If you haven’t noticed already, food is everywhere in Japan. You can’t walk down the street without passing a ramen shop, konbini, or sushi-ya. However, one of my favorite parts of eating in Tokyo was the street food culture, found in festivals, public parks, and around major tourist destinations. Food vendors travel from place to place with traditional decorative stalls, and offer everything from chocolate covered bananas to squid on a stick.
Street food stalls near a temple in Kyoto
Like American street fare (i.e. funnel cakes and deep fried Oreos), Japanese street food tends to be pretty unhealthy. But who’s worrying about calories?! Certainly not me. Here’s a few of the most popular and delicious foods I tried, from temples and shrines in Kamakura to festivals in Minato-ku.
1. Takoyaki
Aka, the food of the gods. Takoyaki are little balls of pancake batter, filled with vegetables and chunks of octopus. Vendors make these delicious treats in a pan with half-dome indentations, and use metal chopsticks to form their round shape. They’re served drizzled with takoyaki sauce (like Worcestershire sauce), Japanese mayo (which is sweet and nothing like American mayo), dried seaweed, and katsuobushi (dried fish flakes).
A takoyaki stall in Asakusa. Isn’t that octopus cute??
Takoyaki are extremely popular at festivals, but they can be found at konbini and supermarkets too! Just don’t expect them to have the same delicious ooey gooeyness as the piping hot ones served in a takoyaki shop or in a fair.
Making takoyaki. This was at a restaurant in Osaka in the Dōtonbori, which is a street famous for its many takoyaki, ramen, and okonomiyaki restaurants.
2. Yakisoba
Traditional yakisoba, from a festival in Minato-ku, Tokyo.
Fried soba noodles with vegetables, usually served with dried seaweed and pickled ginger. It’s like a Japanese version of chow mein, and extremely satisfying.
Yakisoba can also come with a variety of different toppings. Here, I have a super delicious fried egg.
3. Yakitori
Nom nom nom. This is beef, from a yakitori stall in Kyoto.
Grilled meat (usually chicken) served on a stick. It’s easy to eat with one hand, and it’s a super popular drinking food. While there are entire bars and restaurants dedicated to serving yakitori, it’s a common staple in festivals as well.
4. Taiyaki
Murasaki imo (purple sweet potato) filling
A fish-shaped pancake with a sweet filling inside. Taiyaki are probably my favorite street food, as the possibilities for fillings are basically endless. I enjoyed taiyaki with chestnuts, chocolate crème, custard, red bean paste, purple sweet potato, and even ice cream. If you’re not into sweets, some taiyaki even come with a molten center of cheese.
This taiyaki from Kyoto had custard inside!
5. Kakigori
Ichigo (strawberry) kakigori
Japanese snow cones, or shaved ice with syrup. This is a particular favorite at summer festivals.
6. Wataame
Cotton candy! Unline the wataame I had, cotton candy usually comes prepackaged in brightly decorated bags. It’s the most popular with children, as the bags are decorated with characters from their favorite animes and TV shows.
7. Dango
A Japanese dumpling on a stick made from mochiko (rice flour). It’s similar to mochi, and is often served with a savory sweet and salty sauce. While dango are eaten year round, the type and variety of dango often depends on the seasons.
Dango stall in Kamakura
8. Jaga Bata
A grilled potato, served with butter. Sounds simple, but it’s incredibly delicious.
9. Dorayaki
Two sweet pancakes with a filling of azuki (red bean paste). They’re super delicious served warm, especially with a dollop of ice cream in the middle.
10. Hotate Bata Yaki
Scallops grilled in their shell with butter. These are insanely delicious if you’re willing to splurge a little on street food.
And finally…
11. Ika Yaki.
You thought I was lying about the squid on a stick, didn’t you? Here it is. A whole squid, skewered, grilled, and basted with a sweet barbeque-like sauce.
Yes, it has a face. Yes, I ate the face.
And yes, it was delicious and I would do it again.
How do these foods compare to the cuisine you find at festivals in your country? Thanks for reading, and I hope I got you ready for lunch!
Tokyo Trendy 
yum…I miss the octopus balls and squid….nothing like that here in the Adirondack Mountains
All of these look AMAZING and I want to try every single one. Except for the squid on the stick. I’ll just take your word on that one.
Question: With all these delicious foods readily available in Japan, why aren’t there some over-weight citizens? Or, are there some heavy weights?
Great question! When I was in Japan, I definitely saw people who were overweight. However, it was nothing like America (over 30% in the US, compared to 3% in Japan). Although I’m not an expert on this subject, the typical Japanese diet is a lot healthier than what we eat here on a daily basis. Rice, vegetables, and fish or lean protein is a typical meal.
While these street foods may not the healthiest foods in Japan, they’re also ones that aren’t eaten everyday. Just like you may enjoy a funnel cake or deep fried Twinkie only at fairs, you would probably indulge in dorayaki or wataame only once in a while.
If you’re interested in learning more about obesity rates in Japan, check out this article! http://www.ibtimes.com/japan-has-many-problems-obesity-isnt-one-them-1038090