, tonkatsu can be enhanced with artisanal salt or a sprinkle of shichimi (spicy pepper flakes). Classic tonkatsu is best doused in thick, savory tonkatsu sauce, except Nagoyans prefer it with a strong miso glaze. Found in fast food joints as well as dedicated specialty restaurants, tonkatsu is a dish enjoyed by both the poor man and the posh, featuring in many delicious Japanese foods. Over rice as katsudon with a soy sauce simmered omelet, or with Japanese curry as katsukare, learn how to make tonkatsu during one of our Japanese cooking classes; or discover the best tonkatsu in town during a local food tour. Perfectly deep-fried in a crispy panko coating, what more could you ask for?

Tonkatsu

Panko-breadcrumbed with an irresistible crunch, a tender piece of deep-fried pork cutlet could be none other than Japan’s juicy tonkatsu. 

Tsukemen is a bonafide Tokyo specialty, originating from a famous ramen shop called Higashi-Ikebukuro Taishouken in the early 1960s. Since then, it has even gained popularity abroad in cities such as Los Angeles. 

Tsukemen does not necessarily have to be made with ramen noodles; other types of noodles like udon can also be enjoyed in tsukemen dishes. In general, the noodles used for tsukemen are quite firm as they do not sit in the soup and soak up the liquid like a typical ramen. Having the noodles in a separate bowl also allows the flavor of the noodles to shine through instead of being masked by the heavy, rich broth. And since the noodles are thicker than most varieties of ramen noodles, they are also chewier and bouncier.

Tsukemen soup is really more like a dipping sauce. It’s potent, powerful, and thick, with a strong saltiness. After eating your fill of tsukemen, you may find that you have some leftover soup. At that point you can get “soup-wari” or “supu-wari.” Just say “supu-wari kudasai,” and the server will bring you some dashi broth to mix with the concentrated soup. This tones down the intense saltiness and also introduces complex flavors of the dashi into the soup. 

Enjoy making your own tsukemen during a tsukemen cooking class or compare tsukemen with traditional ramen during a ramen food tour. Soon you’ll be ordering “supu-wari” like a local!

Tsukemen

Tsukemen is a style of Japanese dipping noodles offered in many ramen shops across Japan. It consists of hot, concentrated broth and chilled noodles served in separate bowls. 

Literally translating to “pickled things,” tsukemono are Japanese pickles for a refreshing flavor hit to cleanse the palate. Also used as a garnish, condiment, side dish, or digestive, tsukemono is the overarching word for pickles commonly served as okazu (small side dishes) to accompany most Japanese cuisines, or eaten as a otsumami (snack) when drinking. A traditional meal of rice and miso soup typically comes with a side of pickled vegetables, whose history began long before the days of refrigeration to keep perishables for longer. Preserved in salt, brine, or a bed of rice bran, pickles can also be made from miso, soy sauce, and more, using vegetables like cabbage and cucumber, or daikon radish, and even seaweed. 

Characteristically crunchy and made from all sorts of vegetables, tsukemono pop with color and different flavors. Each prefecture sports its own specialty, and even features as its own course in luxurious kaiseki banquets. Sour umeboshi (pickled plums) are divisive but arguably addictive, while bright yellow takuan made from radish are common like beni shoga (pickled ginger, served with gyudon or yakisoba). Nara’s own narazuke pickles vegetables in sake lees, while Kyoto is also known for its high-quality vegetable harvests yielding delicious local pickles. Join a dining experience with us to taste different types of tsukemono, or enjoy them as a side dish on a food tour or cooking class. A small but integral part of dining in Japan, get your tsukemono fresh and zingy.

Tsukemono

Popping with color, zingy Japanese pickles come in a variety of ingredients and flavors, making tsukemono the perfect side dish to match almost any Japanese dish. 

Thick and chewy, typical Japanese udon are versatile noodles made from wheat flour. Rich in vitamins, this simple yet essential carbohydrate is a favorite in Japan, and despite being the fattest noodle available it’s still considered to be healthy. Applying flour milling techniques introduced from China, udon is said to have been born in Japan during the Nara period. Sleek and slippery, udon can be eaten hot in a soup or cold with a dipping sauce, while they can also become yaki-udon when grilled on a teppanyaki hot plate, or even served in a hearty Japanese curry. 

This classic Japanese noodle is a versatile and tasty ingredient, which sees each prefecture flaunting its own signature make and style. Alongside the local miso nikomi udon, a style of wide and flat udon named kishimen are popular in Nagoya, but a thin type called inaniwa udon are eaten in the northern Akita Prefecture. The light soup of kitsune udon with a slice of fried tofu originated from Osaka, where in contrast, Tokyoites prefer a more intense flavored broth. Learn how to make udon from scratch during a cooking class, or add it to a nabe hot pot with wagyu beef and local vegetables. Check out our delicious udon experiences, ranging from the fanciest udon of your life, right down to a food tour that’ll have you slurping udon with locals.

Udon

Served hot in a soup, cold with a dipping sauce, pan-fried or in a hot pot; each region of Japan has its own special take on udon, the humble wheat flour noodle.

