Food tourism is an embodied way of learning about culture, tradition and innovation through a shared experience that melts together past, present and future: It’s not Japan per se that’s becoming a destination for food tourism, but the timeworn marriage of tradition and modernity found in Japanese cuisine and culture. In the past couple of decades, this unique concoction of old-world flavours and fresh twists has captured the imagination of travellers around the world and, finally, the Michelin Guide is quickly catching up. By travelling through food, the art of eating unfolds as much more than a simple sustenance of the body, and an embodied reminder of the fluid relationship to time rooted in our ancestors’ visceral memories.
In this post, we’ll get to the heart of food tourism in Japan, featuring regional specialities and colourful food festivals; we’ll also touch on the country’s growing plant-based food movement. Whatever your travel preferences – as a foodie, dedicated traveller or both – you’ll soon understand why Japan needs to be on your culinary bucket list.
Regional Specialties of Japan
Sapporo’s Miso Ramen
Hokkaido, in the country’s north, is home to the fatty, buttery Sapporo miso ramen.th, which also contains corn and miso paste, is a delicious comforting dish topped with butter and local seafood. There’s nothing quite as warm as a bowl of Sapporo ramen – a hint at the cold climate of its namesake city. You can hardly go wrong when visiting Ramen Alley if you’re concerned with authenticity.
Hiroshima’s Okonomiyaki
Its prefectural speciality is the local style of okonomiyaki: a savoury pancake stuffed with cabbage, meat or seafood, and optionally a serving of rice-flour noodles, cooked on a teppan yaki griddle. Unlike Osaka-style okonomiyaki, where the ingredients are layered on the griddle, Hiroshima-style is built up in layers, a style whose preparation emphasises meticulousness. Icy cold beer is also another favoured accompaniment to the meal. At a family-run okonomiyaki joint I visited, I was shown the secret ingredient in the sauce, which resonated with the warmth and generosity of Japanese hospitality.
Kyoto’s Kaiseki Cuisine
One of Kyoto’s best-known culinary traditions is kaiseki, a multi-course dining experience that is a pinnacle of Japanese haute cuisine. Every dish in a kaiseki meal is a work of art that reflects Kyoto’s seasons and celebrates the natural beauty of the city. The tradition dates back to a simple meal once served alongside tea ceremonies, now a sophisticated culinary ritual that is beloved by locals and visitors alike.
Osaka’s Takoyaki
The city of Osaka is known as the ‘nation’s kitchen’, which is great for food tourists, because that’s where you’ll find takoyaki たこ焼き (octopus-filled balls of batter cooked in a metal disk) — one of the most popular street foods in Japan, and it all started here in Osaka. Takoyaki is cooked over a waffle-like grill, which gives the outside a nice, crunchy texture. And in the middle: melted cheese. Hedgehog meatballs. Sayonara crunchy texture! Hello soft texture that used to be crunchy! How could you tolerate a world without it?
Nagoya’s Hitsumabushi
Hitsumabushi, grilled eel served on rice, can be had in Nagoya – slurped up from the bowl, dressed up, and in watery soup form. Nagoya’s hitsumabushi is an example of this layered experience. It lives up to eel’s fine flavour and Nagoya’s culinary heritage.
Japan’s Vibrant Food Festival Scene
Sapporo Snow Festival
The Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, an annual event attended by half a million people, is as much about food as it about winter. As well as marvelling at the icy sculptures, visitors can tuck into steaming bowls of soup curry or grilled seafood. The secret to enjoying it is to come prepared for the cold and arrive early.
Osaka’s Takoyaki Festival
And Osaka’s fondness for food shines through at the hundreds of different places that are listed on the Takoyaki Festival calendar. The festival is held twice a year – in spring and fall – and has both a normal edition and a ghost edition for the spooky season. The festival takes place in and around Universal Studios Japan, where vendors sell takoyaki from all over Japan, each with their own variation. This is a snack quest for the lips.
Kyushu’s Yatai Festival
During the Yatai Festival in the Japanese city of Fukuoka, mobile food stalls selling everything from yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) to hakata ramen rudely interrupt the city’s strict sense of plaza etiquette, crowding together in the city streets and staying open all night so that their customers can dine and natter under the stars. In these gregarious moments, when passersby stop for a quick chicken-and-beer snack, or join in as the local inhabitants merrily sing and clap, you can begin to experience the wealth of culinary diversity and generous hospitality that Kyushu has to offer.
Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market Festival
While the infamous Tsukiji Fish Market doesn’t exist anymore, the spirit of that festival does. It’s a time to taste tai and other fresh local catches, and to fill up on sushi and sashimi. And if you wake up early enough, you can see the tuna auction, which can make you appreciate the true weight of the market in Japan’s history.
The Rise of Plant-Based Options in Japan
Traditional Roots of Plant-Based Eating
Just as Japan’s culinary landscape has evolved while staying true to its roots, Shojin Ryori, a centuries-old Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, is the historical foundation of Japan’s plant-based cuisine. Influencing and accommodating the values that are important to a majority of people today – health and sustainability – Shojin Ryori remains remarkably relevant to dietary preferences. The core of this traditional cuisine is balance and mindfulness; it centers primarily on vegetables and tofu that are in season, paired with grains.
Modern Plant-Based Innovations
Plant-based dishes, aimed at those for whom health or the environment are primary concerns, have been among the most recent culinary responses to this changing population. In Tokyo alone, Ain Soph and T’s Tantan serve up innovative, next-level multi-course meals in which everything exists outside the realm of meat or fish. It isn’t just that you can find vegan ramen, though you can – or that Tokyo serves up some of the world’s best soy-adjacent desserts.
Health and Environmental Benefits
he increase in demand for plantbased options reflects evolving food habits. Makiko Sano said: ‘It is very healthy… it’s very sustainable… there will be many chances to eat Japanese food in a conscious way.’ With such a large number of food tourists and foreigners enjoying Japanese cuisine in future, they can contribute to building a more eco-friendly food culture in Japan.
Conclusion
Food tourism around Japan offers a mouth-watering experience, serving up the best of regional cuisine, colourful festivals and creative plant-based dishes. Filling the gap is local food That old witticism about how you can ‘tell the time in Japan by the Buddha’s belly’? Turns out it’s not that far off: monitoring the food cycle in Japan reveals a lot about the country as a whole. Larousse Gastronomique dedicated a mere 54 words to sushi. Your hosts will try everything to make you taste better It’s hard not to salivate just thinking about Japan’s food. Travelling on a specialised culinary tour of Japan is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but for the rest of us there are ways to experience its cuisine while we can afford it. Now what exactly are you waiting for?
Will you be planning a culinary itinerary of Japan in your future? Let us know some of your favorite food experiences in the comments below. And if you’re inspired to begin planning your next tour, get started here: Japan’s 12 Best Foodie Destinations.