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TASTE YOUR WAY THROUGH JAPAN
Food & Drink in Japan
Taste your way through Japan: the crackle of tempura, a fragrant bowl of noodles, a hotplate piled with cabbage and sauce. Start with a dish that catches your appetite, follow a regional speciality, or find the practical help that makes eating out easier.
Showing What to eat
What to eat
Sushi
Vinegared rice is the thread connecting nigiri, rolls and bowls. Explore the different forms and find a first order that appeals to you.
Explore sushi →
Ramen
Broth, noodles and toppings make every bowl a small world of its own. Get to know the main choices before you pull up a seat.
Explore ramen →
Tempura
A light, crisp coating turns seafood and vegetables into a glorious contrast of textures. Discover individual pieces, rice bowls and full meals.
Explore tempura →
Soba & udon
Buckwheat soba and wheat udon offer different flavours and textures, whether served in warming broth or with a cool dipping sauce.
Compare soba and udon →Explore soba’s history, styles and dipping rituals →
Yakitori
Small skewers bring the grill to the table, with salt or a glossy sauce shaping the flavour. Find the cuts and seasonings that tempt you.
Explore yakitori →
Okonomiyaki
Cabbage, batter and a hotplate become something wonderfully substantial. Compare the mixed Osaka style with Hiroshima’s carefully built layers.
Compare the styles →Regional flavours
Sapporo: soup curry
Large vegetables and generous toppings rise from a spiced broth, with rice alongside. Discover the inventive Sapporo dish behind that colourful bowl.
Discover Sapporo soup curry →
Tokyo: sushi and noodles
A sushi meal and a noodle counter offer different pleasures in the same city. Explore the food traditions that can become highlights of a Tokyo day.
Explore Tokyo flavours →Osaka and Hiroshima: the hotplate story
Mixing and layering produce two distinct kinds of okonomiyaki. Follow the comparison, then look inside Hiroshima’s cabbage-and-noodle construction.
Compare Osaka and Hiroshima →Discover Hiroshima okonomiyaki →Kagawa: Sanuki udon
A simple noodle reveals extraordinary variety: warm from the pot, cooled for dipping, or dressed with sauce. Explore the preparations that give each bowl its character.
Discover Sanuki udon →
Fukuoka: ramen and yatai
Hakata-style ramen and the evening food-stall scene are two inviting ways into Fukuoka’s appetite. Find out what distinguishes a bowl from a night at a yatai.
Explore Fukuoka flavours →
Okinawa: a noodle with its own story
Springy wheat noodles, savoury broth and generous toppings make Okinawa soba unmistakable. Meet the dish, its regional variations and its much-defended name.
Discover Okinawa soba →Three more places, three delicious stories
Morioka’s three great noodles range from lively small-bowl hospitality to chilled reimen and richly dressed jajamen.
Kochi’s katsuo no tataki brings flame to the outside of bonito while leaving the centre raw or rare—a striking meeting of fire and sea.
Nagasaki’s champon and sara udon turn noodles, vegetables and other toppings into three very different textures: soupy, crisp and soft.
Eating out
A quick meal
A noodle counter or set meal can make lunch a pleasure in its own right. Learn how ordering and service work before joining the rhythm.
Find your quick meal →An izakaya evening
Several small dishes, a drink and time at the table: an izakaya invites a more leisurely kind of meal. Get comfortable with ordering and sharing.
Plan an izakaya evening →
Markets and takeaway
Stalls and prepared foods offer a tempting close-up of local appetites. Learn where to browse, how to buy and where to enjoy what you choose.
Explore markets and takeaway →A reserved meal
Make dinner an occasion. Understand fixed menus, timing and advance arrangements so the meal has the attention it deserves.
Prepare for a reserved meal →Tea and drinks
A bowl of tea, a tasting or a drink with dinner can change the pace of a day. Explore the settings and small customs around them.
For wagashi, shaved ice and regional treats, explore our sweet stops guide.
Find a tea or drinks stop →Paying and leaving
Payment methods, table charges and the right place to settle the bill become easier once you know what to expect.
Understand the practical details →Give a meal time of its own
Let a market, counter or dinner become part of what you came to experience. Our dining guide helps you choose the setting; the dish guides tell you what makes the food worth seeking out.
Dietary needs
Vegetarian and vegan meals
Stock, sauces and toppings all matter. Learn which questions help distinguish a vegetable-filled dish from a meal that meets your requirements.
Prepare vegetarian and vegan questions →Halal requirements
Ingredients, cooking alcohol, preparation and certification can each affect your choice. Bring the questions that reflect your own requirements.
Prepare halal questions →Food allergies
An exact written ingredient list helps start the conversation. Ask about preparation and shared equipment as well as visible toppings.
Prepare allergy questions →Before booking or arriving
Contact a fixed-menu restaurant early, save its response and keep a suitable alternative in mind. Preparation leaves more room to enjoy the meal.
Plan ahead for dietary needs →For an illustrated introduction, explore JNTO’s guide to Japanese dishes.
Photo credits
Sushi / A reserved meal — Photo: MUSUBI KILN · CC BY-SA 2.0
Ramen / A quick meal — Photo: Ocdp · CC0 1.0
Tempura — Photo: Ocdp · CC0 1.0
Soba & udon / Kagawa: Sanuki udon — Photo: Kanesue · CC BY 4.0
Yakitori / An izakaya evening — Photo: Ocdp · CC0 1.0
Okonomiyaki / Osaka and Hiroshima: the hotplate story — Photo: Elijah · CC BY 2.0
Sapporo: soup curry — Photo: Koichi Oda · CC BY-SA 2.0
Tokyo: sushi and noodles — Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Fukuoka: ramen and yatai — Photo: Ominae · CC BY-SA 4.0
Okinawa: a noodle with its own story — Photo: woinary · CC BY-SA 2.0
Places, experiences and practical ways to get there.