Japan has some of the best food in the world. Eating, along with many other everyday Japanese life rituals, is one of the things that makes this beautiful country as exciting and intriguing as it is.
But you may be wondering what to eat in Japan when you just can’t face another piece of sushi.
Tell people you are travelling in Japan, and they will first advise you to fill your face with street food. In fact, if you don’t eat noodles swimming in broth at least nine times a day, then you are just a big fat fake, and you aren’t doing the other hardcore backpackers proud.
We have just spent two weeks in Japan where we backpacked and couchsurfed for a big chunk of the time.
Thankfully, both our budgets (and our train journeys) were made all the lighter because of a little known Japanese food secret.
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What to eat in Japan (First time in a Japanese restaurant)
Japan is a food lover’s paradise, offering a wide range of delicious and unique dishes.
Here are the top ten foods you must try when visiting Japan:
Sushi:
The iconic Japanese dish, sushi combines vinegared rice with fresh seafood. Don’t miss out on trying it at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant for a fun experience.
Pick what you would like from the TV screen, and then wait for your delicious sushi to come around on the conveyor belt! Perfect for those on a backpacker’s budget, too!
Ramen:
A flavorful noodle soup that comes in various styles, including shoyu (soy sauce), miso, and tonkotsu (pork bone broth). Each region has its own unique take on ramen.
Don’t worry about slurping your noodles in Japan, it is acceptable!
Tempura:
Lightly battered and deep-fried seafood and vegetables. It’s crispy, delicious, and often served with a dipping sauce.
Sashimi:
Fresh, raw fish sliced into thin pieces. It’s a simple yet exquisite way to enjoy the natural flavours of the sea.
The food in Japan is exquisite but you would be forgiven for thinking that the portions are tiny…
Unagi:
Grilled eel, typically served over rice. It’s a delicacy known for its rich, savoury flavour.
Okonomiyaki:
A savory pancake made with a variety of ingredients like cabbage, meat, and seafood, topped with a special sauce and mayonnaise.
Takoyaki:
Ball-shaped snacks filled with pieces of octopus, batter, and cooked in a special pan. They’re crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
These tasty snacks were more than enough for a lunch and at not much more than a few dollars are a backpackers dream!
Soba:
Buckwheat noodles served either hot in a broth or cold with a dipping sauce. It’s a versatile and healthy option.
Yakitori:
Grilled chicken skewers, often seasoned with salt or a savory sauce. They’re a popular street food and bar snack.
30 things not to do in Japan if you want to keep face.
Mochi:
Chewy rice cakes that come in various flavors and fillings, such as sweet red bean paste. They’re a delightful treat.
And now…
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What to Eat In Japan (When You Don’t Fancy Noodles or Sushi)
They are all over America and in most of Thailand.
There are not many people on this planet who are not familiar with the small convenience store 7- Eleven.
But wait.
This 7- 7-Eleven is different.
This is Japan’s version of the corner store franchise. And let’s face it, EVERYTHING in Japan is better than everywhere else in the world. Especially their 7- Eleven’s.
Life in Japan is made all the less stressful by these gems on every street corner. Grab a three-course lunch for next to nothing, or just stand and read a magazine for thirty minutes.
Japan. I want to thank you and congratulate you on producing the best lunches for a budget traveller in the world. Ever.
If you happen to be travelling with kids, no matter their age, it might be teenagers like me or even babies (hats off to you) or, if you simply can’t face another quail egg swimming alongside some sliced eel, the 7-Eleven in Japan is going to be your new best friend.
And by the way, I love Japanese Ramen noodles as much as anyone else. Just not every day for two weeks.
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First Course:
Egg mayonnaise sandwiches.
All of the sandwiches in the 7- Elevens in Japan are served on the freshest, whitest of white bread that you have ever seen in your life. There are no crusts. Of course, there aren’t silly. Crusts are messy.
They don’t do mess in Japan.
