Exploring Japanese cuisine is one of the true highlights of any trip to Japan. Visitors to Japan expect to eat the best sashimi and ramen of their lives, but one of the best things about visiting Japan is discovering dozens of other Japanese dishes & drinks that you’ll rarely find in your home country. Unforgettable sushi is just the tip of the iceberg!

Some of the best Japanese food & drinks to try in Japan include sashimi, ramen, tempura, okonomiyaki, mochi, sake and umeshu (plum wine), to name just a few. In this guide to the best food & drinks to try in Japan, I’ve rounded up the best dishes & drinks I’ve tried during my own trips to Japan, and listed some specific shops, bars & restaurants where you can find them, across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hirsohima & Miyajima.

Since 2013, traditional Japanese cuisine (washoku) has been recognised on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Japanese cuisine has been included on this list for its balance, respect for seasonality and nature, and it’s healthful properties.

Savoury Japanese Dishes

1. Onigiri

Onigiri are Japanese rice balls, often folded into a triangular shape, wrapped in a sheet of nori (seaweed) and with a savoury filling, such as salmon, tuna or pickled plum.

Onigiri are my favourite Japanese snack, because they are so filling and delicious, and the perfect snack to throw in your backpack before a busy day of exploring.

Onigiri can be found in casual restaurants, dedicated onigiri take away shops, as well as at 7-11. I’d never think to find breakfast at a 7-11 in Australia, but 7-11 in Japan is full of decent food – including great onigiri! However, you can’t beat warm onigiri freshly made at a cafe or restaurant.

Where to Find Onigiri in Japan

• Nationwide: All over Japan, you can find excellent onigiri at 7-11. These are perfect for throwing in your backpack before a busy day of sightseeing! A great breakfast, or a great picnic lunch for later in the day
• Kyoto: Miyoneshi Fumiya is a traditional, casual set-meal restaurant, which includes fresh, warm onigiri as part of the set meals. This is in Northern Higashiyama, right near Ginka-ku Ji (Silver Pavilion)
• Hiroshima: Onigiri Nitaya is a casual onigiri cafe & takeaway. The location near the river & Peace Park has seating, and there’s another downtown location which is for take-away only.

2. Sashimi & Nigiri

Sashimi & nigiri are two of the most popular forms of sushi, and a must-try when in Japan.

Sashimi refers to raw fish, such as tuna or salmon, sliced and served in bite-sized pieces. When the raw fish is served on top of a small ball of vinegared rice.

Where you’ll find one, you’ll usually find the other! Sashimi in Japan is incredibly fresh, and nothing like the sashimi I’ve tried in Australia.

Where to Find Sashimi in Japan

• Tokyo: The Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is famous for its tuna auctions, but the true highlight are all of the sashimi restaurants surrounding the market. 
• Osaka: Maguro Entoki is a small shop inside the Kuromon Market, which serves some of the freshest sashimi and nigiri. You can buy sashimi sets from particular cuts of tuna or salmon, or sets that include cuts from several different parts of the fish – something I’ve never seen before. There’s a small area at the back where you can sit to eat.
• Kyoto: The Nishiki Market in Tokyo has several stalls serving beautiful sashimi & nigiri, we bought some from a mini food court inside the market, which had several stalls grouped together with seating in the middle. You can find upscale sashimi restaurants in Kyoto’s Pontocho dining precinct as well.

3. Tempura

Tempura is a popular Japanese dish made of lightly battered seafood and vegetables.

It developed in Japan after Portuguese missionaries brought the technique to Nagasaki in the 16th century. Over the next two hundred years, the recipe and technique developed, leading to a light batter made only of flour, eggs and cold water.

Seafood is a key pillar of Japanese cuisine, so you’ll find a lot of seafood tempura, alongside vegetables. My favourite tempura dish is tempura prawns.

Where to Find Tempura in Japan

• Kyoto: There are several stalls serving tempura prawns and other seafood in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, which is where we tried tempura in Japan
• Osaka: The Kuromon Market has a number of stalls offering tempura dishes, very similar to what you’ll find at the Nishiki Market in Kyoto.

4. Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a pan-fried Japanese dish made of cabbage, batter, a rich okonomiyaki sauce and a variety of fillings, which is often compared to a savoury pancake or omelette.

There are two styles of okonomiyaki in Japan; one from Osaka and one from Hiroshima.

Osaka-style okonomiyaki, also called Kansai-style, mixes all of the ingredients together before cooking.

