There is more to Japanese food than sushi and ramen. The country offers a culinary experience perfected through the ages. Seafood, seaweed, soy, and fresh vegetables dominate Japanese cuisine. The dishes are made with a delicate technique that is hard to replicate at home.
Grab your chopsticks because we are about to tour Japan’s famous foods, the best places to eat, and how to pair your Japanese dishes.
Japan Cuisine: 28 Japan Famous Food To Try
The Japanese food is nutritious and visually beautiful. The presentation and design are a huge part of Japanese cuisine; even the snacks and packaging are designed to appeal to all your senses as you eat your way through the country.
Non-Vegetarian Japan Cuisine
Here are some of the top dishes in Japan that you must try if you like to eat meat and seafood:
Sushi
Sushi is arguably the most famous and traditional food of Japan. It is made with vinegared rice and a vast variety of meats, seafood, and vegetables. Sushi is usually served with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. The most popular types of sushi are Maki (rolled up with seaweed), Nigiri (raw fish), and Uramaki (inside-out sushi).
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Price Range |
2,000 Yen – 20,000 Yen (INR 1100 to 11000) |
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Best Served With |
Sake, miso soup, edamame, tempura |
Unagi
Unagi is a freshwater eel and not a martial arts technique. It is a popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine, often grilled over charcoal after marinating in a sweet soy-based sauce called “tare.” Unagi is enjoyed in various dishes such as sushi rolls, fried tempura style, and even hot pots/ The most notable is Unagi-Donburi, a rice bowl topped with grilled eel and sauce.
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Price Range |
800 Yen – 35,000 Yen (INR 500 – 20,000) |
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Best Served With |
White steamed rice, beer, wine, miso soup, and salad. |
Udon
Udon is a type of thick wheat flour noodle commonly found in Japanese cuisine. It is typically served hot in a savory broth, often with toppings such as tempura, tofu, or green onions. Udon can also be served cold with dipping sauces or stir-fried with vegetables and meat.
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Price Range |
500 Yen – 1000 Yen (INR 200 to 600) |
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Best Served With |
Scallions, tempura, fried tofu, eggs, sprouts, seaweed, sriracha |
Tempura
Tempura is a Japanese dish of seafood, vegetables, or other ingredients that are battered and deep-fried in light batter. The batter is typically made from flour, water, and egg. Tempura is often served with dipping sauces, such as tentsuyu (a light soy-based broth).
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Price Range |
500 Yen – 1000 Yen (INR 200 to 600) |
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Best Served With |
Udon or soba noodles, wine, sake, beer |
Sashimi
Sashimi is a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced raw fish or seafood. Popular fish for sashimi include tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and mackerel. Sashimi is typically served with wasabi (a Japanese horseradish) and soy sauce. Be sure to keep a nice place to get fresh and clean raw fish to avoid getting sick.
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Price Range |
2000 Yen – 3000 Yen (INR 1200 to 2000) |
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Best Served With |
Soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger |
Ramen
Ramen is one of Japan’s most popular noodle dishes. Wheat noodles are cooked in an animal-based broth such as pork bone, chicken, or a seafood-based dashi. Common toppings include chashu (braised pork), menma (fermented bamboo shoots), and green onions. You can also add a soft-boiled egg or seaweed to your liking.
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Price Range |
1000 Yen – 2000 Yen (INR 600 to 1200) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Rice, sake, wine, or whiskey. |
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Donburi
Donburi is a Japanese dish consisting of various ingredients on top of rice. The characteristic of donburi is that it is served in a deep, large bowl. Representative donburi dishes include tendon (donburi topped with tempura), oyakodon (donburi with chicken and egg), and katsudon (donburi topped with cutlet).
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Price Range |
500 Yen – 1000 Yen (INR 100 – 500) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Miso soup, pickled vegetables, sake, wine, or whiskey. |
Sukiyak
Sukiyaki is a Japanese hot pot dish in which beef and vegetables are simmered in a sweet and savory broth. The broth is made with soy sauce, dashi soup stock, sake, and sugar. It is common to cook and eat the meat while it is still raw and dipping it in raw egg. You can add rice, udon, or vermicelli to make it a hearty meal. It serves 4-5 people at once.
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Price Range |
1500 – 15,000 Yen ((INR 800 – 8000) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Raw eggs, steamed rice with black sesame seeds, sake |
Miso Soup
Miso soup is a staple of Japanese home cooking. It is a soup made by dissolving miso in dashi broth and adding ingredients such as tofu and wakame seaweed. You can add rice or udon noodles to the dish. You can add chicken strips, turnips, spring onions and carrots. It is an indispensable part of breakfast and dinner.
