Elements of Japanese Damascus Knives

Apart from their striking beauty, Japanese Damascus knives are unique because of their superior performance in the kitchen. The Damascus pattern seen on the blade is not just an aesthetic addition; it is an aesthetic that speaks for the quality of the knife and the ingenuity of the blacksmith. In addition to the aesthetic aspect of having multiple layers in the blade, there are several advantages in its design. The outer layers of softer material that include stainless steel shield the inner steel from corrosion hence the knife is able to resist rusting and staining.

As for the working process, Japanese Damascus knives boast sharp edges that easily glide across various ingredients. The core of the knife is made of high carbon steel, which can be either VG-10 or AUS-10, and it is famous for maintaining a sharp edge, so chefs can easily and skillfully cut food. 

This acumen not only improves the efficiency of food preparation processes but also protects the integrity of delicate ingredients like fishing for sushi or vegetables for sashimi.

Also, Japanese Damascus knives have multiple steel layers making them harder and more resistant than knives with a single steel layer. There are several layers of steel pieces in these knives that make them effective for cutting thin slices as well as cutting joints of meat or poultry. These attributes make knives made of Japanese Damascus steel very valuable in professional kitchens, as well as among amateurs who are interested in the craftsmanship of these knives for various culinary activities.

Types of Japanese Damascus Knives

Japanese Damascus knives come in various types, each tailored to specific culinary tasks:
Gyuto (Chef’s Knife): The gyuto is a versatile, all-purpose knife suitable for slicing, dicing, and chopping meats, vegetables, and herbs. Its curved blade allows for a rocking motion, making it ideal for mincing garlic or herbs with ease.

Santoku: Translating to “three virtues,” the santoku excels in slicing, dicing, and mincing. Its straight edge and rounded tip facilitate precise cuts, making it a favorite among home cooks and professionals alike for general kitchen duties.

Nakiri: Designed specifically for vegetable preparation, the Nakiri features a straight-edged blade that excels in push-cutting vegetables. Its thin blade ensures clean, uniform slices without crushing or tearing delicate produce.

Petty Knife: A smaller knife used for intricate tasks such as peeling fruits, deveining shrimp, or performing detailed cuts and garnishes. Its compact size and precise control make it indispensable for delicate kitchen work.
Each type of knife exhibits variations in blade length, thickness, and handle design, catering to diverse cooking styles and preferences.

Materials and Construction

The construction of Japanese Damascus knives is a labor-intensive process that starts with selecting high-quality steels and ends with meticulous craftsmanship. The core of the knife is typically made from high-carbon steel, known for its hardness and ability to maintain a sharp edge. Surrounding this core are multiple layers of softer stainless steel, which not only protect the core from corrosion but also contribute to the blade’s resilience and flexibility.

The forging process involves heating the steel to high temperatures, followed by repeated folding and hammering to create the layered pattern visible on the blade’s surface. This technique not only enhances the blade’s strength and durability but also ensures that the knife can withstand rigorous use without compromising its sharpness or structural integrity.

Modern advancements in metallurgy and forging techniques have allowed manufacturers to experiment with different steel combinations and layering methods, resulting in Japanese Damascus knives with increasingly intricate patterns and enhanced performance characteristics.

While traditional methods honor centuries-old craftsmanship, contemporary approaches incorporate scientific precision to achieve blades that are not only functional but also works of art in their own right.

Performance and Versatility

The performance of Japanese Damascus knives is unparalleled in the culinary world. Their razor-sharp edges effortlessly slice through ingredients with minimal resistance, ensuring clean cuts and preserving the integrity of delicate foods. The hardness of the steel core enables prolonged edge retention, reducing the need for frequent sharpening compared to conventional knives. Furthermore, the balanced construction and ergonomic designs of these knives minimize hand fatigue during prolonged use, making them comfortable and efficient tools in the kitchen.

Maintenance and Care

Maintenance of Japanese Damascus knives is a significant factor to enhance their longevity and efficiency. It is advised that the knives be washed by hand in warm water and mild soap each after use and then dried immediately in order to avoid water stains and rust formation. Refraining from washing the knife with acidic foods and abrasive soaps maintains the sharpness and luster of the appliance.

Stroking the knife while holding it against a sharpening steel or honing rod keeps the knife sharp in between sharpening. When it is time to sharpen, use a whetstone or the sharpening system geared towards Japanese knives in order to regain the edge of the blade while preserving the metal integrity.

Storing the knives in a knife block, magnetic strip or protective sheath not only protects the knives from getting damaged but also displays it safely and conveniently in the kitchen.

Choosing the Right Knife

Choosing the right Japanese Damascus knife is depends on some criteria such as taste, frequency of use and the amount of money that is willing to spend. This involves conducting studies to identify reliable brands associated with good workmanship and quality materials. Further, touch and feel, such as weight and balance, as well as how the knife feels in your hands, are best experienced firsthand.

Conclusion

Authentic Japanese Damascus kitchen knives are not only works of art and pieces of history but also essential tools needed by lovers and users of knives and professional cooks. Whether it is the stylish Damascus patterns or the enhanced acuity and sturdiness of these knives, these cuts enhance kitchen adventures while embracing the culture and history of Japan in blade making. In this way, enthusiasts will not only appreciate the type of work and detail possessed by the Japanese Damascus knives but also provide the right care for them.

Read More:

Best Japanese Cookbooks

Japanese Snacks You Must Try

Japanese Tea: Everything You Need to Know

The world of tea is a fascinating subject, with a long history that few are aware of unless they take the time to explore it. Japanese tea is diverse in its own right and has remained an incredibly important part of Japanese culture through the ages. In Japan, tea drinking developed over time into an art form and ethical practice that lives on to this day.

Here, you will learn a little about where tea originally came from, how it made its way to Japan specifically, and the types of Japanese tea you can try right now at home or on your next trip to Japan.

You will also find a selection of informative tea culture and tea making books that I read to learn more about tea at the bottom of this article to continue your own tea education!

How is tea grown?

A fun fact that many people don’t realise is that all teas (excluding herbal and floral) come from the same plant. Black, oolong, yellow, green, and white teas all come from the leaves and buds of the Camellia Sinensis, a plant which is regularly plucked for the buds and top leaves before going on a delicate journey of grinding, steaming, and oxidisation.

While other infusions made from herbs and flowers often come under the umbrella of tea, the only true teas are the ones derived from this adaptable plant, which has two distinct varieties: assamica and sinensis. The first, assimica, thrives in wet climates with high humidity, such as India and Sri Lanka. It provides a hearty yearly crop that undergoes a long production process, resulting in, most commonly, black teas and oolong. 

The second, sinensis, thrives at higher altitudes with cool temperatures and is most associated with the mountainous regions of China. The growing season is shorter, and the leaves are smaller and more delicate, lending themselves to green and white teas.

“Tea began as medicine and turned into a beverage”

— Okakura Kakuzo, The Book of Tea

A Brief History of Tea in Japan

There are many stories about how tea came to Japan, all of which can be traced back to around the 8th century. One of the most widely accepted being that Buddhist monks brought tea leaves back after studying in China during the Tang Dynasty. The first record of tea in Japan was found in the Heian period in Nihon Kôki (The Chronicles of Japan), which was written in 815.

The Buddhist monks Eichû, Kūkai, and Saichō (who are mentioned in Nihon Kôki) may have been the first to bring tea seeds to Japan. Over three hundred years later, the notable monk Eisai is often described as the ‘father of Japanese tea culture’.

After bringing seeds back from China, he planted them in the Sefuri Mountains (Saga Prefecture, Kyushu) and also gave seeds to the Kanzaji Temple in Kyoto. These seeds were then planted in Uji, Kyoto by the high priest Myoe. Uji later became the center of tea production in Japan.

Tea became notably popular with the gentry in the 12th century after Eisai’s publication of Kissa Yōjōki (How to Stay Healthy by Drinking Tea), which became popular with the Samurai in 1214. His practices became the basis of chanoyu, or tea practice, going forward to this day.

In particular, his knowledge and technique of producing powdered tea drawn from the methods used in tenth-century China, during the Song dynasty, became incredibly influential.

Eisai helped to spread tea as a healthy drink, one that could balance the body’s constitution and enhance health. The tea ceremony was developed around Zen Buddhist philosophy, with a focus on ritual, being present and aware in the moment, and becoming cognizant of the ephemerality of life.

Tea culture was influenced further by Murata Shuko in the fifteenth century. Shuko simplified the tea practices of the gentry and created a specific tea room design infused with the spirit of Zen Buddhism.

Read More: A Guide to Japanese Kokeshi Dolls

This caught the attention of wealthy merchants but the widespread popularity of tea came with Sen no Rikyû, a tea master who served two of Japan’s warlords (Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi) during the feudal era. Rikyû, during the sixteenth century, simplified the tea ritual further, creating a tea practice for the general population called wabi-cha based on seven rules using locally sourced brewing equipment.

Tip: If you’d like to learn more about Rikyû and wabi-cha, then you can read this fascinating journal.

In the 18th century, the creation of distinctive new styles of green tea, such as sencha, emerged which dominated tea consumption in Japan. It has a legacy which lasts to this day.

Tea drinking in Japan still plays an important role, despite the ever-increasing list of beverages available, including coffee (which has its own fascinating history in Japan). The phrase ocha wo suru in Japanese means to have tea together but also refers to the important social aspect of talking and bonding over tea.

Fun fact: Tea rooms in Japan are called kissaten which translates to ‘tea-drinking shop’.

Types of Japanese Green Tea

The most commonly enjoyed tea in Japan is green tea, and there are many varieties to familiarise oneself with. Here are the green tea options that you will most likely come across in Japan.

Fun Fact: Uji tea is a common name for all Japanese green tea produced from Uji, Kyoto, an area known for brewing some of the best tea in the world.

Matcha

Essential for the Japanese tea ceremony, Matcha is an energy provider which is bursting with health benefits and especially aids digestion.

Ceremonial-grade matcha is made from leaves that have been shaded from direct sunlight (similar to Gyokuro tea below) while growing and quickly steamed and dried after harvesting. The stems are then removed before the leaves themselves are gently and slowly ground between stone or ceramic plate.

This gentle production requires a lot of attention, meaning this is one of the more expensive teas available. It pairs very well with sweet treats, which are traditionally dry artistic sweets called higashi or moist sweets called omogashi in the tea ceremony.

How to make matcha: Making matcha is a satisfying process and is often considered to be a meditative experience. The basics of making matcha are to add two spoonfuls of matcha, ideally using a bamboo chashaku spoon, into a matcha bowl and add 10ml of boiled water (70 – 80C) to the powder before whisking vigorously.

Ideally, you should use a bamboo whisk, known as chasen, and whisk in an ‘M’ shape until all lumps are gone and a paste has formed. Top up with water to your desired level. Purchase a starter matcha-making set to make your matcha as traditionally as possible.

Tip: To make a matcha latte, just add warm milk to your matcha paste rather than water.

Hōjicha

A type of Japanese green tea which is typically roasted in a porcelain pot set over charcoal. The tea is fired at a high temperature, which alters the tea leaf’s colour from green to reddish-brown.

Gyokuro and Kabusecha

This is a valuable tea that differs from Sencha due to the condition in which it’s grown. The plant is shaded under tents for the last few weeks (around twenty days) before harvesting and being meticulously steamed and pressing the leaves. It’s made from a similar leaf used for ceremonial grade matcha. Kabusecha green tea is cultivated using a similar method but only shaded for approximately seven to ten days.

It’s also shaded at around fifty percent, whereas Gyokuro requires heavier shading from the sun at around seventy to ninety percent.

How to brew Gyokuro tea: The ideal temperature of water for Gyokuro should be 50 – 60C (70C for Kabusecha), using 3g (more for a higher intensity) per 150ml of water. 