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki cooks the batter first, and the ingredients separately, before layering them together on the pan. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki also includes noodles.

Where to Find Okonomiyaki in Japan

Okonomiyaki is served at dedicated restaurants across Japan.

• Hiroshima: Okonomimura is an “okonomiyaki village” of 25 okonomiyaki restaurants, crowded into a few floors of a commercial building in downtown Hiroshima. It’s an unforgettable experience, and one of the best things to do in Hiroshima!
• Osaka: You’ll be able to find okonomiyaki restaurants all over Osaka, but Bonkuraya comes recommended by Inside Osaka, and is on the Dotonbori (a must-see in Osaka).
• Tokyo: Sometaro is an okonomiyaki restaurant in Tokyo’s beautiful Asakusa neighbourhood. We visited on our first trip to Tokyo. You sit on the ground, around a teppanyaki grill, and cook your own okonomiyaki – luckily, the staff will intervene to save your lunch, if you’re a clumsy tourist, like we were!

5. Bento 

Bento boxes are a Japanese meal, served in a compartmentalised container designed to offer a balanced lunch.

Bento boxes can be found across Japan, but there is even a special bento box designed for train travel, called the ekiben. 

Where to Find Bento Boxes in Japan

• Shinkansen (Bullet Trains) – Eating on Japanese trains is taboo, except on the Shinkansen (bullet train), where it is a rite of passage. You can buy bento boxes at most Shinkansen stations, and sometimes even from kiosks on the platform!

6. Ramen

Ramen is a soup & noodle dish, with a salty broth often made from miso or soy, and filled with toppings such as egg, pork, spring onions or chicken.

Ramen is a classic Japanese dish that can be found the world over, but is at its absolute best in Japan.

Where to Find Ramen in Japan

• Hiroshima: The best ramen I’ve had in Japan was in Hiroshima, at Kiyo Chan, a tiny, third-generation family-owned restaurant in downtown Hiroshima. Slide onto a stool at the counter & prepare for the more delicious ramen of your life!
• Osaka:There will be excellent ramen all over Osaka, but if you’re visiting the Osaka Aquarium, then save this ramen spot to your Google Maps. I can’t find the name in English, but it is next to 9 Borden Coffee. This light, sleek ramen restaurant serves only two types of ramen, and naturally, they have perfected them both.
• Tokyo: You’ll find ramen all over Tokyo, but you can find several places where you order your ramen at a ticket machine, before taking your seat at a counter, which is a memorable experience. I can’t find the name of the place we visited, but next time I want to try Ichiran ramen in Tokyo, where you order via a ticket machine and sit at a single-person booth to enjoy your meal.

7. Kaiseki

Kaiseki is a multi-course meal of small, artfully prepared dishes that typically celebrate seasonality and the local region.

Kaiseki is part of Japan’s haute-cuisine, and has Imperial roots, originating in Kyoto. A kaiseki meal will be a splurge, and will require a reservation in advance, but is one of the most unforgettable ways to experience Japanese cuisine.

Where to Find Kaiseki in Japan

You can find kaiseki restaurants all over Japan, but there are two restaurants I was lucky enough to try kaiseki!

• Kyoto: Roan Kikunoi is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Kyoto, serving kaiseki. We booked in advance, and were seated in a private room, which was a new experience for me!
• Miyajima: Grand Hotel Arimoto is the best hotel to stay on Miyajima, and includes a kaiseki meal as part of the room rate, which was a lovely surprise that “dinner included” was one of the most elegant meals we had in Japan!

Japanese Sweets & Desserts

8. Mochi 

Mochi is one of the most popular sweets in Japan, and an absolute must-try. Mochi is a type of rice cake, where steamed rice is turned into a soft, sticky and sweet ball, which can have a variety of flavours and fillings.

The most common mochi in Japan is daifuku mochi, which is a large, round mochi ball filled with red bean paste filling.

Where to Find Mochi in Japan

Mochi is one of the most popular sweets in Japan, so you’ll be able to find it all over the country. From convenience stores to high end gourmet shops to market stalls, it’s easy to find mochi.

• Kyoto: The most delicious mochi we had in Japan was an enormous mochi ball, with a sweet citrus filling. This seasonal fruit moji is less common, but can be found in the Nishiki Market, or at Niniji Gion in Kyoto. On the busy shopping street leading away from Kiyomuzidera, you’ll find several gourmet food shops selling beautifully packaged boxes of mochi. This makes a gorgeous gift. 
• Osaka: At the Kuromon Market, you can get daifuku mochi with a strawberry wedged inside. Delicious!