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Price Range |
200 Yen – 500 Yen (INR 100 – 300) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Chicken dumplings, pork katsu, spring rolls, kimchi |
Pork Gyoza
Pork gyoza is pork dumplings made by wrapping meat and vegetables in a wheat flour wrapper and then pan-frying or steaming them. They are popular not only as a Japanese home-cooked dish but also as a Chinese dish. It is served with a salty and tangy dipping sauce.
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Price Range |
200 Yen – 500 Yen (INR 100 – 300) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Chilly oil (rayu), soy sauce, vinegar, miso sauce |
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Vegetarian Japan Cuisine
The vegetarian options in Japan are limited yet scrumptious! Here are some recommendations:
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Shojin Ryori
Shojin Ryori is a traditional Japanese cuisine based on Buddhist principles, excluding meat and fish. It focuses on creating flavorful dishes using vegetables, seaweed, and beans. Shojin Ryori is often associated with Zen temples and features beautifully presented dishes incorporating seasonal ingredients.
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Price Range |
3000 -4000 Yen (INR 2000 – 3000) |
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Best Served With |
Vegetables, tofu, and Kabocha soup |
Nasu Dengaku
Nasu Dengaku is a grilled eggplant dish. Eggplants are grilled over a fire and then coated with a miso-based sauce. The sauce may also include sugar and mirin for added sweetness. The hot eggplant is split open and enjoyed with the flavorful miso sauce.
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Price Range |
500-1000 Yen (INR 300 – 600) |
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Best Served With |
Streamed rice, crunchy salad, pickled vegetables, miso sauce |
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Zaru Soba
Zaru Soba is a dish where buckwheat noodles are served chilled on a bamboo sieve (zaru). It is typically enjoyed with a dipping sauce and garnished with green onions and wasabi. Zaru Soba is a refreshing dish that is particularly popular during the summer months.
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Price Range |
500-1000 Yen (INR 300 – 600) |
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Best Served With |
wasabi, Japanese green onions and a dipping sauce (tsuyu) |
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Vegetarian Sushi
Vegetarian sushi is made with various fillings such as avocado, cucumber, and pickled ginger instead of fish. Popular options include avocado rolls and cucumber rolls. Vegetarian sushi has gained popularity in recent years due to growing health consciousness.
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Price Range |
500-1000 Yen (INR 300 – 600) |
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Best Served With |
Sake, miso soup, edamame, tempura |
Tofu
Tofu is a soybean food and is deeply ingrained in Japanese cuisine. It is a high-protein, low-calorie food that is used in a wide variety of dishes. Popular tofu dishes include chilled tofu (hiyayakko), deep-fried tofu (agedashi tofu), teriyaki tofu, and mapo tofu.
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Price Range |
500- 1000 Yen (INR 300 – 600) |
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Best Served With |
Rice, noodles, pasta, veggies, salads |
Street Food in Japan
Street food in Japan is cheap and easy to buy. At reasonable prices, you can find various snacks, beverages, bento boxes, chocolates, prepackaged meals, and hot meals.
Yakisoba
Yakisoba is a dish made by stir-frying Chinese noodles with vegetables and meat. There are various flavors, such as sauce and salt. It is also popular as a street food. You can find it easily at vendors, convenience stores, bento shops, and markets.
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Price Range |
200 Yen – 500 Yen (INR 100 – 300) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Sauce, fish flakes, seaweed flakes, and pickled ginger |
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Yaki-imo
Yaki-imo, or roasted sweet potato, is a popular Japanese street food, especially during the colder months. Sweet potatoes are baked until soft and slightly caramelized and are often sold from street stalls. Their natural sweetness and warmth make them a comforting and satisfying treat.
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Price Range |
100 Yen – 200 Yen (INR 50 – 200) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Ice cream, butter, cream cheese, and steamed greens |
Ikayaki
Ikayaki is a Japanese street food made from grilled squid or broiled. The squid is often marinated in a savory sauce before cooking and sometimes stuffed with cheese or vegetables. It’s a popular snack for its chewy texture and umami flavor.
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Price Range |
100 Yen – 200 Yen (INR 50 – 200) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Soy sauce or hot sauce |
Kakigori
Kakigori is a Japanese shaved ice dessert. Ice is finely shaved and then topped with sweet syrups in a variety of flavors, such as strawberry, melon, or green tea. Condensed milk and other toppings like red beans or fruit are often added for extra flavor and texture.