Sencha

Uplifting and refreshing, sencha is the most popular tea in Japan and probably the first thing that comes to mind when we think of green tea. Unlike our previously mentioned teas, it’s grown in the sunshine before being harvested and steamed immediately to prevent oxidization.

How to brew Sencha tea: The ideal temperature of water for Sencha should be 70C, using 3g (more for a higher intensity) per 150ml of water. 

Genmaicha

This blend is instantly soothing. It combines Sencha green tea (often the smaller, broken bits, but not always) with puffed, toasted rice. The result is a wholesome and comforting flavour (reminiscent of popcorn), which is particularly lovely in the winter months.

Kukicha

A mild, smoky, creamy tea that is made of a blend of stems, stalks, and twig plants that are excluded from most teas, making for a unique flavor and aroma. Very easy to drink with no trace of bitterness, a great tea for relaxing with.

How to brew kukicha: Add 2 teaspoons of tea to 250ml of fresh water per person in a pan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for three minutes before serving.

Tip: Get started with Japanese green tea with this sampler set.

Other Types of Japanese Tea

These are teas typically made with infusions of grain rather than from the tea plant itself. They are mostly caffeine-free and provide some invigorating alternative beverages.

Mugicha

Particularly refreshing, especially in the summer when you can chill your own or buy ready-made bottles in the convenience store, this tea made from roasted and infused barley grain is drunk widely across East Asia and commonly served in restaurants.

How to Brew Mugicha: Boil your desired amount of water and add half a teaspoon of roasted, toasted barley grains per cup. You can leave it to chill in the fridge for iced mugicha.

Sobacha

Similar to Mugicha, Sobacha is also a grain-based tea, this time made with buckwheat tea. Also drank across East Asia, it’s known as memil-cha in Korea, soba-cha in Japan, and kuqiao-cha in China. Drank hot and cold, it’s also very much beloved during the summer months.

How to Brew Sobacha: Boil your desired amount of water and add half a teaspoon of roasted buckwheat grains per cup. You can leave it to chill in the fridge for iced buckwheat tea.

Gyokuroen Ume Kombu Cha

No, not kombucha, but tea made with kombu (or kelp), green tea, and ume (Japanese plum). A nutrient-filled tea (including high levels of iodine, calcium, and iron) for people who love deep umami flavours. The plum makes the tea pink and more acidic and the green tea provides depth and balance. You can find many different variations of this kelp tea.

How to Brew Kombu Cha – You can buy an instant powder mix of this tea, which can be made quickly and easily. Otherwise, you can buy dried kelp online or from your local Asian store, which you can then boil and leave to soak for several hours (or use powdered kelp) and keep in the fridge to mix with green tea and sour plum.

Loquat leaves tea (Biwa Cha)

A traditional Japanese herbal tea with earthy, sweet tones, made from dried and cut loquat leaves, is loaded with health benefits and is a traditional medicine for treating and preventing respiratory illnesses.

How to Brew Biwa Cha: Add two teaspoons of leaves (or to taste) to four cups of cold water and bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat down and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. Finally, let it cool for ten minutes and drink.

Kuromame Cha

Also known as black soybean tea, this sweet drink is well-balanced with a savory roasted aroma and is full of antioxidants and iron. The tea has a distinctive dark purple colour and can be enjoyed hot or cold. It’s normal to find this tea bottled and chilled in convenience stores which is just perfect for sunny walks.

5 Books to Learn More about Japanese Tea

Interested in learning from the tea experts? Here are some wonderful books to get lost in the art of Japanese tea making.

1) Infused by Henriette Lovell

Written by the ‘tea lady’ herself, Henrietta is a tea expert and owner of the Rare Tea Company based in London. Advising some of the most prestigious hotels and restaurants on the art of tea making, her fascinating journey across the world in search of the best tea is recounted here, with each chapter teaching you about tea, production, and culture.

I learned a lot about proper brewing techniques from this book, which has improved my own tea drinking and helped with this article. Henrietta is also an advocate for responsible trade relationships, which really shows in her writing as we get to know the farmers that she works with through her writing. Adventures in tea absolutely sums up this book.

Buy a copy of Infused by Henriette Lovell

2) The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo

A classic piece of literature on tea, this is one of the go-to books if you want to learn more about the tea ceremony and the ancient art of tea in Japan. It’s a slender, beautifully written piece of literature that every tea enthusiast should dip into. 

Buy a copy of The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo

3) The Wisdom of Tea: Life Lessons from the Japanese Tea Ceremony by Noriko Morishita

This charming book tells the story of the author on her twenty-five-year journey studying the intricacies of the Japanese tea ceremony. A simple and moving story of how tea has been present in her life from an early age, Morishita teaches you a lot about Japanese tea in an informal and friendly way.

Buy a copy of The Wisdom of Tea by Noriko Morishita here

4) Tales of the Tea Trade by Michelle and Rob Comins

This fascinating book delves deep into the cultivation, production, and history of tea, taking you around the world. Providing in-depth information in a friendly and accessible way, the authors give a story to those who work hard to give us the tea we love. I learned a lot about the history of Japanese tea from this article from this book, and it barely scratches the surface of what’s on offer here.

They also offer their perspectives on how Eastern tea rituals can find a place in our increasingly busy Western lives. Co-founders of Comins Tea which has tea houses in Bath and Sturminster and an online store.

Buy a copy of Tales of the Tea Trade by Michelle and Rob Comins

5) Good & Proper Tea

While it does include a lovely introduction to tea and correct brewing, including individual brewing guide recipe cards for all major teas, this book really shines when it comes to its creative tea recipes.

Whether you’re hoping to make your own tea desserts such as matcha cake, tea cocktails, or other exciting drinks, the options are endless. You can also visit Good & Proper Tea in London to try some of their recipes firsthand or buy tea.

Buy a copy of Good & Proper Tea here

Read More about Japanese tea and culture:

Learn About the Japanese Tea Ceremony

The History of Bubble Tea and How to Make it at Home

The Healing Power of Japanese Literature

This can be seen most evidently in its selection of fantastic Japanese restaurants. So, if you’re looking for the best ramen, sushi, and Japanese curries in Scotland, you’ll find them in Glasgow. Here they are.

Mikaku

Mikaku can be found on Queen Street, a two-minute walk from St. Enoch subway station and Argyle Street Station, and it is without a doubt the best Japanese restaurant in Glasgow—perhaps in the whole of Scotland.

The first thing about Mikaku that will take your breath away is the restaurant’s design. Lit up by neon signs, and featuring cherry trees in bloom, Mikaku is designed after a Japanese yokocho (in Japan, yokocho are alleyways lined with small bars and restaurants). Lanterns hang from the ceiling; old posters advertising beer are plastered on the walls; booths and corners look like traditional shop fronts. This design is incredible.

Then there are the cocktails, with names referencing aspects of Japanese tradition and pop culture (like A Kaiju Rises, which comes with a rubber tentacle sticking out of it). These cocktails were designed by an award-winning mixologist and every one is wonderfully unique.

As for the menu, it features many essential izakaya staples—edamame beans, chicken karaage, furikake fries—but it’s the ramen that steals the show. You have a short list of ramen options, and every single one will blow your mind. The miso black is a work of art, and the best bowl of ramen Glasgow has to offer.

Ramen Dayo

Literally translated as “it’s ramen!” Ramen Dayo can be found off Byres Road in Glasgow’s West End, down the iconic Ashton Lane, opposite the Grosvenor Picture Theatre. It was opened by a Glaswegian who spent more than a decade living in Japan and missed the bowls of ramen that were at his fingertips.

If you’ve ever been to a traditional Japanese izakaya, you’ll know how precise one would need to be in order to replicate its aesthetic details, but Ramen Dayo nails it—even down to the daruma dolls, scarred thick wooden tables, and walls plastered with posters on top of posters on top of posters.

Given its name, it’s no surprise that Ramen Dayo specialises in ramen, and you’ll find a very broad and exciting selection. This means you’ll want to go back a few times to sample them all. Some are intensely garlicky, others hit that umami taste just right, and one is satisfyingly spicy. There’s something for everyone. Including bottles of Ramune!

Katsu

That’s it; that’s the name, and that’s what you get! You’ll find Katsu on West Nile Street, around the corner from Buchanan Street. I actually discovered Katsu on a weekend of flat-viewings as I planned my move to Glasgow, and it was probably this restaurant that convinced me how moving to Glasgow would be a very good idea (it was)!

Unsurprisingly, Katsu specialises in katsu in various forms. The lunch menu offers a variety of katsu sando (sandwiches) and the main menu has several different katsu curry options for you to choose from, including both meat and vegetarian options.

This restaurant in the heart of Glasgow also has a real izakaya feel; you’ll likely be eating at the bar, in sight of the chefs, and the space is cramped (though perhaps intimate might be a better choice of words). Katsu curry aficionados will feel very at-home here, enjoying the best katsu in Scotland.

Maki & Ramen

Much like Katsu, Maki & Ramen offers exactly what’s in its name. And while this is a chain with a few different branches in Edinburgh, this is the only one in Glasgow and it is a delight. Spacious, beautifully decorated, and covered with illustrated post-it notes which customers can add to as they please (a lovely touch).

The Glasgow branch of Maki & Ramen is found on Bath Street, and it offers a wonderful sushi selection, as well as some hearty bowls of ramen. If you’re not afraid of tasting (and smelling like) garlic for at least the next twenty-four hours, definitely go for the black garlic tonkotsu; it’s phenomenal.

esushi

You’ll find esushi on Byres Road, in the heart of Glasgow’s West End, and despite its name it actually offers an enormous range of Japanese food options—soba, ramen, udon, donburi, takoyaki, sukiyaki, okonomiyaki—but of course it’s the sushi and sashimi that really shine, and the selection of sushi is truly mouth-watering.

There is a wide range of maki and nigiri options for you to browse, and each is made to perfection. You can even order a traditional bento box! To top all of this off is the drinks menu: sake, shochu, and umeshu are all available in various forms. This is the finest Japanese dining experience you’ll find in Glasgow.

With Japanese cuisine being one of the most renowned, beautiful, and respected cuisines in the world, it’s easy to feel intimidated when attempting it yourself.

Japanese cooking often looks impossible to try at home. But that is far from true, many dishes are deceptively simple and work off some basic ingredients.

Provided you have the right Japanese cookbooks, a whole world can open up to you. Each of these books tackles a different avenue of Japanese cuisine, you’ll be a master chef of Japanese home cooking in no time.

We love using Sous Chef for buying our Japanese ingredients. From staples like noodles and rice, to dashi powder, bonito flakes, and seasonings. You can find everything you need here. We can also offer ten pounds off your first purchase with this link.

Japanese Cookbook for Beginners: Classic and Modern Recipes Made Easy

This is a great cookbook for the person that’s desperate to get into the delicious world of Japanese cooking at home but needs to start from scratch.

The book includes a huge number of recipes that are easy, to begin with, as well as some that will carry on being delicious long after you’ve perfected your skills.

Perhaps the most valuable feature of the book is a comprehensive list of kitchen essentials that you’ll need to master Japanese cooking – this is really helpful as it gives you a brilliant place to start from.

Tokyo Stories: A Japanese Cookbook

Tokyo has long been lauded as a wonderful culinary destination, and this book has capitalized on the rich food culture of the city.

Throughout the book, we are taken on a culinary tour of Tokyo, starting at the lower ground level of basement eateries, and ending with modern Tokyo cuisine which is served in beautiful high-rise buildings throughout the city.

The book features a number of recipes that are delightfully authentic while also being perfectly achievable for the home chef – this is a truly great book for a cook at any skill level.

Atsuko’s Japanese Kitchen: Home-cooked comfort food made simple

Comfort food is one of the great joys of life, and this book truly delivers on the title.

