Japanese Food Guide

Udon and Soba | representative of Japanese food

Udon and soba are two lesser-known types of noodles from Japan, even though they have deeper Japanese roots than the popular ramen noodles. What are udon and soba?
Abura Soba | The best soup-less noodles only available in Japan

Did you know that in Japan, there are many varieties of noodles to choose from? Abura soba is one of those types of noodles that hasn’t yet become famous in the rest of the world, but surely will one day.
Sukiyaki | A delicious and luxurious dish representing the Japanese winter

Sukiyaki is a typical wintertime dish in Japan featuring beef, tofu, scallions, cabbage, and mushrooms. You can eat it in restaurants, but Japanese people also eat this at home a lot.
Gyudon Beef Bowl | Exquisite dishes with lavish use of beef

Gyudon beef bowl is maybe not as famous as some other types of Japanese food, but it is definitely a must-try if you come to Japan and you like meat.
Shabu Shabu | New Japanese Cuisine

Shabu shabu is still a relatively new dish. It was inspired by the Chinese-style hot pot that was brought to Japan by a restaurant named Suehiro from Osaka.
Tonkatsu | A very popular dish among the Japanese

Tonkatsu was invented in the late 19th century and it became a very popular dish in Japan. This Japanese version of the German schnitzel was inspired by a Western food boom in the late 19th century.
Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki | Cuisine loved by the people of Japan

Japan is a country with one of the richest cuisines in the world, with endless dishes to choose from. One of the most popular dishes is the okonomiyaki savory pancake of Hiroshima.
Tempura | A very popular dish among the Japanese

Many people don’t know that tempura is actually not an original Japanese food and that it has a long history. Tempura was first made in Japan in the early Edo period when foreigners could barely enter Japan.
Onigiri | A very popular dish among the Japanese

In Japanese culture, it is important not to waste any food, and the onigiri (rice ball) is a great example of how this goal is reached. Onigiri often features in home-made bento lunch boxes.
Oden | A very popular dish among the Japanese, especially in winter

If you want to try something new in Japan that you can likely not find in your home country, you should give oden a try! It is not only delicious but also a healthy and low-calorie option.
Tofu | A very popular dish among the Japanese

In Japan, tofu has been a part of the menu for many centuries. The rest of the world is now also catching up, as there are great health benefits to eating tofu.
Kaiseki Cuisine | A very popular dish among the Japanese

Kaiseki ryori is not just a meal, it is a quintessentially Japanese experience. Often served in ryokan as a part of your stay there, it is a multi-course high-end meal that tries to incorporate the locality and season as best as it can.
Osechi Ryori | Traditional Japanese New Year’s Dishes

Japan’s traditional New Year’s food osechi ryori has a long history that began in the Heian era, as back in the day it was taboo to cook on the first 3 days of the year.
Yakitori | A very popular dish among the Japanese

Just like most Japanese dishes based on meat, yakitori also doesn’t have a long history because Buddhism made eating meat a no-no. How did this locals’ favorite develop, and which variations are there?
Izakaya | Good food and drinks, fun space

Whether you go to a tiny village’s little center or to Tokyo’s most famous areas, everywhere you will be able to find izakaya. An izakaya is the Japanese equivalent of a gastropub.
Bento Boxes | A box full of deliciousness and love

Bento is the Japanese word for a meal served in a box. Bentos form an integral part of Japanese food culture, which cannot be simply traced from a packed meal.
Popular Japanese Dishes from Osaka

To Japanese people, Osaka is known as the capital of gastronomy. Some of Japan’s most popular dishes were born and bred in Osaka and spread out into the rest of the country from here.