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Price Range |
200 Yen – 300 Yen (INR 100 – 200) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Fresh fruits, ice cream, sweetened red beans, tapioca pearls |
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Takoyaki
Takoyaki are small, round balls made from a wheat flour-based batter and filled with cooked octopus, pickled ginger, green onions, and tempura scraps. They are cooked in special molds and are often served with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes.
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Price Range |
200 Yen – 500 Yen (INR 200 – 300) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed, truffle oil, parmesan cheese. |
Bento
A bento is a Japanese boxed lunch typically consisting of rice, fish or meat, and pickled or cooked vegetables.There are side dishes and fruits inside the box, too. Bento boxes are often decorated with colorful ingredients and are a popular way to enjoy a balanced and visually appealing meal.
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Price Range |
300 – 1000 Yen (INR 200 – 600) |
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Best Served With |
Water infused with fruit, green tea, freshly squeezed juice, beer |
Nikuman
Nikuman, or meat buns, are steamed buns filled with a savory meat filling, typically pork. They are a popular street food and snack and are often served hot. Nikuman has a soft, fluffy texture and a flavorful filling.
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Price Range |
100 Yen – 200 Yen (INR 50 – 100) |
|---|---|
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Best Served With |
Dipping sauce, hot sauce, or soy vinegar sauce |
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Desserts in Japan
Desserts in Japan are artsy and beautiful. They are unique, memorable and look adorable. Here are some desserts you need to try:
Taiyaki
This iconic street food resembles a fish and is typically filled with sweet red bean paste. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Taiyaki is a beloved Japanese snack enjoyed by people of all ages. You can get different fillings like chocolate, custard, strawberry & Japan makes it in various other designs.
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Price Range |
100-300 Yen (INR 100 – 200) |
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Best Served With |
Sake or eaten on its own. |
Mochi
Mochi is a chewy rice cake made from pounded sticky rice. It comes in various forms, from soft and pillowy to slightly crispy. Mochi is often enjoyed during special occasions and can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients.
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Price Range |
100-300 Yen (INR 100 – 200) |
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Best Served With |
Tea, soy sauce, sweet red bean paste, or kinako |
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Japanese Cheesecake
Known for its light and airy texture, Japanese cheesecake is baked at a low temperature, resulting in a delicate and fluffy cake with a subtle sweetness. It is one of the most famous desserts in Japan and has gained popularity in different parts of the world.
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Price Range |
700-900 Yen (INR 400 – 600) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee, fruits of your choice, honey, chocolate syrups |
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Dorayaki
This classic Japanese snack resembles two small pancakes filled with a sweet red bean paste. It’s often associated with the beloved anime character Doraemon, who is known for his love of dorayaki.
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Price Range |
250 – 300 Yen (INR 150 – 200) |
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Best Served With |
Tea, coffee, sweet dipping sauce |
Nama Chocolate
Nama chocolate is a type of ganache that is chilled until it becomes firm and resembles chocolate. It’s known for its smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture and intense chocolate flavor.
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Price Range |
300- 700 Yen (INR 100 – 400) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee, fruits or tea |
Japan’s Comfort Foods
There are some comfort foods in Japan that you can try:
- Omurice – Omelet made with fried rice and thin, fried scrambled eggs.
- Katsu Curry Rice – Pork fried strips served with curry and rice
- Tonkatsu – Deep-fried pork panko cutlet
- Okonomiyaki – Savory pancake
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FAQs
What is Japan’s national food?
The most popular Japanese dishes are sushi, ramen, curry rice, hot pot, and local sake. These are the traditional foods of Japan that you must try.
What type of food is eaten in Japan?
Japan has many foods centered mainly around rice, seafood, meat, and vegetables. The fresh ingredients used make every Japanese dish marvelous and a must-try.
What is a typical breakfast in Japan?
The typical breakfasts in Japan include rice, grilled fish, miso soup, pickles, and other nutritious dishes.
Which are the famous restaurants in Japan?
Some of the most popular restaurants in Japan are Ningyocho Imahan, Narisawa, 8bit Cafe, and Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory.
Which is the best food to try in Japan?
The best dishes to try in Japan are sushi, ramen, yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), Japanese cheesecake, and okonomiyaki.
Which is a traditional food of Japan?
The traditional food of Japan is rice with miso soup, sushi, ramen, udon noodles, sashimi, and tempura.
What currency is used in Japan?
Yen is the official currency and is widely used in Japan. You must keep loose change while visiting Japan and its local markets. Some restaurants and shops accept cards.