Japanese comfort food is delightfully rich in savory umami flavors and allows for a wonderful breadth of ingredients that’s pleasantly rare and modern when compared to other comfort food classics.

There are over seventy-five recipes in this Japanese cookbook that are all sure to bring joy to the part of your soul only sated with comfort food.

It’s a great book for beginner Japanese chefs, who’d love to replicate their favourites but feel a little intimidated.

Read More: The Best Korean Cookbooks

Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors

This book combines simple, fresh ingredients with straightforward recipes to make the best part of Japanese cuisine: home cooking.

Amongst the 100+ recipes in this book are a number of deliciously home-oriented snacks and meals, as well as some delightful drinks and pantry-fillers.

The book is great for beginners as it starts by helping you put together an ideal pantry for Japanese cooking and then holds your hand as you combine the wonderful flavors you’ve just brought into your home.

Read More: 9 Cookbooks for Amazing African Food at Home

Sushi Cookbooks – For Amazing Sushi at Home

Sushi at Home: The Beginner’s Guide to Perfect, Simple Sushi

Sushi is arguably the most famous thing to ever come out of Japan, and it’s no surprise that a huge number of people want to learn to make sushi at home.

This book is sure to teach you all of the tips and tricks that a practiced sushi chef has up their sleeves, allowing you to make the most wonderful sushi from the comfort of your own kitchen.

As well as having recipes for all of your favorites, this book also has a number of fresh twists on classic choices, meaning that you’ll never get bored of sushi again!

The author is a renowned Japanese cookery teacher, so you can be sure that Yuki will be able to help you learn more no matter your skill level.

Sushi Taste and Technique: Kimiko Barber and Hiroki Takemura

This is a great book which helps to demystify the world of sushi and Japanese cooking in general.

The authors are very successful sushi chefs who will help you learn the basics well before gently easing you on to more complex recipes.

Helpfully, the book also includes a photographic guide to a number of different fish and shellfish. This means that you’ll be able to prepare the fish just as well as any other part of your wonderful creations.

This book is a great buy for anyone looking to create authentic sushi that’s amazing every time.

Read More: 14 Middle Eastern Cookbooks (For Aromatic Home Cooking)

Ramen Cookbooks for Hearty Meals

Ramen Obsession: The Ultimate Bible for Mastering Japanese Ramen

Ramen is another famous Japanese food which people the world over have fallen in love with a thousand times over. Instant ramen is famous for being, well, instant.

This book promises to teach you to leave those instant pots behind and make a wonderful bowl of ramen completely from scratch.

The 130 recipes in this book take you on a ramen tour of the world, from traditional Japan to unique US creations.

Let’s Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook

This light-hearted Japanese cookbook is a wonderful choice for anyone who’s fed up with the occasionally-snobby vibe that some cookbooks can give off.

This book truly delivers on what the title promises, and is a beautiful fusion of graphic novels and informative cookbooks.

The illustrations throughout the book make it perfect for beginners, as they show you just how to achieve the aesthetic of a gorgeous bowl of ramen while also being fun and playful.

Read More: 14 Best Asian Cookbooks for Delicious Home Cooked Meals

Dumplings and Noodles: Bao, Gyoza, Biang Biang, Ramen and Everything in Between

A huge number of cultures and cuisines around the world have some form of dumpling in their famous recipes and since it would be a shame to stick to just one or two types, you can indulge all your pasta and dumpling dreams with this collection of recipes.

This cookbook teaches you how to make all of your favorites, from barbecue pork bao to chili oil wontons, while also sparing some room for ramen and other noodle-based dishes.

This is a great book for someone who loves to cook and is looking for a few extra recipes.

Japanese Vegetarian and Vegan Cookbooks

Vegan JapanEasy: classic & modern vegan Japanese recipes to cook at home

Japanese cuisine is much more vegan friendly than you might think, and this book will show you how, with a few simple substitutions, you can make vegan spins on Japanese classics.

The flavor palate of Japanese food comes down to a wonderful blend of spices, herbs, and pastes which this book will show you how to replicate in vegan food.

This is a great book for a practiced chef looking to expand their vegan recipes or a vegan looking to expand their regular home dishes.

Read More: 11 Greek Cookbooks for Mouthwatering Greek & Cypriot Dishes

Japan: The World Vegetarian

A number of classic pieces of vegetarian food come from Japanese cuisine. The classic example is tofu, which is a wonderful vegetarian staple the world over.

With over 70 delicious recipes, the book is sure to expand your vegetarian cooking skills and help you learn about delicate Japanese herbs and spices.

Try making your own delicious Japanese desserts:

Japanese Desserts Cookbook: A Handbook of Japanese Confections

Japanese desserts have a powerful place in world culture, from emojis to anime, and it’s likely that you’ve enjoyed your fair share of beautiful photos of them online.

The desserts are extremely unique, so you may doubt your ability to make such a complex set of dishes. Don’t worry, however, this book is sure to help you learn just how to make your favorites.

The book has thirty dessert recipes, all of which are perfect for the sweet-tooth in your family!

Read More: Pair your dessert with Japanese tea! Here are 11 types of Japanese tea, their history, and how to brew them.

Combine your meal with a drink:

The Japanese Sake Bible: Everything You Need To Know About Great Sake

Sake is, in many ways, Japan’s national drink. It’s unique in every way, from its history to its ingredients, and there are many different bottles out there.

This book will help you learn to select a good bottle, as well as to serve it perfectly and share it with other enthusiasts.

The book has over three-hundred photos to help you learn, and would be an ideal gift for someone who’s just stepping into the complex world of sake.

We hope you enjoyed this list of Japanese cookbooks, please consider sharing this list with others who love Japanese food as much as we do.

Japan is a nation of healthy food that blurs the line between cuisine and art, but it is also a country of fantastic snack foods.

Japanese snacks are sometimes clever reinventions of traditional foods; other times, they’re influenced by the snack foods of Europe and beyond.

If you also want to learn more about the best Japanese drinks (both alcoholic and soft drinks) you can read all about Japanese drinks here.

Must-Try Japanese Snacks

Having consistently survived off convenience store food in Tokyo, and always tracking down our favourite Japanese snacks when visiting Korea, Taiwan, and China, we are well verse in our Japanese snacks.

And so, here is a list of some of the best, most delicious, and most varied Japanese snacks from around the country, as well as (at the bottom) where to buy Japanese snacks online and offline. Itadakimasu!

Pocky

There aren’t any Japanese snacks more famous than Pocky. They’re referenced in anime and video games; they’re beloved by Japan’s youth; they’ve even inspired a Korean version which is thicker and more heavily chocolate-coated: Pepero.

Pocky are long, thin sticks of biscuit, lightly coated in chocolate or any one of a hundred other flavours.

Pocky flavours include: banana, cookies and cream, matcha, strawberry, coconut, mango, and more. Many are limited edition, tied in with a festival or cultural moment.

The best thing about Pocky is how much they do with so little. They come in a small box that provides a perfect afternoon sweet snack for two (or one, if you’re me).

They work as sharing food; they’re a sweet snack, but they’re not heavy and guilty. They are also, most importantly, so very delicious.

The minimalism is bolstered by the perfect taste, regardless of the Pocky flavour you choose.

Matcha KitKats

KitKats, a simple chocolate-covered wafer sold by Nestle (an enormous Swiss food and drinks conglomerate), are an obsession in Japan.

While most countries sell KitKats in a few different forms (peanut butter, chunky, etc), Japanese KitKats are almost as much a symbol as they are a food snack.

In Japan, KitKats come in dozens of different flavours, most of which are available all year round, but some are only around for a limited time.

This feeds off the Japanese romanticism of transience: the beauty in things that exist for a time and then fade, like cherry blossoms. Many KitKats are only around during festivals or specific seasons.

The most famous of Japanese exclusive KitKats is the matcha flavoured KitKat. This is because matcha is a flavour associated strongly with Japan, and matcha is a key aspect of Japanese food culture.

Eating a matcha KitKat when you visit Japan is, like, the law.

Read More: The Best Korean Ramen

Melon Pan

The first time you walk into a Japanese convenience store, you’ll find a shelf or two lined with individually packaged lumps of yellow bread. These are melon pan: ¥100, sweet, lightly sugar-coated lumps of yellow bread.

When I worked a 9-5 job in Tokyo, a visit to the convenience store at 8am to grab a melon pan for my breakfast walk to the metro station was a daily ritual.

Melon pan come in a variety of flavours, from chocolate to strawberry to matcha and more; sometimes they’re even split in half and filled with cream like a big, soft scone.

While every convenience store sells them, they can also be bought at Japanese bakeries, and this is when they’re at their most soft, sweet, and fresh.

As Japanese snacks go, the Portuguese-inspired melon pan is a staple: simple yet addictive, wholesome, cheap, and irresistible.

Read More: The Best Snacks from South Korea

Onigiri

Onigiri is one of the the definitive Japanese snacks. You’ll find onigiri at any and all convenience stores across Japan, as well as at some restaurants.

No matter the konbini you visit, you’ll see onigiri of all flavours lining the shelves of the fridge section.

Onigiri are balls of sticky rice, held together by a sheet of nori (seaweed) and wrapped in plastic. The plastic wrapping should tell you what flavour you’re holding.

The most popular flavours of onigiri found in Japanese convenience stores are plain (salted), salmon, tuna mayo, teriyaki chicken, and pickled plum (though there are many other onigiri flavours and fillings to discover on your travels.

If you’re not in Japan, onigiri can easily be made at home with a simple recipe, or you can head to specialist Asian food shops like London’s Japan Centre. Japanese restaurants may also serve them as starters or side dishes.

Read More: Learn all about onigiri here!

Alfort Mini Chocolate

If you come from the UK, as we do, there’s a strong likelihood that you have a strong affinity for chocolate biscuits: bourbons, custard creams, Maryland cookies, and so on.

When I first arrived in Japan and spied a box of chocolate biscuits on my local convenience store shelf, I was elated.

Alfort are a brand of small, bite-sized biscuits, with one side heavily coated in a layer of chocolate which is then stamped with the image of a big ship (the Alfort logo).

They’re cheap, come in beautiful blue-and-gold packaging which, when you open it up, has another golden layer underneath, and they are simple bites of elegance.

In practice, Alfort Mini Chocolates are similar to Pocky: light, crunchy biscuit coated in milk chocolate, but Alfort are a lot denser and more decadent.

They also come in a strawberry flavour, which is packaged in a pink box, and a vanilla white flavour.

Chicken Karaage (唐揚げ)

Karaage is a uniquely Japanese form of fried chicken. You can find it served in izakaya, as well as in more substantial meals like rice bowls and curries, but karaage is also one of the more popular Japanese snacks found in convenience stores across Japan.

When you visit a Japanese konbini, you’ll see a hot food counter next to the cash register, and in there you will often see skewers of karaage fried chicken being kept warm and ready to eat. Karaage are always in a small ball shape, making them convenient to eat in a single bite and perfect for putting on a skewer.

What makes karaage stand out amongst other kinds of fried chicken is how light it is. Karaage is dusted and soft and fluffy; it doesn’t feel or taste heavy, greasy, or dense. It has a flavour like nothing else and is very affordable if bought as a single Japanese snack over the counter at a convenience store.

Famichiki

While we’re on the subject of Japanese fried chicken, one of the most infamous examples is Famichiki. This is like the Pocky of fried foods — Famichiki is a chunk of fried chicken exclusive to the Family Mart chain of Japanese convenience stores. It’s a popular snack, also found in the hot food counters.

Famichiki is not karaage. It has a hard and crunchy, heavily fried outer shell and tender, soft chicken meat inside. There are also two types of Famichiki: normal and spicy. The spicy isn’t actually all that spicy; more tangy in flavour, but both are great options to try.

