Takoyaki or octopus balls are a favorite dish throughout Japan, but are famous in Osaka. It’s a ball shaped appetizer made from wheat flour based batter with cut up pieces of octopus, green onion, tempura batter and ginger. It is usually covered with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise for extra flavoring. Takoyaki is popularly sold at yatai (street food stalls), food courts and of course specialty restaurants.

Photo credit: Japan Centre

A well known saying from the 1960s is that the 3 most loved things by Japanese children are The Giants baseball team, Taiho the legendary sumo wrestler, and tamagoyaki. Tamagoyaki is basically a Japanese omelette. It's actually not a traditional Japanese food and became popular after World War II. It is made similarly to an omelette but with sugar and mirin to make it a bit sweet. There are also different types of tamagoyaki - the sweet one which uses sugar and mirin or dashimaki tamago which uses dashi in it for a burst of umami.  Tamagoyaki is an essential component of bento (Japanese lunch box) and menu item at izakayas.

Photo credit: Cooking New York Times

Tempura is various deep fried pieces of vegetables and seafood.  It was actually introduced to the Japanese by the Portuguese in the 16th century, but has since developed into a Japanese cuisine since then. Some popular tempuras are shrimp, fish, eggplant and pumpkin. They can be used as a main dish eaten with rice or on top of rice for a donburi , a side dish or toppings on udon and soba. Typically you can find the best tempura at Tempura restaurants which are known to be high class and high quality. The customer sits at a counter and the chef will prepare fresh tempura one by one. For cheaper options, you can eat tempura donburi’s (rice bowls), izakayas or udon/soba restaurants.

Photo credit: Japan Guide

Tokyo Banana has been voted the #1 souvenir to buy these past two years. This creme filled banana cake is one of Tokyo’s specialty. They were also the first company that sold souvenir cakes to put the word Tokyo in their name which contributed to it’s widely successful fame. These are great gifts from Tokyo or just snacks to bring back home! They have shops all over Tokyo including the airport and Tokyo Station.

Photo credit: Tokyo Banana Website

Udon is a thick, white and chewy wheat flour noodle. It’s thicker than soba and ramen noodles. Udon can be served either hot or cold but is often served hot in its most basic form. There are many different types of udon..literally hundreds! Typically udon is served in a mildly flavored broth called kakejiru made from dashi, soy sauce and mirin. It makes for a light flavor, bursting with umami. It can then be topped with scallions, tempura, eggs, aburaage (deep fried tofu), fishcake or whatever else you may like on it. Udon is widely available at udon and soba restaurants, causal dining restaurants, izakayas and eateries around tourist areas.

Photo credit: Tsunagu Japan

Yakisoba or literally fried buckwheat noodles is a Japanese stir fried noodle dish. Soba means buckwheat noodles, but the noodles used in yakisoba are wheat flour noodles. The wheat flour noodles are typically stir fried with bits of pork, cabbage, bean sprouts, onions and carrots. Yakisoba sauce, salt and pepper is also drizzled over it for flavoring (Yakisoba sauce tastes similar to Worcestershire sauce). Yakisoba can also typically be served with mayonnaise, aonori (seaweed powder) and bonito flakes. You can eat yakisoba at teppanyaki restaurants, okonomiyaki restaurants, or at festivals.

Photo credit: Japan Centre

Yakitori or grilled chicken skewers is a common food item that is eaten with alcohol. Yakitori is usually bite sized chicken that can consist of breast, thigh, skin, liver or other innards. Yakitori is often served at izakayas - or drinking establishments in Japan, but some of the best one’s can be found in yakitori-ya or establishments that specialize in yakitori. This tasty, juicy meal is a staple food for salary-men across Japan. After a hard days work, salary-men in Japan might go to an izakaya to loosen up and socialize with their co-workers which is most definitely accompanied with some beer and yakitori.

For any vegetarians, you can still enjoy yakitori by ordering things such as skewered shishito peppers, enoki mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes.

Photo credit: Favy Japan