Japan's Must-Try Foods & Drinks: From Ramen to Matcha

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I need to be honest with you: I didn't really "travel" through Japan so much as I ate my way through it, and the sightseeing just happened to fill in the gaps between meals. But if there's one thing you should plan your trip to Japan around, it's the food. If you're the kind of traveler who plans a trip around where you're going to eat (no judgment, we're the same), this list is for you.

Here's everything I couldn't stop thinking about, in no particular order, because honestly, ranking these would feel like picking a favorite child (or puppy, in my case).

Quick note before the list: the food markets deserve their own vacation. I'd tell myself "just a quick walk-through" and somehow surface two hours later, full, having eaten a whole meal in bites. Budget more time than you think you need.

Okay. The List.

1. Sushi

   
   

   I know, I know — sushi feels like an obvious one. But nothing prepared me for the difference between sushi in Japan and sushi anywhere else I've had it. The rice alone is a different experience. I had moments standing at a counter, watching someone slice fish they'd probably seen delivered that morning, thinking: I need to move here. I genuinely wanted to pack a cooler and bring it all home with me. Obviously that's not how customs works, but a girl can dream.

   
   

2. Wagyu

   
   

   Same story as the sushi, honestly. I’d had wagyu before this trip and thought I understood what all the fuss was about. I did not. We probably ate wagyu four different times a day in Japan, and somehow I never got tired of it. It melts in a way that almost feels unfair to every other cut of beef I’ve ever eaten. And don’t be afraid to try it rarer than you normally would. High quality wagyu is often served very lightly cooked, which lets that buttery texture and rich flavor really shine. This is another one I would have happily stuffed my suitcase full of if it were even remotely possible.

   
   

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3. Ramen

   

   
   

   Here's my ramen tip, and I mean this sincerely: seek out one of those tiny single-seat ramen stalls, the kind with the vending machine ticket system and a curtain you duck under to sit at a narrow counter facing the kitchen. It is the full experience. You're not there to chat, you're not there to be seen. You're there to hunch over a steaming bowl and focus entirely on the broth in front of you. And honestly, that's for the best, because let's be real: nobody looks good eating ramen. Nobody. Slurping, splashing, that focused squint you get halfway through the bowl — just embrace it. Everyone else in that stall is doing the exact same thing.

   
   

4. Okonomiyaki

   
   

   If you haven't had okonomiyaki, picture a savory cabbage pancake, griddled in front of you and topped with a tangle of sauce, mayo, bonito flakes doing their little heat-dance on top, and whatever mix-ins you choose. Watching it get made is half the fun, especially at the places where you cook it yourself right at your table.

   
   

5. IYOSHI Cola

   

   
   

   This one surprised me the most. I'd never heard of Iyoshi Cola before this trip, and now I think about it more than is probably normal. It's a Japanese craft cola, and it tastes almost like a chai-spiced seltzer, cold and a little spicy with this fizzy lightness to it. I loved it so much I bought two bottles just to bring home, which in hindsight was an aggressive move for something that heavy and glass-bottled, but zero regrets.

   
   

6. Japanese Egg Sando

   
   

   Okay, this one comes with a very specific instruction: get it from 7-Eleven. I promise I'm not being ironic. Convenience store food in Japan operates on an entirely different level than convenience store food anywhere else, and 7-Eleven over there is genuinely amazing. It's a legitimate food destination, not a backup plan. Their egg sando, with the pillowy milk bread and the creamy, jammy egg salad, became a near-daily habit. Cheap, fast, and somehow one of the best bites of the whole trip.

   
   

7. Katsu

   

   
   

   A perfectly fried, golden cutlet — pork or chicken — with that shattering crust and juicy center, usually served with rice, shredded cabbage, and a tangy-sweet sauce. It's comfort food in the truest sense, and I never once regretted ordering it, no matter how many times it showed up on my table.

   
   

8. Takoyaki

   

   
   

   Crispy on the outside, molten and a little chaotic on the inside, and best eaten standing up at a market stall while it's still dangerously hot. Watching the vendors flip those little octopus-filled batter balls with tiny picks, over and over in perfect rhythm, is half the entertainment.