You’re not going to find famichiki outside of Family Mart but, if you’re near one, pop in and pick one up to try!

Jagariko Potato Sticks

Whether you call them potato chips or crisps, the world loves heavily processed,salty, fried potato snacks that come in a variety of strange flavours.

The UK is famous for its weird selection of flavours like prawn cocktail, pickled onion, and worcestershire sauce (winner).

In Korea, sweet flavoured crisps (Honey Butter Chips) are strange, excessively popular, and surprisingly delicious. In Japan, the most popular crisps don’t look like crisps at all (but they are).

Jagariko Potato Sticks come in a pot and, at a glance, could very easily be mistaken for cup noodles.

The standard flavour of Jagariko Potato Sticks is simply known as “salad” but there are several other flavours to be found, including “cheese” and “potato butter”. A pot of Jagariko Potato Sticks is a simple and light snack in pretty packaging (a staple of Japanese snacks).

Read More: 13 Best Japanese Cookbooks

Hi-Chew

Hi-Chew is another Japanese version of a fruity chewy snack found all around the world. But, just like with almost everything else, Japan does it best.

As a 90s kid in the UK, Chewits were everywhere, and in Japan Hi-Chew are still an ordinary sweet snack that come in a variety of fruity flavours.

Strawberry, green apple, grape, mango, and kiwi are all available flavours of Hi-Chew that come in long packets of individually-wrapped chewy sweets. You can also get them in a bigger grab bag of mixed flavours.

The reason we say that Japan does simple snacks like this better is because sweet things in Japan never feel overdone or overindulgent. Flavours are stronger but sweetness is never overpowering.

The sugar content won’t make your teeth hurt, but the distinct flavours are still crystal clear.

Read More: 10 Must-Try Traditional Japanese Food in Tokyo

Kinoko no Yama

These are your bog-standard Japanese snacks for kids. Kinoko no Yama (meaning “mountain of mushrooms”) is a bag of chocolate-coated biscuits similar to Animal Crackers in the West. Though, admittedly Kinoko no Yama are a little more phallic in their appearance.

Similar in many ways to Alfort Mini Chocolates, Kinoko no Yama come in a box and, when opened, can be poured out into the cupped hands of a happy child for them to nibble at one-by-one or devour like they’re Godzilla and the snacks are little people.

Kinoko no Yama says so much about how Japanese snacks are made, designed, and marketed: they’re silly, simple, harmless, kind of cute, and popular with everyone.

You can’t help but wonder what the minds behind these particular Japanese snacks were thinking but they are nevertheless a lovely little sweet snack.

Kokuto Black Sugar Walnuts

Kokuto is a kind of black sugar popularly used in Okinawan cooking, and that’s exactly where these unique Japanese snacks come from. Kokuto Black Sugar Walnuts are an Okinawan delicacy, and they are exactly what their name suggests: locally grown walnuts from Okinawa, coated in black sugar which is come from local sugarcane.

Like wasabi peas, this is a snack which combines various natural ingredients to produce something wholly and delightfully tasty.

You can get these black sugar walnuts directly from Okinawa and they are, honestly, one of the best Japanese snacks on this entire list.

Kaju Gummy Sweets

Gummy sweets are not for everyone. Some people hate how they’re made, others don’t like the texture or the overwhelming sweetness. But, once again, Japan does it right. Kaju Gummy Sweets are the ultimate final form of gummy sweets.

Available in a variety of fruity flavours, including orange, strawberry, grape, and pineapple, Kaju Gummy Sweets are soft, chewy, not overly sweet, and packed with fruity flavour.

It’s this intense flavour bundle with the lack of sugary processed sweetness that makes them such a soothing, pleasant Japanese snack food, especially for those of us with a real sweet tooth.

Read More: 27 Best British Snacks to Try and Where to Find Them

Mochi

Mochi is a beloved sweet snack in Japan, traditionally eaten at festivals and, especially, at New Year’s. Do yourself a favour and find a video on YouTube of mochi being prepared; it’s incredible.

There are mochi-making contests in Japan and they are hypnotic to watch.

Mochi is made by taking rice, water, sugar, and cornstarch and mashing it all together into a sweet, chewy pulp. Mochi makers slap and hammer away at the dough-like substance for minutes at a time with big wooden mallets.

The end result is a very chewy and uniquely textured substance. A kid of cake often filled with something gooey: red bean, matcha, and chocolate are popular options.

Kabukiage Rice Crackers

Rice crackers are another Japanese snack that’s popular the world over. Brands in Korea, Taiwan, and China also sell rice crackers, and you can even buy them in European supermarkets as a lighter, healthier substitute for fatty crisps/potato chips.

Kabukiage Rice Crackers are the most popular and, probably, best of the bunch. They come in clear packets of bite-sized snacks and are delightfully indulgent, even given how healthy they are compared to various other Japanese snacks

Read More: A Guide to Japanese Onigiri Rice Balls

Seaweed Tempura

Tempura is a popular Japanese food not only around the country but the entire world. Inspired (as many Japanese foods have been) by Portuguese cuisine, tempura are simply fresh vegetables deep fried in batter and then enjoyed with a dipping sauce.

And, since you can fry anything, why not seaweed? And then turn it into a snack?

Seaweed Tempura isn’t a specific brand; rather, it is a style of food sold by several different brands in Japan. But all of it is the same in principle: a bag of salty crisps/potato chips, except instead of them being potato-based, they’re fried, salty, crunchy seaweed.

And they are absolutely delicious. In Japan, seaweed (nori) is used in tandem with rice constantly, from sushi to onigiri. Nori, by itself, is delicious, so why not turn it into a fantastic little snack!

Where to Buy Japanese Snacks

All of the Japanese snacks mentioned so far, plus many, many others, can be found and purchased in a variety of ways, both at stores and online. Let’s go through a variety of ways in which you can get your hands on all of these fantastic Japanese snacks, no matter where you are in the world.

Japanese Snacks Online

Shopping online is your most obvious avenue, especially if you’re not in Japan yourself. Literally anything can be purchased over the internet, afterall.

More specifically, there are several specific websites through which you can buy and import Japanese snacks online. The first, simplest, and most fun is via a Japan snack crate.

A Japan snack crate is a monthly subscription box (many of which we are already big fans and subscribers of) which sends a bundle of Japanese snacks right to your door. The biggest and best Japan snack crate is easily Bokksu.

Shipped from Osaka, Japan with free worldwide shipping, Bokksu provides a different selection of Japanese snacks every single month, gathered from around Japan and bundled together for your enjoyment.

Each month’s box is themed around a different part of Japan – with each area having its own local snacks – or a matsuri (festival) where certain snacks are traditionally enjoyed.

If you’d rather not subscribe to a Japan snack crate, you can cherry pick exactly what Japanese snacks you want on websites like Blippo Kawaii Shop and Japan Candy Store. Both of these websites ship worldwide and offer a huge selection of Japanese snacks.

While both of these sites primarily focus on the sweet tooth (most of their snacks are candy, cookies, and chocolates) they both also organise their snacks by unusual categories.

If you’re looking for a specific themed candy (like Hello Kitty cookies or Super Mario Chocolate), you can specify that on these sites.

Japanese Snack Stores

This option is not so universal but, depending on where in the world you live, can work out a lot cheaper than buying Japanese snacks online.

Import stores can be found in almost every major city in the world – we even found a Japanese and Korean snack store in Bucharest, Romania. Just use Google maps to find your local Japanese snack stores.

If you like your Japanese snacks to be baked (like melon pan), search online for your nearest Japanese bakery. Covent Garden in central London, for example, has two different Japanese bakeries on the same street.

These bakeries offer Japanese sweet breads, mochi, cookies, pastries, and plenty more for you to enjoy fresh.

Snacks In Japan

If you happen to be based in Japan, almost every single snack mentioned here can be bought at your local konbini (convenience store). 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart all sell melon pan, Alfort Mini Chocolate, Pocky, Jagariko Sticks, and plenty more.

Never underestimate the power of the Japanese convenience store. And, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, visit your local supermarket or try online; shipping within Japan is far cheaper than international shipping, afterall.

Read More: 13 Japanese Cookbooks for Inspiring Home Cooking

Most have some small snacks to keep you going, and some have live music. Many are the perfect example of why bars in the US and Europe are imitating Japanese cocktail culture.

Before getting too excited, however, know that drinking in bars in Tokyo is different than drinking in a Western bar or pub. First off, it’s not normal to sit down and try to start talking to your fellow bar patrons. It’s also rude to be drunkenly loud. It’s fine to be drunk; just keep your wits about you.

Lastly, keep an eye on the time if you’re counting on the trains to get home. The last train is at 12 AM and they don’t start back up until 5 AM – although if you miss it there are plenty of places to go to kill the late-late hours or you can do the salary-man thing of collapsing on the street, a sad but true situation.

This is a country famous for its whisky, craft beer, and sake. Most of the drinking in Tokyo happens in bars, and thankfully there are plenty of places to enjoy all that Japan’s beverage scene has to offer.

Read More: Check out our Tokyo City Guide or Best Tokyo Day Trips

Here are some of the best bars in Tokyo by district:

Best Bars in Shinjuku

King Biscuit $$ — This small Tokyo blues bar is named after an old radio program that used to run in the Southern states of the US. It’s a small, dimly lit place that’s dripping with a noir atmosphere. The bar specializes in whisky with some 100 options available, but also has cocktails for the non-whiskey drinkers in your group. Come alone or with one or two friends, because the snug spot only has room for 20 people.

The Open Book $$ — This wonderful bar is perfect for bookish folks visiting Tokyo. It’s designed like a secret library and specialise in shochu sours drinks. The owner is the grandson of authour Komimasa Tanaka and has very much carried on that legacy into this golden-gai bar.

Read More: Carry on the bookish theme by staying in Tokyo’s legendary book hostel or visiting Jimbocho.

Bar BenFiddich $$ — Opened by one of the city’s most esteemed mixologists, Hiroyasu Kayama, Bar BenFiddich specializes in amaro, gin, absinthe, and whisky.

The cocktails are made with house-made infusions, many of which use plants grown on Kayama’s family farm just north of Tokyo.

There’s a large collection of old spirits here, and you can try them neat or in cocktails. BenFiddich is well known internationally and gets crowded, so plan your visit to this bar in Tokyo well ahead time.

8bit Cafe  $$ — 8bit is on the fifth floor of an office building, so can be a little harder to find than your typical watering hole. Once you get there, though, you’ll find video game ephemera from the 80s and 90s, including classics like Super Mario, Zelda, and Sonic.

The video game goods aren’t just for references and nostalgia — you can play them while drinking cocktails named after the characters. Definitely one of the best bars in Tokyo.

New York Bar $$$ — Located on the 52nd floor of the Tokyo Park Hyatt, New York Bar has, as the name suggests, a Manhattan theme. Bill Murray drank here in the 2003 film Lost in Translation, and it’s just as glamorous as the movie makes it seem.

The bar focuses on cocktails, and the menu features classics as well as originals like the L.I.T. made with sake, Sakura liqueur, and cranberry. There’s a hefty cover charge and the drinks don’t come cheap, but it’s worth it for a fancy night out (the Peak Lounge a couple of floors down is a little less).

Best Bars in Akasaka

Mixx Bar and Lounge, ANA InterContinental $$$ — The ANA Intercontinental is a luxurious hotel in the heart of the city, and its Mixx Bar overlooks the Tokyo skyline from the 36th floor.

The vibe is high class and the prices match that feel. Mixx Bar is best known for its seasonal cocktails, and guest mixologists often stop by to shake up speciality cocktails.

Deserving of its place on this best bars of Tokyo list, Mixx features not just one, but eight different Negroni variations. European food is served for lunch and dinner, and DJs play at the lounge Thursdays through Saturdays.

