Eating while in other countries can be daunting for some people, so I put together a quick guide to food in Japan with picky eaters in mind. Learn about the most common traditional foods that you will find, as well as more familiar foods.
Traditional Japanese Foods
Here are some of the most common kinds of traditional Japanese foods that you will run into while visiting.
Tempura udon (c) ABR 2017
We ate udon EVERY DAY in Japan, and I learned to crave this salty dish after hiking. It is the best way to re-hydrate and get some energy after being outside. Udon comes with a few different things, but most common is shrimp, thin cuts of meat, and various kinds of veggies.
Ramen from the 5th Station on Mt Fuji (c) ABR 2017
Ramen is a thinner noodle than udon, and is common as well, as is soba, which is made from buckwheat! That colorful object in the picture above is naruto, which is made from cured fish.
Poke (c) ABR 2017
As a sushi lover, eating poke and sushi is #1 on my list of things to eat in Japan. However, you should be aware that the laws in Japan concerning raw fish are a bit different than in the US. In order to keep the fish as fresh as possible, most Japanese restaurants do not flash freeze their fish, while in the US fish must be flash frozen first if it will be eaten raw.
Katsu (c) ABR 2017
Katsu is breaded meat, most often pork, although that is steak up above. It is served with rice, and miso soup, and often sauce as well, because it can be a little dry otherwise.
(c) ABR 2017
While many restaurants have similar menus, if you keep your eyes peeled, you will find an endless array of foods in different places around the country.
Foreign Foods
For those picky eaters among you, or people looking for a little reminder of home, the cities have a nice array of foreign foods.
Italian pasta (c) ABR 2017
Italian food is really common, because Japan has a love for noodles!
Dumplings (c) ABR 2017
Japanese takes on Chinese dishes are also pretty easy to come by in the city.
Naan and curry (c) ABR 2017
Indian food was also something that we ran into more than once. They always made the naans HUGE.
Denny’s breakfast in Tokyo (c) ABR 2017
Of course, American food makes its appearance! Our style of breakfast is not the norm in Japan, so it was nice to eat some as a treat once in a while. Their style of scrambled eggs was a little runny, but I had to love the little breakfast salad. XD
Steak (c) ABR 2017
More American classics, which the Japanese chefs plated in a nice, minimalistic style (while maintaining the homey, American look).
Lunch from DisneySea (c) ABR 2017
DisneySea has food choices from around the world (including Latin America as seen above), but all have a Japanese spin that makes them pretty interesting to try.
Desserts
Japan does desserts VERY well, so I will provide the following pictures without comment. Enjoy and do your best to not run out for a sugar fix.
Banana and strawberry crepe with lots of whipped cream (c) ABR 2017
Tea time and cream puffs in Kyoto (c) ABR 2017
Cheese cake (c) ABR 2017
I don’t know what this was, but it was delish (c) ABR 2017
A treat for hiking a mountain (c) ABR 2017
Of course, CUTE desserts too! (c) ABR 2017
If you’d like to know more about where we’ve been in Japan and how to DIY your own exploration of this beautiful country, check out Nightborn Travel’s Guide to Japan.
