15 popular dishes you must try when traveling to Japan

Sushi is synonymous with Japanese cuisine and is loved all over the world. Made with fresh seafood and served with vinegared rice, this dish is simple yet has a deep flavor. Sushi can be enjoyed in different regions of Japan, each with its own unique regional characteristics.

Wagyu beef is a world-famous high-quality beef known for its tenderness and rich flavor. There are regional brands of Wagyu beef, such as Kobe beef and Matsusaka beef, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll never forget its mellow flavor.

Tempura is a dish of shrimp and vegetables deep-fried in a light batter. Its crispy texture and natural sweetness are its appealing features. It is common to eat freshly fried tempura with salt or tentsuyu sauce. You can eat particularly delicious tempura at long-established tempura specialty restaurants.

Unagi, or eel, is a traditional Japanese stamina food for the summer. Dishes such as “unadon” and “unaju” are especially well-known, where eel coated in a sweet and savory sauce is placed on top of rice. The flavor of the eel, grilled to a fragrant perfection over charcoal, combined with its tender texture, is exceptional.

Yakitori is a traditional Japanese dish where chicken is skewered and grilled over charcoal. It is seasoned with either salt or sauce, allowing you to enjoy different textures and flavors depending on the part of the chicken. Yakitori is a popular dish that can be easily enjoyed at izakayas (Japanese pubs) across Japan.

Tonkatsu is a dish made by coating pork in breadcrumbs and frying it until crispy. The balance between the crunchy coating and the juicy meat is exquisite. It is typically served with shredded cabbage and is commonly eaten with a special tonkatsu sauce.

Curry rice is a Japanese-style curry dish where the curry roux is served together with rice. It is characterized by a unique sweet and spicy flavor that is loved by people of all ages, from children to adults. The ingredients and toppings vary depending on the restaurant, making it enjoyable to compare different versions.

Onigiri is a traditional Japanese snack that is easy to eat. It consists of rice shaped into triangles or circles, with fillings inside or wrapped in seaweed. The fillings vary widely, including options like pickled plum, salmon, and tuna mayonnaise. Onigiri can be conveniently purchased at Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets.

Sashimi is a simple dish consisting of fresh fish or shellfish sliced thinly and eaten with wasabi and soy sauce. This dish allows you to directly savor the umami of the seafood. Sashimi can be enjoyed in coastal towns across Japan, as well as at Japanese restaurants and izakayas.

Ramen is a popular dish that can be called the national dish of Japan, and has a wide variety of combinations of soup, noodles, and toppings. There are various soups such as soy sauce, miso, salt, and pork bone, and each region has its own unique ramen. It would be interesting to try ramen in each region you visit.

Udon is a dish characterized by its thick, chewy noodles. There are various styles of udon, such as udon served in hot soup or cold udon served with dipping sauce. For example, soft, smooth udon is common in the Kansai region, but firm, chewy udon is eaten in the Sanuki region of Shikoku.

Soba is a long, thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, characterized by its unique aroma and flavor. It can be enjoyed according to the season and your mood, such as hot soba or cold soba served with dipping sauce. In particular, you can enjoy authentic soba in famous soba producing areas such as Nagano Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture.

Takoyaki are small balls filled with octopus that originated in Osaka. They are characterized by a crispy outside and soft inside, and are eaten with sauce, mayonnaise, green laver, and bonito flakes. They can be easily eaten at food stalls and specialty shops, and are popular as a uniquely Japanese street food.

Okonomiyaki is a dish made by grilling ingredients such as cabbage and pork together with a flour batter on a hot plate. The style varies from region to region, such as Hiroshima style or Osaka style, and it is seasoned with sauce and mayonnaise and comes with a wide variety of toppings. There are also restaurants where you can grill it yourself, so it’s recommended to try this out as a fun experience.

Wagashi, a traditional Japanese sweet, is characterized by its beautiful appearance and delicate taste. Many of them use bean paste, and their attractive designs are based on seasonal flowers and nature. When enjoy with matcha, you can also enjoy the Japanese tea ceremony culture.