Check out the ANA and our other favourite Tokyo hotels.

Code Name Mixology $$ — Keep in mind one thing before going to Code Name Mixology for the first time: expect the unexpected. Think cocktail ingredients like blue cheese Cognac and pine-mushroom gin.

You can order a specific drink if you want, but the best move here is to tell the bartender what you like and let them work something up for you. The bar is known by drinkers around the world, so it can get a little crowded. Once you make it inside the upscale bar, get ready for a wild ride of flavors.

Muscle Bar $$ — This is an all-you-can-drink bar, which might be a foreign concept to Westerners. All you have to know is that it means exactly what it sounds like: pay a cover upfront and you can drink all you want like it’s a hometown buffet for a full 90 minutes.

Muscle Bar is different in one other way, as well. The bartenders are attractive muscle-bound men who are often shirtless. There’s a separate menu — a la carte, if you will — but you’re better off embracing all that this bar has to offer. Drinks include shots, sake, shochu, and Champagne.

The Lobby Lounge & Bar $$$ — Although it’s one of the pricer options in Tokyo, the bar has one of the best rooftop views in Tokyo. It sits on the 45th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, and has floor-to-ceiling windows for optimum city gazing. It’s glitzy inside, and you should dress to match.

The bar has an extensive whisky menu with rare options like the 25 Year Taketsuru, a wine menu, and cocktail menu with both classic and originals. Cocktails regularly feature seasonal fruits and herbs.

Best Bars in Ginza

Lupin $$ — Lupin opened in 1928, and was once a popular hangout for authors, painters, actors, and artists of every walk of life.

The bar’s décor is reminiscent of an old British pub combined with a cowboy saloon, complete with mood lighting and a long wooden bar. Menus are tourist-friendly and offered in both English and Japanese.

There’s a cover charge, it’s hard to find, and the drinks are good yet not mind-blowing. Still, this is somewhere you go to bask in the experience of an old pub in a distinctly modern city.

Bar High Five $$ — You’ll want to check out the two-page list of rules before going to Bar High Five. If you’re a decent bar goer none should be an issue, but don’t expect to just walk in with a large group — although some people may have some trouble with the no photography unless you receive permission rule.

Order something from the highly curated business or let the bartenders know what you like for a customised cocktail just for you.

Star Bar Ginza $$$ — You can’t go wrong with this speak-easy style bar. Formal dress and leather sofas complement the antique wood and retro wallpaper. They specialise in rare whisky and is very much a Tokyo bar made for sitting back with a quiet drink enjoying the surroundings. This is one of the best bars in Tokyo to immerse yourself in old Japan.

Best Bars in Akihabara

Kanda Koju $$ —  No visit to Japan is complete without a night at a bar specialising in Sake. Sake is becoming a popular choice world over but not least in its native country where brewers are starting to experiment with different styles providing more choice than ever.

At Kanda Koju, you’ll find some of the rarest and trendiest sakes on the market. They encourage you to enjoy your drink with a side of something perfectly matched to your drink which ranges from sushi to pan-fried foie gras.

Bar Sekirei $$ —  Championing itself as one of the few authentic bars in the area, this is a traditional bar in every sense of the word. With a full drinks menu and some traditional foods, like ramen, sticks, and tempura on offer, there’s plenty to draw people off the busy streets.

Naturally, being in Akihabara, it’s unsurprising that there’s an anime theme going on here clashing somewhat with the classy aesthetic.

The owner being a big anime fan has put his spin on the place with toys and figures hiding in unsuspecting places and an entire book of anime-themed drinks which is just as much fun to look through as choose from.

Best Bars in Shimokitazawa

Mother’s Ruin –- $ A mysterious Tokyo bar that plays rock music and offers simple Chinese cuisine. It’s non-smoking which makes a nice change as many of the bars and pubs in Tokyo can get overwhelming if you don’t like the smell of smoke.

They have an extensive beer menu featuring Japanese and international options as well as all the standard spirits and house wine.

Suzunari — $ This charming spot was once an old theatre just a few doors down from Union Records. It has now been converted into several small Japanese-style bars with different options including craft beer, ales, whiskey, and sake.

Best Bars in Shibuya

Y.Y.G Brewery — $$ A craft brewery and restaurant with a wooden deck for sitting outside. It’s a beautiful space inside and out featuring beer from all over Japan including some surprising options like mango beer. This is absolutely one of the best bars in Tokyo for beer lovers.

JBS Shibuya –- $$ The JBS is infamous in Tokyo and is the kind of place locals take their visiting friends over to for a drink and a night of music.

The name stands for jazz, blues, and soul and that’s exactly what you get here with 11,000 records on offer to be precise. Japan loves its whiskey and their menu certainly reflects this countrywide obsession with both international and local choices on offer.

Bar Trench $$ — One of the most popular bars in Tokyo right now, cocktail books line the walls and it’s loaded with old school charm in the Ebisu district of Shibuya.

Best Bars in Roppongi

Geronimo Shot Bar –- $ As you might expect, this is a shot bar but this Tokyo bar’s specialty includes creative and wonderful flavours that’ll have you choosing for hours.

They also have various happy hour deals which makes this a cheap spot to stop at before going out dancing.

Bar Propaganda –-$$ This youthful and lively bar is popular with the local and foreign youth crow and has a fantastic happy hour where drinks are just 500 yen between 5-9pm.

There’s a huge menu of cocktails, shots, and whisky – their mimosas are particularly sought after. They also bring in live DJs on the weekend making this a fun spot for the weekend

Bunon $$ — In the Nishi-Abazu district tucked in an alley near Roppongi Hills is Tokyo’s most famous natural wine bars.

Best Bars in Harajuku

Harajuku Taproom — $  If you like craft beer then this is your spot. An izakaya-style tavern with a local distinct local feel nestled within the bustling streets of Harajuku.

Like any good izakaya, you’ll find skewers of all sorts to accompany your drink and the yakitori is up there with the very best. Featuring beer from local breweries around Japan, this is the place to try something you haven’t before.

Hokurikiku Sakaba —  $$ If you’ve finished exploring Meiji Jingu shrine and you’re looking for somewhere excellent to stop nearby then this may be it.

Perfect for sake lovers, they have an extensive menu of Japan’s national drink on offer covering the whole spectrum of sweet to dry sake from tiny breweries tucked away in Kyoto to larger brands. This is one of the best bars in Tokyo for sake lovers.

Tokyo Whisky Library $$$ — A must-visit while in Tokyo due to the fact you can enjoy 1,000 types of whisky from around the world. You’ll find it in the Omotesando district between Harajuku and Shibuya.

Read More: Ready for some food? Check out our restaurant and ramen guide to Tokyo or find out what the ten must-try Tokyo foods are

There’s a vast range of cooking styles and chefs taking great pleasure in using the finest ingredients.

As many know, there’s more to Japan than just ramen, sushi, and umami although you will find the very best of those dishes and flavours here, ready to be explored.

What to Eat in Tokyo (Full Guide)

So, let’s take a look at what to eat in Tokyo when you arrive! Scroll to the bottom for Tokyo’s best Ramen restaurants.

What to Eat In Harajuku

Sakura Tei – $$ Okonomiyaki is a delicacy and a staple Tokyo food. It’s delicious savoury pancake-style dish mixed with fried vegetables. When you’re pondering what to eat in Tokyo when you first get there, okonomiyaki is a fine start.

And there’s no more entertaining place to try okonomiyaki than Sakura Tei.

Located on one of the most upmarket streets in Harajuku but wonderfully budget this is an all-you-can-eat style restaurant where you can choose your own toppings and style of Okonomiyaki for 90 minutes at a fixed price of 1,500 JPY.

There’s also a regular menu that you could order from if you’re not looking for the ‘create your own’ fun.

Harajuku Gyoza Lou –  $ Gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) are a hugely common dish in Japan. Looking for what to eat in Tokyo that isn’t too out there?

Gyoza are to Tokyo what pastries are to Denmark. and Harajuku Gyoza Lou has perfected this simple dish and have made it their pride and joy.

Known for selling some of the best steamed and fried gyoza in Tokyo they cost 290 JPY for 6 pieces so it’s very biggest-friendly and filling. The shop usually has a sizeable line outside but they serve quickly.

Read More: Sushi Etiquette: How to Eat Sushi the Right Way

What to Eat In Shinjuku

Himawari Sushi – $ Trying conveyor belt sushi in Tokyo is a must and Himawari Sushi is fun, occasionally sends out a steam engine along the belt with condiments, and is reasonably priced (150 JPY to 200 JPY per roll) with great quality sushi.

Very popular with locals, it’s busy but the crowd moves quickly.

Nabezo – $$ Shabu Shabu is a classic stomach-warming dish that’s best enjoyed with 2+ people. If you’ve heard of Chinese hotpot, then this is very similar but far less spicy.

You dip sliced meat and vegetables into the hot water or broth to cook them and then dip the items into some sweet soy sauce.

What’s great about Nabezo is that you can eat as much as you like for 100 minutes and upgrade the beef with an extra charge.

What to Eat In Shibuya

Sushi no Midori – $$ If you’re looking for a mid-range sushi place which offers creative seafood dishes as well as sushi, then you can’t go wrong with Sushi no Midori.

When considering what to eat in Tokyo, you can never go wrong with sushi, provided you find a place that’s not overly pricey.

Sushi no Midori have a set meal which is a really good deal and comes to 1000 yen ($10). They also offer online reservation so you can book ahead and avoid any awkwardness on the phone. It’s also just three minutes walk from Shibuya station.

Yaffa Organic Café – $$  Although they have meat dishes on the menu, this is also perfect for the vegetarians and vegans as they offer a range of organic dishes to suit both.

It’s also ideal for those who want an incredible view over Shibuya in an open-terrace garden – to be enjoyed with their great craft beer and wine list.

Read More: Try These Hidden Ramen Shops in Shibuya

What to Eat In Ueno

Sasanoyuki  – $$ A classic Japanese style restaurant that specialises in pushing tofu to its maximum culinary potential.

Often when we think about what to eat in Tokyo, our minds don’t jump to tofu – but maybe they should! Sasanoyuki is a family run business now in its 9th generation and offers a quaint authentic surrounding with a beautiful Japanese garden to look out on.

As this is all tofu, it’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans but worth trying for anyone interested in fine, authentic Japanese food.

Yabu Station – $ You haven’t lived until you’ve tried soba (Japanese noodles) in Japan and this is one of the longest established soba restaurants standing since 1892. Different to ramen, soba is served separately to the broth which ones on the side.

It’s also served with a side of meat, vegetables, or tempura making for a wholesome meal and a unique experience.

Read More: The Ten Foods you Must Try in Toko

What to Eat In Akihabara

Yamano $$$ – This intimate restaurant in bustling Akihabara, just a minute from the station, and a fine place to try the Japanese speciality yakiniku (Japanese style BBQ which translates to ‘cooked meat’).

Yamano serves the finest quality meat at A5 rank Japanese beef meaning it’ll be melt in the mouth kind of tender – making Yamano one of the best places to eat in Tokyo.

Perfect for two or more people enjoy cooking your meat and sides on the open fire for a heart and stomach-warming experience.

Marugo – $ Tonkatsu is a dish that is almost universally beloved by everyone in Japan. Thick pork is deep-fried with panko breadcrumbs in a katsu style and is tender and filling, it’s usually served with rice.

Marugo offer some of the highest quality tonkatsu in the city for very reasonable prices.

Honestly, when you’re looking for the best of what to eat in Tokyo, both tonkatsu and chicken katsu are the best of choices, and Marugo is a great place to enjoy tonkatsu.

What to Eat In Ginza

Annam Indian Restaurant – $$ It’s not always easy to get high-quality Indian food in East Asia so when you find a good one it’s best to pass on that knowledge like a senpai to his junior.