The butter on every sandwich has been spread with expert precision, and the filling which is always deliciously fresh no matter what time of day you visit manages to be plentiful without oozing out of the sides of the bread and going all down your nice clean shirt.
There is egg mayonnaise.
There is ham and cheese.
There is egg mayonnaise.
Just have the egg mayonnaise. It’s the best.
Not the best of photos, but one of my daughter’s face, eager to get rid of her heavy backpack and get onto the luxurious train to eat her egg-mayonnaise sarnie!
Second Course:
Rice balls. For when you are feeling Japaneezy.
Perfectly, and I mean perfectly wrapped balls of rice with various fillings hidden inside, held together with crispy sheets of seaweed.
Here’s the best bit.
You can buy these rice balls to take to the park, on the train, even to the cinema if you so wish because they have been so cleverly and ingeniously packaged that when opening them ( pull on the little tabs marked by arrows), every grain of rice stays neatly in your hand.
It’s amazing.
Even my 16-year-old son – who can make a hunk of salami crumble all over the floor and into the woman’s lap sitting next to him on the train – managed to eat these rice balls without dropping a single solitary crumb.
Perfect.
Japan is the best country for backpackers.We travelled for four weeks and never went over our budget of $80 due to the fact we ate like the locals!
Third Course:
Dessert.
Bags of chocolate peanut brownies that taste divine no matter what time of the day you choose to scoff them.
These neat little squares are rich and delicious. I don’t know if the Japanese chef has injected them with some sort of stay cold gas, but I do know that even when they have been opened on the slightly too warm shinkansen for an hour or so, they never leave chocolate marks on your fingers. No sir. The Japanese chocolate brownie makers would think that far too rude.
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To Drink:
No need to go to Japanese traditional tea houses and pay a fortune to sit cross-legged (try doing that with a lanky teenage boy who suffers from achy legs; I dare you). No, instead, go to the 7- Eleven and head to their warming cabinet.
Milk coffee ( too sweet for me, but my son was addicted to them) or Japanese Jasmin tea. (Hot or cold, your choice – mine was cold) or, for those feeling a little cheeky, why not indulge in a can of whiskey and soda?
Unfortunately, this wasn’t an option for me at lunchtime with two kids.
Nobody likes to see their Mother rolling off the bullet train half-cut.
Eating Like a Local in Japan
All of this is on every street corner and in every railway station throughout Japan.
A three-course lunch and a drink will set you back around $5. Now that’s what to eat in Japan if you want a bargain and you can’t face any more noodles or sushi.
7 -Eleven Japan, you are a budget traveller’s dream. Your staff are always courteous and helpful, and I could have eaten my meals off your floors they were so clean. Thank you.
The Japanese people don’t eat on the go, and neither should you! Instead, choose to eat outside the many food kiosks at the railway station
Dear Japan, why I’m in love with your toilets.
Two weeks in Japan. How the locals would do it.
Why travel changes your perspective.
How people on a normal wage afford to travel the world
So, if you are travelling to Japan and are wondering what to eat, one word of advice.
When you’ve been in the country for a couple of days, and you’ve done the obligatory Ramen noodle thing, get yourself straight down to the local 7- 7-Eleven and grab an egg salad sarnie.
Your stomach and your wallet will thank me for it.
Want to know more about Japan? Listen to our podcast episode Japan, the culture shocks:
The It’s a Drama podcast is in the TOP 2% PODCASTS in the world! Yippee! It is hosted by me and my husband (Liz and Brian)
Now, why not listen to our podcast! First-hand facts and experiences of Japan culture!
🇯🇵 Want to know more about Japan?
Do you LOVE Japan and would like to know some tips on traveling?
SIGN UP For our FREE Ebook – 39 Things You Need To Know About Japan (Before You travel there!) https://itsadrama.com/i-love-japan/
How not to get stuck with oodles of noodles!! Loved it!
Haha! xx
Thank you for sharing great guide!