   
   

9. Dashimaki Tamago

   
   

   This one lives in the "deceptively simple, actually a craft" category. Dashimaki tamago is a rolled Japanese omelet, layered thin and delicate, seasoned with dashi so it's savory and just a little sweet, with that signature jiggle when you cut into it. It's a staple at Nishiki Market in Kyoto, where vendors slice it fresh off the block and hand you a piece practically still warm. I ended up going back for it more than once, which tells you everything.

   
   

10. Mizu Shingen Mochi

    

    
    

    This one is less a food and more a small miracle. Nicknamed "raindrop cake," it's this nearly transparent, water-like mochi that looks like a droplet of water somehow holding its shape on a plate. It barely tastes like anything on its own, which is the point. It's usually served with a dusting of kinako (roasted soybean flour) and a drizzle of brown sugar syrup. It's delicate, a little strange, and completely worth seeking out just for the experience of eating something that looks like it shouldn't exist.

    
    

11. Japanese Soufflé Pancakes

    
    

    Jiggly, impossibly fluffy, and worth every minute of the line you'll probably wait in. These pancakes are a whole production — tall, wobbly stacks that shake like a cloud when the plate hits the table. Somehow they're airy and rich at the same time. I don't know how they do it, but I'm not asking questions.

    
    

12. Matcha Everything

    
    

    Lattes, soft serve, KitKats, cakes, cheesecake, mochi — I don't think there's a food category in Japan that matcha hasn't touched, and I tried to sample it in every form I came across. Here's the thing though: matcha genuinely tastes better in Japan. I don't know if it's the quality, the freshness, or just the context of eating it there, but it's not the same when I make it at home now. It's ruined me a little, honestly.

    
    

13. Onigiri

    

    
    

    The reliable, unglamorous hero of the trip. These rice balls, wrapped in nori and stuffed with anything from salmon to pickled plum, were my go-to grab-and-go snack between meals (which, again, were happening constantly). Cheap, portable, and somehow always satisfying no matter how many I'd already had that week.

    
    

14. Japanese Plum Wine (Umeshu)

    
    

    By the end of a long day of eating, umeshu became my wind-down drink of choice. It's sweet, fruity, and much more approachable than a lot of other spirits if you're not usually a drinker. Try it on the rocks or, if you want something lighter and more refreshing, try it with soda water (my favorite). It turns into this bubbly, easy-drinking cocktail that's dangerously easy to keep sipping on.

    
    

15. Sake

    
    

    I went in thinking I knew sake and came out realizing I knew almost nothing. The range from place to place was wild. Some bottles were light and almost fruity, others rich and warm, and the tasting flights I did along the way turned into one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. It's worth seeking out a proper tasting rather than just ordering a glass with dinner, because the differences are bigger than I ever expected.

    
    

16. Tako Tamago (Eggtopus)

    

    
    

    Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like, and yes, it's as fun to eat as it is to say. Tako tamago is a whole baby octopus with a hard-boiled quail egg stuffed into its head, glazed and skewered on a stick. It's a staple at Nishiki Market in Kyoto, and the stalls selling them are impossible to walk past. It tastes better than it sounds, I promise.

    
    

17. Negiyaki

    

    
    

    Think of negiyaki as okonomiyaki's lighter, greener cousin. It swaps out most of the cabbage for a heavy pile of scallions, so it comes out thinner, a little more delicate, and loaded with that sharp, fresh onion flavor. Less filling than a full okonomiyaki, which made it my go-to when I wanted something in that same savory-pancake family but wasn't looking to roll myself out of the restaurant.

    
    

18. Tai Meshi (Sea Bream Rice)

    

    
    

    This one I owe entirely to a food tour we did in Kyoto. It wasn't on my radar at all until our guide introduced us to it, and I've been thinking about it ever since. Sea bream rice is made by cooking the whole fish right in the pot with the rice, so everything absorbs that deep, savory flavor as it steams, and then the fish gets flaked apart and mixed through table-side. Simple, comforting, and one of those dishes I never would have found on my own.

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If there's one thing I'd tell anyone planning a trip to Japan, it's this: let the food take over your itinerary a little. Build in extra time at the markets, say yes to the tiny stalls that only fit five people, and don't skip the convenience store just because it seems too casual to matter. Some of my absolute best bites came from the places I almost walked past.

I'm already planning my next trip back, and I already know it's going to be built entirely around round two of this list.