Annam serves authentic North Indian cuisine as well as halal, vegan, and vegetarian dishes in very pleasant surroundings.

Kushiyaki Bistro Fukumimi – $$ Yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) are a delicacy in Japan; something so simple is barbecued to perfection and sold everywhere: from convenience stores, to pubs, to the finest restaurants. It’s simple Tokyo food, but irresistible.

You’ll be spoiled for choice at Kushiyaki Bistro Fukumimi, as they serve 40 different kinds of charcoal-grilled skewers from free-range chickens and have an extensive sake menu to accompany them.

What to Eat In Roppongi & Asakusa

Itamae Sushi – $$$ Famous for their superior tuna, meaning that if you’re a tuna fan, this instantly becomes one of the best places to eat in Tokyo.

If you’re a lover of tuna then you can’t go wrong going to the renowned experts of the freshest tuna sushi and sashimi.

They perform live tuna-cutting shows while you eat and have you remembering your experience here for a very long time. Just a one-minute walk from Asakusa station, it’s incredibly convenient.

Kobe Beef Kaiseki 511 – $$$ Kobe beef is infamous and the finest Kobe beef is something truly special. Wracking your brain over what to eat in Tokyo?

You can answer that easily with two words: Kobe beef. Kaiseki 511 serves A5 quality beef (which is as good as it gets).

You can enjoy your beef in various ways such as steak, sushi, or a shabu-shabu. If you’re with a group who can’t decide which Japanese delicacy to go for, this might be the place to make everyone happy.

It’s not cheap but they do offer a special lunch deal which comes in at $15-$20.

What to Eat In Shimokitazawa

Shirube –  $ An izakaya is a must-try experience when in Tokyo. Izakaya are Japan’s answer to the old British pub: they serve cheap beer and excellent food, and they’re very much an integral part of life in Japan.

This is one of the most popular izakayas in Shimokitazwa. There are plenty of tables which can often be an issue in the normally cramped establishments and they have English menus to choose from.

You can expect to find lots of yakitori skewers, bar snacks, and an extensive drinks menu. For the real Tokyo eating experience, you cannot pass up on a good izakaya, and this one comes highly recommended.

Magic Spice – $$ This is a rare chance to try Sapparo’s soul food: soup curry. It’s exactly how it sounds; a curry flavoured soup ramen affair which is absolutely delicious.

It’s more towards Indian style curry than Japanese and they have a range of spice options.

Tokyo food is great, don’t get us wrong, but the variety you’ve got a chance to try here can’t be ignored.

For what to eat in Tokyo that’s a little rarer and unique, being that it comes all the way from Sapporo, this is certainly worth checking out.

Tokyo Ramen Restaurants Guide

Whenever we’re in Tokyo, there are two meals that we go after time and time again: katsu chicken curry and ramen. If you think you’ve had ramen outside of Japan and you know it well enough, don’t be so sure.

There is no ramen like Tokyo ramen (just like there’s no food like Tokyo food), and so we beg you: visit every ramen place you can while in Tokyo. You won’t regret it.

Here’s a guide to the best Tokyo ramen to help you out. These are some of the best places to eat in Tokyo, hands down.

AFURI – $ A light and delicate ramen option which used fresh local vegetables and spring water from Mt. Afuri giving their a ramen a totally unique flavour.

Their specialist dishes include Yuzu Ramen which a chicken based broth, and their Vegan Ramen option. With lovely surroundings, it’s a favourite among many.

Ichiran– $ Specialising in Tonkotsu (pork-based broth) ramen, it’s a beloved restaurant among fans. It’s a chain and is based in every major district of Tokyo, including Shibuya.

Kyushu Jangara Ramen – $ Also specialising in Tonkotsu ramen, you can enjoy this Kyushu specialty in Akihabara or Harajuku. They also offer vegan ramen options which are as delicious as the original.

Menya Musashi -$$ The best Tokyo ramen? Maybe. One of the most wholesome and flavourful ramen experiences in all of Tokyo, Menya Musashi delivers the quintessential ramen experience.

A good meal will cost around $10 and your ramen bowl will come with a soft-boiled egg, some nori, and some soft, supple pork (if you want it). There’s a veggie option, and some simple English is spoken to help you out.

Ramen Yoroiya – $ Asakusa is overflowing with traditional foods, including a store that exclusively sells melon pan.

If you want a fantastic shoyu ramen (ramen with soy broth) experience, you’ll find it here at Ramen Yoroiya. Your ramen options include pork, chicken, and dried sardines.

Ippudo –  $$ A very popular option in Tokyo, this is a firm favourite when you ask people what their favourite ramen joint is.

Originally established in 1985 in Fukuoka, the southern-most tip of mainland Japan, there are ten stores across Tokyo.

Fuunji – $$ this is one of the best places to try Tsukemen style ramen which is served with extra thick noodles and the aromatic broth is made with chicken and fish.

If you feel like you’ve tried everything and are looking for a different kind of ramen then this might be exactly what you’re looking for.

When it comes to all things culinary, Japan is legendary the world over for its varied and wonderful foods. Sushi, onigiri, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, the list goes on and on. When we think of Japanese drinks, our minds often leap quickly to sake. The truth is, however, that Japan is a land of varied and exciting drinks, alcoholic and otherwise.

Here, you’ll find a rundown of the best and most popular Japanese drinks. First, we’ll cover the most common Japanese alcohol (Japanese beer, whiskey, sake, and more). Then we’ll move onto Japanese soft drinks and Japanese soda, all of which offer an exciting amount of variety.

The world of Japanese drinks is a wide open one with a lot of variety to explore, whether you’re looking for the best Japanese alcohol or just some delicious Japanese soda. So, let’s jump in and explore. And don’t forget to say kanpai!

Japanese Alcohol

Japanese alcoholic drinks exist on a broad and varied spectrum. Many Japanese drinks are inspired by iconic Western drinks like whiskey and beer. Others, like sake, are uniquely Japanese alcoholic drinks. Here are all of the most famous must-try Japanese drinks, from Japanese whiskey to the best sake in Japan.

Japanese Beer

First introduced to Japan by Dutch merchants at the former trading post Dejima in Nagasaki, during the Edo period. While Dutch beer was widely available, local commercial brands Sapporo and Kirin began production in the 1870s to meet the burgeoning demand (with other big brands Asahi and Suntory trailing not far behind).

Like in many countries around the world, the popularity of craft beer has skyrocketed in Japan, with a gradual increase in interest over the past twenty-five years or so. In Japan, the capital of Tokyo and the second city of Osaka have very much taken the mantle of becoming craft beer hubs in Japan.

LIke many drinks in Japan, there is some etiquette involved when drinking beer. You may notice immediately that it isn’t drunk in pints or steins like it typically is in Europe. Instead, Japanese beer is enjoyed by the glass, straight from a larger shared bottle. It’s customary to pour your drinking partner’s beer for them and vice versa.

Some typical Japanese beers and craft beers you will see in any izakaya or bar in Japan include:

Asahai Super Dry — A classic dry lager with the two favourable properties of being cheap and easy to drink.

Hitachino Nest Beer  — Marked by it’s adorable squat bottle and colourful owl wrapping, this is one of the most popular Japanese craft beers currently on the market.

Kirin — An iconic label, Kirin’s pale larger is one of the oldest and most popular beers in Japan. They also offer the unique Kirin Ichiban Shibori, which has a distinctive bittersweet taste and is also extremely popular.

Sapporo — From the northern island of Hokkaido, and named after the island’s capital city, black label Sapporo beer has a distinctive, mature taste that is popular with many.

Sapporo Yebisu Beer — Considered a more upmarket beer with a slightly higher price tag than the others, this beer is made following strict and traditional German beer brewing techniques.

Try: The Japanese version of a Bloody Mary, the Red Eye Cocktail is a mixture of Japanese beer, tomato juice, and lemon (with the optional extras of a shot of vodka and raw egg). 

Read More: A Guide to Japanese Kokeshi Dolls

Shochu

The national spirit of Japan, and easily one of the most iconic Japanese drinks, shochu is a clear, distilled spirit with similarities to vodka. What separates shochu from vodka is the fact that it is made with many different types of base. These include rice and sweet potato, though the most common base for shochu is barley.

The distilling process for Japanese shochu is more complex than that for vodka, and shochu can be distilled multiple times and even fermented or aged. Shochu contains no sugar and has a lower alcohol content than vodka, making it much easier to drink over the course of a night out and even pairs well with meals making it a popular izakaya staple drink.

Iichiko is one of the most popular shochu brands in Japan, producing over ten different types of the drink with varying smoothness and flavour. 

Try: Oolong Hai is a shochu drink that needs to be tried when you visit Japan. This Japanese cocktail of oolong tea and shochu or lemon sour, also known as lemon chuhai, is a mixture of soda, shochu, and lemon or yuzu.

Sake 

Probably one of the most famous Japanese alcoholic drinks (or Japanese drinks in general). Internationally, sake is starting to be treated in the same way as wine or beer, and taken seriously as an artform in its own right. However, if you ask for sake at a bar in Japan you may be faced with some confusion.

In Japanese, ‘sake’ simply means ‘alcoholic drink’ so, to be more specific, you’ll want to ask for ‘nihonshu’ which literally translates to ‘Japanese alcohol’ though, more specifically, refers to what we know as sake: one of the most important Japanese drinks in existence.

Sake is a spirit made from rice which has undergone a long process of polishing and fermentation using a mold known as koji. You may see the term junmai (純米) meaning ‘pure rice’ on your bottle of sake; this note separates pure rice sake from non pure rice sake. 

Pure rice sake means that no sugar or alcohol have been added, using just koji, yeast, and rice. However, non-junmai sake results in different flavour profiles within the sake and can be overall easier to drink.

The quality of Japanese sake is typically determined by the level of polishing it has overgone. Rice that has been polished down to 60% (known as Daiginjo and Junmai Daiginjo) is considered premium, with incredibly complex flavours and a price tag to match.

Futsushu, on the other hand, is a more common table sake, and has been polished to 70% and will be cheaper. These are just a couple of the many factors that separate sake; which is, as you can tell, an incredible diverse Japanese alcohol. Much like wine, you can delve into the world, the history, and the traditions of sake for years and years.

Try: Sparkling sake. It’s been around for over a hundred years but is becoming increasingly popular for its crisp and clean finish, and its fun factor.

Sake brands to try:

Hakkaisan Tokubetsu Junmai —  A clean, crisp, and dry sake from the mountainous Niigata prefecture.

Dewazakura Cherry Bouquet Oka Ginjo — A premium, fragrant, and light sake which pairs well with any food.

Kikusui Perfect Snow — A cloudy, thick, and creamy sake. It’s less filtered, resulting in a milky colour and works well in cocktails.

What is Atsukan?

Atsukam is sake that has been heated to fifty degrees, with several other names for warm sake heated to different temperatures. Warm sake enhances the notes of the sake, thus becoming sweeter or more bitter than if the sake is enjoyed cold.

Tip: If you’re interested in learning more about Japanese sake, make sure to check out Brain Ashcraft’s book on sake. This book takes you through its history, brewing, and flavour notes.

Japanese Whiskey

Japan is regarded as one of the world’s great whiskey-making countries, with a long history and eleven main distilleries across the country.

Japan was initially inspired by Scottish brewing techniques. Masataka Taketsuru, who was born into a family of sake makers, studied in Glasgow and brought his newfound knowledge to Shinjiro Torii, an entrepreneur in the alcohol market.

Together, Taketsuru and Torii founded the Suntory Yamazaki distillery in the early 1900s and whiskey was commercially sold in Japan for the first time.

Fun fact: The name Suntory derives from Torii-san. The company’s founder simply reversed and tweaked his own name, Torii-san, to create the name Suntory.