Not to be confused with anago (conger eel, popular in Hiroshima), unagi is Japan’s freshwater eel, famously delicious when served as kabayaki, grilled on sticks over a charcoal fire. Typically grilled with a sweet-savory tare sauce, this popular dish emerged during the Edo Period but still remains luxurious today. The Kanto region is known for both steaming and grilling their fluffy unagi fillets, while the Kansai region uses various grilling techniques to achieve that signature softness. Although available throughout the year, unagi is associated with being eaten during summer, a nutritious meal said to increase stamina while improving heat tolerance. Marking the hottest day of the year, it’s also customary to eat unagi on the midsummer day of the ox. Caught from rivers throughout the country, Shizuoka is particularly famous for its high-quality unagi, although specialty unagi-ya restaurants are also scattered throughout Japan. 

Enjoyed a number of ways, unagi can be eaten as grilled fillets with rice in a lacquered box, or with scrambled with eggs in an unadon rice bowl, in sushi, or boiled in a nabe hot pot. Go easy to avoid overpowering the smoky flavor with sancho (Japanaese pepper), with soft grilled eel supple as it melts in your mouth. Another delicious style is Nagoya’s signature hitsumabushi dish, complete with a 4-step eating ritual. Discover this delectable eel during an unagi experience in Japan, by either booking an unagi cooking class or joining a unique food tour. Rich in protein and vitamins, unagi is both nutritious and delicious when grilled to charcoal perfection.

Unagi

A premium summer dish in Japan

An innately cultural product that’s strongly associated with tea ceremonies, wagashi covers the umbrella term for delicate Japanese sweets, traditionally crafted using plant-based ingredients. This means that more often than not wagashi are vegetarian and vegan-friendly, made from sweet ingredients like mochi rice cakes, azuki red bean paste, rice flour, and sesame paste. Enjoyed at cafes and tea houses, wagashi are the perfect accompaniment to balance out the bitterness of matcha. Gorgeous to look at and delicious too, production and demand for wagashi surged during the Edo era, although the term came later during the Meiji period to preserve the legacy of beautiful Japanese sweets against the rise of modernization and Western influences. 

Minimal and unique with regional and seasonal varieties, Japan’s prefectures have each developed their own signature wagashi using local ingredients and specially adapted preparation methods. While Kanazawa takes ultimate pride in producing colorful sweets, wagashi shops line the streets in Kyoto selling cinnamon flavored yatsuhashi, and street stalls in Hiroshima sell momiji-manju shaped like autumn leaves. From to steamed manju buns to red bean dorayaki pancakes, or tri-colored dango in spring, discover local wagashi during a traditional sweets tour or learn how to create your own handmade nerikiri at a beautiful wagashi making class. Intrinsically ingrained in Japanese culture, appreciate wagashi first hand during one of our unforgettable wagashi experiences.

Wagashi

From beautifully handcrafted nerikiri sweets to plump pieces of daifuku mochi, traditional wagashi are Japan’s wonderfully diverse desserts comprising a range of regional and seasonal varieties. 

Among the most expensive on the planet, Japan’s wagyu beef is famous worldwide for its long tradition of supreme meat quality. Dripping with flavor and unmatched in texture, premium wagyu beef comes from Japan’s four native cattle breeds including Japanese black, brown, polled, and shorthorn purebreds. World-class kuroge (Japanese black) cows make up 90% of mouthwatering wagyu in Japan, proudly branded by production area, with some qualifying as top-graded A5 beef like Kobe beef (now one of the most famous in the world) and Matsuzaka beef (a prominent household name). Despite myths about being massaged and receiving a daily dose of beer, the conditions and quality of wagyu certainly mean it’s pricey for just a few hundred grams. 

Succulent and highly marbled, wagyu is defined by its fine texture that melts in the mouth. Throughout Japan’s history there have been bans on meat consumption in alignment with religious beliefs, but restrictions were lifted for good during the Meiji Period, under the influence of Westernization. Grilled with yakiniku or dipped in a shabu shabu hot pot, different cuts work well in a range of delicious Japanese dishes, notably beautiful when served as a juicy steak, lovingly seared on a teppanyaki hot plate. Join one of our wagyu experiences and grill your own wagyu during a dining experience, or learn how to make wagyu sukiyaki in a cooking class. Unbelievably tender, this game-changing beef is a must-try in Japan.

Wagyu

Highly marbled and beautifully textured, high-quality wagyu is Japan’s world-class premium beef that guarantees an out of body experience with every mouthwatering bite. 

Covering all types of Japanese cuisine ranging from the upscale kaiseki ryori to the humble home-cooked bento, washoku is perfect for all taste buds, while being healthy, simple, and delicious. The two kanji characters that make up “washoku” can be broken up and translated with “wa” referring to Japan or harmony and “shoku” meaning food or to eat. The bounty of the four seasons are respected through washoku, celebrating food and its source. Dishes may be garnished with sakura petals or momiji leaves to add some seasonal flare, and wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) are often shaped into seasonal motifs. 

