For those of us who love to try new cuisines, sampling street food is one of the great joys of traveling. Visit nearly any big city in the world — and many smaller towns too — and you’ll find a cornucopia of innovative creations.
Some will be familiar. Some, not so much.
Japanese street food is a mix of both. Actually, it’s more of a range, from the very familiar to the sort-of familiar to the “interesting” to the downright foreign. But it’s all creative, and if you’re a fan of Japanese cuisine, pretty much all amazing.
Japanese street food comes in too many flavors (literal and figurative) to describe in a single short article. This brief guide is merely a taste of what you’ll find on the streets of Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto or Osaka.
Yakitori
Yakitori is one of the best-known Japanese street foods, if not the very best-known. It’s also one of the most accessible for American taste buds. In fact, if you’ve ever eaten grilled chicken on a skewer, you’ve experienced something approaching yakitori — though the unique grilling process and seasoning set yakitori apart from other cultures’ grilled-and-skewered chicken offerings.
Yakitori can be made with almost any part of the chicken. “Safe” options include thigh, wings, or even breast meat, while more adventurous varieties include gizzard and liver. Some versions mix and match, alternating breast and liver or thigh and gizzard, for example.
Kushiten
Kushiten is another popular skewered treat. It’s made from fish, not chicken — fish paste, to be precise. The paste is semi-solid at room temperature, allowing for expert shaping, then firms up nicely over heat. The savory flavor is absolutely not to be discounted; this is one of the true hidden gems of the Japanese street food universe.
Onigiri
Onigiri is a handheld snack (no skewer this time) with a savory or salty filling surrounded by white rice and nori. Most are small enough to eat in one or two bites, but no one would blame you for taking your time — the fillings can be delicious, with salmon, roe, kelp, pickled plum or tuna among the most popular.
Korokke
Say “korokke” slow (or fast) and you’ll get a hint as to where the word comes from: It’s the Japanese adaptation of “croquette.” Purists might frown on the fact that korokke wasn’t a thing until the French introduced it in Japan about 150 years ago, but it’s so delicious that most folks don’t care. The format is similar to onigiri, except the filling starch is potato and the ball is more heavily fried.
Yakisoba
Not into savory fried potato balls? How about savory fried rice noodles? That’s the core ingredient of yakisoba, around which street chefs add tasty veggies, bits of meat, and seasoning. For what it’s worth, yakisoba is a freezer-aisle staple at major U.S. grocery and warehouse stores, so you can get a feel for the flavor — if not the true richness of freshly prepared yakisoba — without flying to Japan or even visiting your local Japanese restaurant.
Yaki Imo
Yaki imo is a grilled potato dish that’s cooked with minimal seasoning to bring out the rich, sweet flavors of the tuber. It’s a great, no-nonsense vegetarian option in a street food culture where those can be hard to find.
Takoyaki
This Osakan delicacy is made from diced, lightly battered octopus balled up with onion and ginger filling. The whole thing is then topped with seasonings like seaweed and bonito — maybe even mayonnaise. It’s a delightful, surprisingly complex bite.
Okonomiyaki
Another Osakan delicacy, this time in pancake form. Okonomiyaki is stuffed with egg, cabbage, fish or octopus, and other ingredients. It’s definitely not something you’ll find at the grocery store or even in many North American Japanese-style restaurants, and many say it’s worth the trip.
Tomorokoshi
Like corn on the cob? You’ll love tomorokoshi, a uniquely Japanese twist on this North American delicacy that’s popular on the northern island of Hokkaido. The seasonings are somewhat familiar, but with distinctive differences thanks to miso and soy notes. Like the American version, it’s perfect to eat on the go.
Again, this is just a sampling of Japan’s diverse street food scene. Visit any major Japanese city — or as many as you have time for — to discover more.
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