A few of the big names in whiskey brewing in Japan include: Suntory, Nikka (which was also founded by Masataka Taketsuru after breaking partnership with Shinjiro Torii), and Akashi. Akashi comes from White Oak Distillery, which owns one of Japan’s oldest whiskey licenses, and which is Japan’s highest-altitude distillery. It has been in operation for over a century.

You can also dig into the world of Ji-Whisky, which are, essentially, Japanese craft whiskeys that are unique to their local region but can diverge widely in terms of ingredients and quality. 

Make sure to visit one of Japan’s popular and numerous whiskey bars, where you can see the real passion Japan has for its whiskey and get to know some of the many whiskey based cocktails available. Japanese author Haruki Murakami famously ran a whiskey bar before working full-time as a writer.

Try: Whiskey Highball — A popular drink in the 1950s; a mix of whiskey and sparkling (carbonated) water or Oyuwari. Highball is the Japanese equivalent of a hot toddy, which is made by mixing hot water and whiskey.

Umeshu (Japanese Plum Wine)

A delicious and extremely popular Japanese alcohol, with a history that can be traced back to the Edo period, there are currently over three hundred brands available on the market. Japanese plum wine is made from ume (plums) that are harvested in June and are then soaked in liquor (typically shochu or brandy) and sugar.

For umeshu using real plums, you will see the note Honkaku Umeshu (本格梅酒) but cheaper versions will use flavourings to replicate the plum taste and won’t have this label. Real umeshu is often touted for its health benefits, including relieving exhaustion and constipation.

Popular brands to try include: Choya umeshu which is made using traditional methods with fruit that has matured for at least a year and Yamazaki umeshu which has matured slowly in casks and has a deep, elegant flavour.

Try: Yuzushu — Made a similar way to umeshu, and with striking similarities to limoncello, this refreshing citrus drink is made by soaking the peel of the winter yuzu fruit in shochu. It comes in varying degrees of sweet and sour flavours and is a very popular addition to Japanese cocktails.

Awamori

This is one of the more unique Japanese drinks, being native to Okinawa and, with a six-hundred-year history, it is believed to be a predecessor to shochu. Traditional techniques are still used in the brewing of awamori today. These techniques use indica (also called Thai rice) and unique black koji mold to make the spirit (the high humidity in Okinawa helps facilitate the mold).

Awamori is preserved for a long time, giving the flavours time to develop. This means it is often referred to as ‘aged sake’. Awamori that has been aged for three years or more is known as ‘kusu’.

Japanese Soft Drinks

If you’ve never visited Japan, chances are one of the legends you’ve heard about modern Japan is the sheer number of vending machines (in Japanese: 自動販売機 or jidouhanbaiki).

If you’ve visited or lived in Japan, you can confirm that this legend is true. Vending machines are everywhere in Japan, from halfway up mountains to the edges of rural fields. With the popularity of vending machines in Japan comes a swathe of popular Japanese soft drinks. In the West — especially in the United States — Coca Cola and Pepsi dominate the soft drinks market.

In Japan, unsurprisingly, it’s the Japanese soft drinks brands like Calpico and Mitsuya that reign supreme. Every Japanese soft drink found below can be seen and enjoyed at most vending machines in Japan (with the exception of Yakult, which is found in every supermarket).

Japanese soft drinks, Japanese milk tea, and Japanese canned coffee are all must-dry drinks when you visit Japan. The variety of brands and flavours is impressive, and the convenience of the country’s vending machines cannot be overstated.

This is not an exhaustive list of every soft drink in Japan but it does provide an excellent overview of the most popular and commonly-found Japanese soft drinks (including Japanese bottled tea and canned coffee).

Japanese Green Tea (Bottled)

Bottled tea is big in Japan. Every vending machine stocks it and multiple brands produce it. Perhaps the most popular Japanese green tea is Ooi Ocha, produced by Itoen. As the bottle’s label  says, this is unsweetened Japanese green tea.

In Japan, it’s very common for the brands that are most famous for their beers and whiskeys (Asahi, Kirin, Suntory) to also sell soft drinks and bottled Japanese green tea. You can easily find in vending machines, supermarkets, and online bottles of Japanese green tea, lemon tea, black tea, oolong tea, and more; all produced by recognisable beer brands like Asahi and Kirin.

There are as many types and flavours of bottled Japanese teas as there are KitKats. Every vending machine you pass may offer a different flavour, or even just a differently-branded Japanese green tea for you to try. Find your favourite!

Read More: Types of Japanese Tea, History, and How to Brew Them

Japanese Milk Tea (Royal Milk Tea)

Deserving of its own dedicated segment in this list is Japanese milk tea (typically known in Japan as Royal Milk Tea). While green tea, lemon tea, and oolong tea all tend to overlap, Japanese milk tea is something all its own.

Do a little digging through history and you’ll find a surprising amount of British influence on Japan. Or, rather, Indian influence by way of British sailors, traders, military, and colonisers (sorry, world). The best culinary example is Indian curry, brought to Japan by British sailors.

It doesn’t stop with food, though. Japanese milk tea is a very obviously evolved form of English breakfast tea, made by suffusing Indian black tea with a drop of milk. In Japan, this type of tea is commonly referred to as royal milk tea (or ロイヤルミルクティー).

In true Japanese form, this popular drink has been refined, perfected, and bottled for your convenience. The most popular bottled Japanese milk tea is probably Afternoon Black Tea (午後の紅茶 or Gogo no Kocha) produced by Kirin.

Gogo no Kocha comes in a variety of flavours, including royal milk tea, and “Straight Tea” (black without milk). This is another one of the countless Japanese drinks you’ll find at any vending machine in Japan.

Fun fact: Some vending machines in Japan exclusively stock hot drinks and keep them heated so that, when you buy one, it comes out warm to the touch. These drinks are, of course, typically bottled teas and Japanese canned coffee. Speaking of which…

Japanese Canned Coffee

Coffee is a big deal wherever you go in the world, but there are specific countries in which it is a slightly bigger deal. Countries that do coffee a little differently. The Netherlands and Denmark are the best European examples of this. In Asia, it’s Japan that has its own unique approach to coffee.

While canned coffee can be found almost anywhere these days, and companies like Starbucks sell their own via supermarkets, canned coffee is indeed a Japanese invention. In Japan, it is typically referred to as can coffee (缶コーヒー or kan kohi).

As mentioned above, you’ll find Japanese canned coffee in every vending machine, both in the cold ones and the hot ones. The brands are very distinctly recognisable and you’ll see their logos everywhere you go. Without a doubt, the biggest name in Japanese canned coffee is Boss Coffee (owned by Suntory). I have no idea why but the logo of Boss Coffee is an illustration of William Faulkner.

You may also commonly see Tommy Lee Jones’ face on Boss Coffee posters, adverts, or even vending machines (for the same reason many Brits associate mobile phone company EE with Kevin Bacon.

Calpico Soda

To clear up any confusion, the actual name of Calpico is Calpis. In Japan and everywhere else in the world, it is known as Calpis. Everywhere, that is, except the United States, where the name was altered to Calpico. The reasons are obvious but we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you think they were necessary.

Whether you call the brand Calpico or Calpis, their drinks are everywhere in Japan. Original Calpis is fairly unique amongst Japanese soft drinks (and all Japanese drinks, in fact) for being a watery, milky, uncarbonated, yogurt-esque kind of drink. Put simply, there’s nothing quite like Calpis.

Calpico Soda, however, is a popular variant of Calpis which, as its name suggests, is carbonated. Both original Calpis and Calpico Soda are perhaps most similar to yogurt-based drinks like Yakult (see below). They’re milky and slightly acidic in flavour.

Ramune

Ramune stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Calpis and Pocari Sweat (see below) as one of the most popular Japanese drinks around. What makes Ramune visually unique is the fact that the bottles are sealed with a marble.

Ramune is sold in glass bottles, sealed at the top with a marble, which has made it rather aesthetically famous around the world. You open the bottle by pushing the marble into the glass bottle, where it then rattles around as you drink it. Ramune is often called Japanese marble soda for this reason.

If you’ve ever eaten Pocky or Japanese KitKats, you know how a vast variety of sometimes strange flavours is a key part of the fun when it comes to Japanese snacks. Ramune is the equivalent of Pocky in the world of Japanese drinks.

The original flavour of Ramune is lemon-lime but popular flavours include fruits like watermelon, peach, apple, grape, and strawberry Ramune. Then there are the more unique Ramune flavours like curry, kimchi, teriyaki, and even takoyaki.

Ramune has 50+ flavours and, for that reason, as well as its legacy as a Japanese marble soda, it is easily one of the most fun and varied Japanese drinks around.

Pocari Sweat

As previously mentioned, Pocari Sweat is a big deal in Japan. Found in every Japanese vending machine alongside Japanese green tea and Japanese canned coffee, Pocari Sweat is everywhere. The name Pocari Sweat leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, of the two people writing the article, one of us refuses to even try it. The other loves it (because Pocari Sweat is brilliant).

The reason behind the off-putting name is simple: Pocari Sweat is a sports drink, and its name implies a refuelling of everything you lose when you sweat. Pocari Sweat is easily the most popular sports drink in Japan, though it tends to have a less extreme effect on the body than other sports drinks. It’s a very refreshing companion if you happen to go for a long hike on a hot day.

If you’re wondering how it tastes, Pocari Sweat is uncarbonated, slightly sweet, and wonderfully refreshing. It’s kind of like water but better. Water plus.

Mitsuya Cider

As a Brit, it took some getting used to the idea that ‘cider’ in Japan and Korea is not an exclusively apple-flavoured alcohol. In East Asia, cider typically just means some kind of fruit-flavoured soda. Mitsuya Cider is, without a doubt, the most popular fruit soda amongst Japanese drinks. For an easy comparison, it is most similar to Sprite but, unsurprisingly, it also comes in a decent variety of fruit flavours.

When I first arrived in Japan, I was passionately obsessed with grape flavour Mitsuya Cider.

Oronamin C

This is one of those Japanese drinks that’s an absolute classic, as is made pretty clear by its vintage-looking label and bottle design. Oronamin C is also typically found amongst other Japanese soft drinks on the shelves of vending machines around the country.

There’s not much to this one. As the name suggests, Oronamin C is a Japanese soda with an emphasis on providing the one drinking it with a healthy dose of vitamin C. That’s it. Nice and simply; nice and healthy.

It’s the iconic 1960s logo, the glass bottle, and the easy-to-remove bottle cap that perhaps make Oronamin C one of the more iconic Japanese drinks. But, at its core, it’s just a healthy dose of vitamins in soda form.

Yakult

Yakult probably doesn’t take much explaining. It’s everywhere. A lot of people probably don’t realise the fact that it’s a Japanese drink, however. Growing up in the UK, Yakult was everywhere, and very overpriced, but it was invented in Japan by the company Yakult Honsha.

Promoted as a drink that helps with healthy digestion, Yakult has been something of a low-key global trend for a long time. You’ll still find it on supermarket shelves in Japan and, while it is everywhere, it’s still one of the most iconic Japanese drinks around.

Spend time with your colleagues after work; sip on cheap local drinks (like Japanese beer, sake, and cocktails); and share platters of irresistible finger food. The definition of post-work pleasure. Wander in, take a seat, and let your laughter and conversations fade into the background noise of carefree socialisers. Ahh… a cold beer after a busy day of working or exploring. Perfect. 

Much like how the English word ‘pub’ derives from ‘public house’, the Japanese word ‘izakaya’ (居酒屋) consists of the kanji for ‘stay’, ‘drink’, and ‘place’, and that’s exactly it is: a place to stay and drink — and to let life’s troubles melt away. 

