Oh Japan, you are one delicious country!
It is virtually impossible to discuss all of the great dishes that can be found throughout Japan. From national staples to regional specialties, you could eat your way around this country for years and still likely not be able to try every single dish that exists.
Japanese cuisine really is that varied.
But, as we always love to highlight some of our favorite dishes, we thought we’d take a stab at highlighting 10 or so of our favorite Japanese foods you should not miss when traveling in the country.
When possible, we’re going to give some recommendations on individual restaurants where we had some of the best meals during our many trips to Japan as well (in Tokyo, Osaka, or beyond). That said, given Japan’s robust food culture, you can find many of these cuisine types in most cities such that the answer for “where can you find this dish” is, well, everywhere! Recommended spots are only noted as they were a particular highlight for us that we’d go back to without hesitation.
We’re also going to end this one talking about some regional specialties that are a bit harder to find, so don’t miss that as an extra bonus!
- Note: Japan’s food culture is so intense that one of the best ways to get an introduction to a city’s food scene is to take a tour. We do a food tour most every time we visit and they help us find some great gems. Click here to check out some options!