9. Hanami Dango

Sometimes confused with Mochi, dango is a Japanese sweet made of three sweet rice balls on a skewer.

Dango are made with rice flour, rather than steamed rice, so they are slightly puffy and crunchy. Hanami dango is a popular variety, which celebrates spring with white, green and pink rice balls. It’s so popular, it’s even an emoji!

Where to Find Hanami Dango in Japan

Hanami dango is popular across Japan, especially at food marketst and stalls.

10. Momiji Manju

Momiji Manju are delicious Japanese cakes shaped like maple leaves from the island of Miyajima, that celebrate the autumn season.

Traditionally they are filled with red bean paste, but they’re also made with other fillings like chocolate, fruit jam and cheese.

They are so delicious, and are my favourite Japanese sweet! We definitely over-indulged in these when we were in Miyajima and Hiroshima.

Where to Find Momiji Manju in Japan

• Miyajima: Momiji Manju are from Miyajima, a beautiful island off the coast of Hiroshima. Miyajima is home to the iconic Itsukushima Shrine, so it’s a worthy addition to any trip to Japan. You can find momiji danju at several stores in the Omotesando market in Miyajima. You’ll also see them at gourmet food shops and gift stores in Japan.

Japanese Drinks

11. Matcha 

Matcha is a traditional, powdered green tea that has a long history in Japan.

It is traditionally served in tea ceremonies, but is widely available at cafes and tea houses across Japan. You’ll also find matcha flavoured ice cream and desserts across Japan.

Traditionally, matcha is whisked with hot water, to create a frothy tea.

Where to Find Matcha in Japan

You can find matcha all over Japan, at cafes and tea houses. You can also arrange a traditional Japanese tea ceremony for a truly authentic and traditional experience.

12. Sake

Sake is a popular alcoholic beverage in Japan, brewed from fermented rice.

It’s sometimes called “rice wine”, but it’s brewed like beer, rather than being made from fermented fruits like wine.

At bars in Japan, sake is often served in a small glass, overflowing into a small box called a masu. This is a traditional serving style which symbolises prosperity and good fortune.

Where to find Sake in Japan

You’ll find sake in Japan in nearly every bar and licensed restaurant that you visit. It’s not hard to find!

13. Flavoured Lattes

Third-wave coffee culture is thriving in Japan, making it one of the best places in the world to get a coffee. Not only have the Japanese perfected the art of the latte, they’ve taken it a step further with flavoured lattes, which are delicious.

I wouldn’t touch flavoured lattes in Australia with a ten foot pole, and when I lived in New York City I dodged flavoured coffees at Starbucks (and Starbucks in general). The flavoured lattes in Japan are in a totally different league.

The best flavoured lattes I had in Japan were a cherry latte in Hiroshima at Obscura Coffee Roasters and a popcorn latte from a coffee van in the backstreets of Arashiyama in Kyoto. 

Where to Find Flavoured Lattes in Japan

• Kyoto: ReUnion is a coffee cart operating out of a residential backstreet in Arashiyama. Much cuter than the touristy cafes in the main street, and they have a range of flavoured lattes to choose from, like popcorn lattes and sakura lattes.
• Hiroshima: Obscura Coffee Roasters has a few locations in Hiroshima, and when was offering a seasonal cherry coffee latte when I visited. I went back for one every day!
• Tokyo: Obscura Coffee Roasters also has a cafe in Shibuya, in Tokyo

14. Umeshu

Umeshu is a popular Japanese alcoholic beverage, frequently referred to as “plum wine.” However, it’s a distilled beverage, so it’s more like a plum liqueur or spirit. Ume refers to the type of plums used, and “shu” translates to alcohol.

Umeshu is a fruity alcoholic beverage, and one of my favourite traditional Japanese drinks.

Where to Umeshu in Japan

You’ll find sake in Japan in nearly every bar and licensed restaurant that you visit. You can also purchase umeshu at bottle shops, if you want to take some home as a souvenir.

15. Whiskey

Japan is one of the top whiskey producers in the world, and is renowned for its high quality and delicate balance of flavours. Some of the most popular Japanese whiskies to try in Japan are Suntory Yamazaki, Hibiki, Fuji and Nikka.

In Japan, the most popular way to drink whiskey is in a highball, which is a tall glass, filled with whiskey, soda & ice.

Further Reading

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