Back in Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868), people first used to drink and eat outside liquor shops, forming a place where different classes would mingle; from samurai to commoners. Today, this inclusive feel lives on in the Japanese izakaya. Everyone is happy and equal: eating, drinking, and laughing together.

Read More: Where to Drink in Tokyo – 25 Bars and Izakaya by District

After-work Drinking Culture in Japan

Izakaya are famed as a heavenly post-work stop-off for Japanese workers craving some much-needed and much-earned refreshment.

However, amid Japan’s initial coronavirus restrictions in April 2020, izakayas were faced with a potential existential crisis due to the need for remote working to fight the spread of infection. No longer was the routine of ‘work – izakaya – home’ the norm for many people.

However, a September 2020 survey revealed that only 34.4% of businesses implemented a work from home policy, while a further 22.85% implemented one during the outbreak but discontinued it as restrictions lift. As a result, the enduring importance of the office in Japan’s working culture and the sustained life of the Japanese izakaya come hand in hand. We can certainly expect izakayas to live on going forward.

Japanese Izakaya: fit for (almost) every occasion 

In Japan, izakaya aren’t just for thirsty salarymen. These drinking spots can often range from a hole-in-the-wall to private rooms — making them fit for multiple occasions.

Some locals pop in for a quick beer and plate of tempura, while others sit there from 5pm till the last train home, perhaps making use of the all-you-can-drink option (known as nomihoudai): ranging from ¥1000 to ¥2000 for 90 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the izakaya.

Japanese izakaya provide hungry and thirsty visitors with the perfect place to catch-up with family and friends; share meaningful conversation; celebrate a birthday; host nomikai: (corporate or college parties); or simply get downright drunk. These last two often go hand-in-hand.

The only thing we would advise against is an intimate date or meeting someone for the first time since izakaya tend to boast a loud and unapologetically relaxed atmosphere.

Where can I find a Japanese izakaya?

From bustling metropolises like Tokyo to small provincial towns, izakaya are everywhere in Japan. They can be found within train stations, dotted throughout entertainment districts, shopping areas, and the restaurant floors of department stores across Japan.

Stroll down narrow alleyways (yokocho) and drink with locals in cramped cubbyholes. Look for red and white lanterns and drapes that signal you’re in the right area. If you’re in Tokyo, izakaya are perfect for exploring the local food and drink options.

Hoppy Street in Asakusa is overflowing with lively izakaya, as are the arches under Yurakucho Station (called ‘Yurakucho Gado Shita’), and the Kabukicho entertainment district in Shinjuku. Unsurprisingly, Tokyo has a few special izakayas up its sleeve.

Read More: What to Eat in Tokyo (+ Ramen Guide)

What to expect in an izakaya?

On entering an izakaya, you may be required to place your shoes in a shoe locker (or you may not). You are seated at either a regular table, lower table with tatami mats (where you can sit or kneel), a seated bar, or a standing bar (tachinomi), which is more common in smaller izakaya.

Next, you are handed a towel (oshibori) to clean your hands with — which will be hot or cold depending on the season. 

Expect a tasty appetiser upon being seated (called an otoshi), eaten with your first drink and designed to get you licking your lips in anticipation for the night ahead. These are compulsory snacks, but they only set you back around ¥300-600.

Depending on where you’re sitting, you may be able to see and smell delicious food, sizzling away in front of your very eyes.

In large chain izakaya (like Uotami and Torikizoku — look for the yellow logo with red kanji), picture menus and service call buttons (set into the table) are common. In more understated independent izakayas, manual menus and call-the-waiter service is the norm.

Unlike in countries like the UK, calling out for table service is normal in a Japanese izakaya. Simply raise your hand and confidently yell, “sumimasen!” (excuse me) and someone will happily assist you.

It has always been ordinary, when visiting an izakaya, to be engulfed in a cloud of cigarette smoke. However, in an effort to help create a tobacco-free Olympics, Japan’s new smoking law (from April 2020) has prohibited smoking in izakaya restaurants. Today, you’ll find many izakaya with a separate smoking room.

Read More: Useful Japanese Phrases Every Traveller Should Know

What is found on a typical izakaya menu?

When visiting a Japanese izakaya, you can expect to send your taste buds into overdrive with rounds of scrumptious, mouth-watering local foods and bar snacks. Expect to find these fantastic foods on a typical izakaya menu:

• Kushiyaki (grilled meat or vegetable skewers)
• Kara-age (deep-fried chicken)
• Tamagoyaki (fluffy Japanese omelette)
• Grilled fish such as hokke (grilled mackerel)
• Tempura (deep-fried vegetables)
• Izakaya sushi
• Sashimi (raw fish)
• Hotpots/nabemono
• Ochazuke (steamed rice drenched in green tea)
• Yakisoba
• Age-dashi tofu (tofu deep-fried in soup)
• Motsu nikomi (boiled meat intestines)
• Pickled cucumbers
• Edamame beans

This style of eating is incredibly addictive, which is part of the reason why so many Japanese salarymen eat dinner this way (also because they’re too tired and busy to cook). You’ll wash down these tasty treats with another drink — and then be in the mood for more! It’s a fun but vicious spiral. Typical izakaya drinks include:

• Beer
• Sake
• Cocktails
• Menshu (plum liquor)
• Highballs
• Sours and shōchū (a spirit from rice and sweet potatoes)

Since rounds of drinks and sharing foods are ordered, it’s common courtesy in Japan to split the bill evenly (unless someone has eaten and drunk significantly more than the rest). In Japan, tipping is not customary and no tip is required. In fact, tipping is typically seen as offensive and patronising, so avoid tipping even if your instincts are telling you that you should.

Read More:

13 Japanese Cookbooks for Great Home Cooking

The Ultimate Guide To Ramen In Japan

A Guide to Japanese Onigiri Rice Balls (おにぎり)

5 Shibuya Ramen Joints Worth the Hype

Types of Sushi and How to Eat It – A Guide

Have we got you excited about visiting a Japanese izakaya and sampling from an izakaya menu? Start planning a trip to Tokyo to achieve your ideal izakaya experience.

5 Unique Shibuya Ramen Restaurants

These ramen restaurants represent the most varied, unique, and best ramen in Shibuya. You’ll also find, below each item on this list, a link to Google Maps, explaining exactly how to get there.

伝蔵　Denzo Ramen

When you see the Shibuya MacDonald’s, don’t go in. There’s an insanely flavourful miso ramen joint just next to it that you shouldn’t miss. Thicker and creamier than other miso ramens, with a melt-in-your-mouth charred pork topping that puts every other cold cut charsiu to shame.

At this Shibuya ramen restaurant, you can choose between white, red, and spicy miso, as well as toppings, side dishes, and drinks, at the standard meal ticket machine outside. There’s also a pitch black bowl of ramen with squid ink and seafood! 

The ramen joint’s name is written only in Japanese, but it’s on street level with big windows, so it’s not hard to find if you know what you’re looking for. Well, Google Maps only shows this ramen place if you type it in Japanese, so we’ve left a link for you below.

Find Denzo Ramen here via Google Maps

It works 24/7, so you can literally go anytime you want. Once you buy the ramen ticket outside, you just sit down and staff comes to collect the ticket. All you need to do is enjoy this miso fit for a king!

Read More: Best Restaurants in Tokyo plus Ramen Guide

Ramen Kipposhi 

In my several years of ramen-hunting, I haven’t found a more Instagramable bowl of noodles. But wait, there more to it than a gimmicky blue dye. The dye is natural, possibly made from pea flower but generally kept a trade secret. The chicken broth ramen is light and tasty, worth it even if you take zero photos, even if you don’t have Instagram at all! 

And Kipposhi is no one-trick pony either. This Shibuya ramen joint has equally colourful and tasty green muscat ramen and pink ginger ramen.

Then, there’s their peach ramen and Japanese apricot ramen that don’t boast a crazy colour, but have fruit slices in that don’t clash with the savoury chicken broth. Kipposhi has a more traditional creamy paitan chicken ramen, soy sauce ramen, and salt ramen too. 

They also often switch up the menu, introducing limited edition seasonal ramen experiments like chocolate ramen for Valentine’s and white chocolate ramen for White Day. Occasionally other fruits get to bathe in ramen, like tangerine, banana, apple and so on. And the ramen master in Kipposhi is probably plotting a new creative ramen right about now. 

The small Shibuya ramen shop has been a viral sensation since 2016 and the ramen master says he loves seeing his customers’ surprised faces. Tourists are very welcome, with English menu and signs on the pavement so you know where to turn. 

*note that there is pork involved in the chicken broth making process. 

Find Ramen Kipposhi here via Google Maps

Shinbusakiya Ramen

Who says ramen can’t be vegan? If it can be blue, it can be anything. Shibusakiya Ramen has created vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and halal ramen, and is one of the most welcoming restaurants in Japan. Even their meal ticket machine has an English interface for easy order. 

Apart for accommodating many dietary needs, this Shibuya ramen joint also serves its signature Hokkaido miso ramen that comes in classic or spicy variety, with pork on top. They also have roasted soy sauce dark broth, tsukemen style noodles, rice and dumplings, gluten free chicken and so on. 

Find Shinbusakiya Ramen here via Google Maps

Their main store is in Hokkaido, and the Shibuya store is their only Tokyo base. 

Read More: A Guide to Ramen in Japan – Everything You Need to Know

Art Masashiya Ramen

This innovative ramen shop gives the classic ramen setting a cafe makeover. Art Masashiya is housed in a former Japanese kissaten (classic coffeeshop), so don’t be confused that it looks nothing like a ramen joint from the outside – or inside, for that matter. 

They pride themselves on their mineral-rich healthy broth, highest quality soy sauce from Shodoshima island, and home-made flavoured oil. The noodles are quite an experience too, as they are something between classic ramen noodles and Japanese soba noodles. Their triangle shaped fried egg topping is one of a kind too, accompanied by soft charsiu pork. 

Find Art Masashiya Ramen here via Google Maps

Just like a cafe, Art Masashiya only offers lunch, which is ramen. Don’t miss the lunch window, because this elusive shop is only open during lunch time (11:30 to 15:00). 

Read More: 15 Must-Read Asian Cookbooks – Make Ramen at Home!

Yaro Ramen

Yaro Ramen takes after the almost cult-like Jiro Ramen franchise. Both Jiro Ramen shops and Yaro Ramen make a delicious monster of a bowl, with piles of toppings that only big eaters can finish (the Megaton bowl is the biggest challenge).

It’s not that Yaro Ramen is only in Shibuya, but it is its most well-known location. Its huge yellow signboard is easy to spot, as well as the lines in front of it. 

There’s pork broth, miso, soy sauce – all the favourites. They also do tsukemen style (dipping), dried sardine broth, and all ramen-related side dishes. Then, they get a bit cheekier with ramen salads, sukiyaki ramen, curry with ramen toppings and other surprises on the menu. 

As in many ramen joints, you buy a meal ticket before sitting down. You eat at the counter, probably shoulder to shoulder with locals, which is a good thing for authenticity. It’s not like you would want to walk into a tourist trap? 

Also: Jiro fanboys, don’t get angry that Yaro is on the list. 

Find Yaro Ramen here via Google Maps

The ultimate comfort food, junk food, after-drinking hours food, food of the gods – whatever you want to call it. But we simply call it ramen. The more you eat it, the more you want it.

The more shops open, the more new styles of ramen they invent. So, take this list as a starting point, and keep exploring new ramen flavours until you find the best ramen in Shibuya.

Read More: Japanese Cookbooks for Inspiring Home Cooking

About the authour: Zoria is a neo-Tokyoite and loves all the obvious things: neon lights, coffee, cats, travelling. And concrete. Concrete wasn’t too obvious, was it? She’s a travel writer and photographer, as well as a published poet and her work has appeared in many languages.