A typical washoku set meal (“teishoku”) includes rice, a side of tsukemono (pickled seasonal vegetables), ichiju (a bowl of soup), a main dish, and two side dishes. All the parts chosen compliment each other to create a simple but elegant dish. Washoku also takes into account the aesthetics of food. The plating and utensils play a role in showing the beauty and nature behind the dish, adding context to the meal.

Browse washoku restaurants, cooking classes, and food tours in Japan. Learn how to make traditional Japanese cuisine like sushi, soba, tempura, and more. Book now!

Best Washoku Experiences and Restaurants in Japan | byFood

Washoku

A UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, “washoku” is the simple yet sophisticated Japanese cuisine, highlighting the bounty of Japan’s seasons. 

Literally translating as “grilled meat,” the beloved Japanese barbeque of yakiniku is a grill-it-yourself affair, cooking pieces of beef, pork, and offal. Along with some vegetables, yakiniku generally covers barbeque cuisine using a hot plate or an open charcoal grill, usually built into the table or sometimes a stand-alone burner. The concept of yakiniku emerged in the Showa Period although later gaining traction during the Meiji Period, once Japan’s beef consumption ban was removed, embracing Western culture. Following the Second World War, influences of Korean food and Korean barbeque escalated, leading yakiniku to become incredibly popular with restaurants now all over Japan. Ranging from classy to casual, however, be sure to try Kobe beef or premium wagyu for a luxurious grill. 

Where a meal meets activity, yakiniku makes for a fun group night out, chatting with friends while turning beef pieces, rare or well done? You’re in control, although the thinly sliced meat doesn’t take long to cook. Mouth-watering and dipped in an intense sauce called tare, add condiments how you like it for the full DIY dining experience. A variation from Hokkaido in the north, their local lamb meat is famously grilled as jingisukan on a helmet-shaped griddle, while Osaka lets nothing go to waste, grilling odd innard cut offs like liver and intestine for horumonyaki. Join one of our best barbeque experiences; explore new cities during a food tour and stop off for a delicious yakiniku lunch, or book a memorable night with a barbeque extravaganza of all-you-can-eat. Fire up the grill and sizzle away!

Yakiniku

Flaming beef strips hot off the grill, juicy Japanese barbeque of yakiniku never tasted better than a meaty feast with a satisfying sizzle. ???

Literally “grilled noodles,” yakisoba is a classic Japanese dish of stir-fried noodles with meat and vegetables on a teppanyaki hot plate. Although soba generally refers to buckwheat noodles, this dish is made from ramen-style wheat noodles, also known as Chinese noodles or chukamen. Springy and chewy, these tasty pan-fried noodles are fused with typical yakisoba sauce that’s both sweet and savory (a thickened soy sauce, similar to oyster sauce and Worcestershire), garnished with pink pickled ginger and a sprinkle of aonori (seaweed flakes), a squiggle of mayonnaise, with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) wiggling in the heat. 

A casual snack, yakisoba emerged as a street food in Japan during the early 20th century, and has since become a regular fast-food fare, grilled with okonomiyaki at specialty restaurants. It’s sold around Japan as both a side dish or a light meal, typically from festival food stalls, street food carts, supermarkets, and is easily made at home with your favorite ingredients. When udon noodles are used, the dish is called yakiudon, a variation made popular in Fukuoka Prefecture. In Okinawa, yakisoba is often served with spam and wieners, influenced by the tastes of the US Military Occupation. Join one of our food tours to taste yakisoba during a street food tour, or learn how to grill it yourself in a yakisoba cooking class with us.

Yakisoba

Best when freshly grilled off the hot plate at a festival street food stall, thin chewy noodles stir-fried in a thick soy sauce make the classic Japanese dish of yakisoba.

Literally meaning “grilled bird” in Japanese, succulent chicken pieces served on bamboo sticks are roasted over an open charcoal grill to make yakitori, the classic Japanese chicken skewer. Ancient Japan’s early days of Zen Buddhism strictly frowned upon the consumption of meat, however during the Edo period chicken was tolerated, a luxury enjoyed by the aristocratic elite (schmoozed by farmers and European traders). The end of World War II saw the price of chicken dramatically drop making delicious yakitori rise in popularity, quickly becoming accessible to the everyman. 

Order them by the stick, from meatballs to thighs to liver to skin, all parts of the chicken can be skewered and enhanced by a shio (salt) seasoning or a classic glaze of soy sauce, sugar, and sake. Mouth-watering with a slightly smoky flavor, experience Japan’s best yakitori through one of our authentic food experiences. Learn to grill them at a Japanese cooking class (beautifully tender with skins crispy to perfection), or discover Nagoya’s famous tebasaki wings during a spicy food tour. Have it hot off the grill from the famous street food stalls of Fukuoka, or enjoy tender yakitori with a beer while exploring hidden izakayas on a Tokyo bar crawl. Yakitori sticks may be small in size but are definitely striking in flavor.

When perfectly grilled over an open charcoal fire, yakitori chicken skewers can be a tasty street food snack or a side dish that goes hand-in-hand with a glass of sake at a traditional izakaya.

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