14 Absolute Best Street Foods You'd Find In Japan

Sampling Japan's street food is a fantastic way to explore the island nation's culinary scene. It also allows you to experience some of the most popular Japanese dishes without breaking the budget. I moved to Japan when I was seven, so many of these street foods played starring roles in my youth. My childhood was full of festivals at which the cultural origins are fuzzy, but I clearly remember the foods we sampled. I also have fond memories of spending weekends at our neighborhood park, where we ordered steaming plates of noodles and grilled delicacies on a stick. This upbringing has inspired my education in international studies and continued work in understanding culture and history through the lens of food. 

Japan's street food culture dates back centuries. Yatai (simple, wooden street food carts) have served food on Japanese streets since the 1600s. However, these carts drew inspiration from a period even earlier than that: food stalls outside of Buddhist temples as early as the 5^th century. Today, yatai are incredibly common across the country, and sell soups, noodles, and grilled foods on sticks, among other local delicacies. You might notice that many street foods include the "yaki" in the name. This word usually means to be grilled or fried, which are common ways to cook food on the streets.

You can explore cities like Tokyo and Osaka which are renowned for streets dedicated to street food. Or, check out food carts at parks, local markets, and festivals. You'll see why Japan's street food culture continues to grow and excite foodies. Foods can be found in their most traditional forms, while modern, creative spins on beloved classics reflect contemporary culinary trends. 

From kebabs in Turkey to arrosticini in Italy, grilled meat on a stick is a common concept worldwide. Japan's answer to a kebab-like dish is yakitori. Although this popular street food is commonly associated with chicken, and literally means roasted bird, it can also be made with other meats like beef and pork. 

Yakitori has a rich history. While the street food's exact origins aren't entirely clear, some records agree that street stalls started selling yakitori in the 1880s and 1890s. At the time, chicken was a prized commodity so instead, yakitori was made by grilling the remains and innards of the chicken on a stick. Over time, an entire culture has grown around yakitori, as this type of grilled cooking has been popularized. Beyond chicken and other meats, vegetables, fish, and tofu are all available.

Skewers of meat or veggies are brushed with a sweet soy sauce-based marinade. The exact yakitori sauce varies, but at its base, it's typically a blend of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and brown sugar. Although there are now entire restaurants dedicated to the art of yakitori, these grilled skewers remain a top choice of food from the street. Don't hesitate to order a Sapporo as well, as these pair dangerously well with a beer or two.

Ordering a steaming plate of yakisoba from the street food cart at Negishi Park was one of my favorite traditions growing up in Yokohama. Yakisoba is Japan's version of stir-fried noodles. Although it shares similarities with chow mein, yakisoba has a distinct flavor that's tangier than the Chinese dish. It's believed that the dish originated post-WWII around the 1950s. At the time, flour was an expensive commodity, so the noodles were supplemented with cabbage, which was a cheap addition to increase the volume of the dish, and seasoned with soy sauce.

Since its humble beginnings several decades ago, yakisoba has evolved. Soba noodles are tossed in a tangy sauce made from soy sauce, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Cabbage remains a main ingredient, while other veggies like carrots, onions, bell peppers, and bean sprouts are now added into the mix. Today, Yakisoba recipes also commonly include meat such as thinly sliced pork and chicken, or seafood like shrimp and squid. Yakisoba can be topped with garnishes like shredded pickled ginger, seaweed or seaweed powder (nori/aornori), and fish flakes.

This easy-to-make dish is served both on and off the street and is a common find at street carts. A steaming plate of yakisoba is hard to beat. But you may also want to sample some of its more creative variations such as yakisoba-pan (a hot dog bun stuffed with yakisoba) or omusoba (an omelet stuffed with yakisoba).

Okonomiyaki can best be described as a grilled, savory cabbage pancake and is among the most popular of Osaka's street food specialties. The name of the dish literally translates to "to one's liking." As it suggests, it has dozens of variations, which can be adapted for different palates, vegetarians, seafood lovers, and carnivores alike.

At its simplest, okonomiyaki is made from a batter of flour, tempura scraps (tenkasu), eggs, and grated yam, which is mixed with shredded cabbage. This forms a base that is highly variable and often made into a much more elaborate creation. Shrimp and squid are frequent additions to the batter. Another common twist is to add strips of pork belly on top of the pancake while it is grilling.

Topping the grilled okonomiyaki is the final, and perhaps the most fun, step. This, too, is highly variable. Popular toppings include okonomiyaki sauce, an umami-rich sweet concoction that can be bought in the store or made with oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and ketchup. Japanese mayonnaise, dried seaweed, bonito flakes, kimchi, mushrooms, veggies, and shiso leaves, are just a few of the other additions that can be made to this filling, delicious dish. If you're feeling adventurous, okonomiyaki can be fun to try in your home kitchen. 

Once a specialty reserved for the wealthy and elite, kakigori is now a popular summer treat enjoyed across Japan. Its origins date back to roughly the 8^th century, though only became more widespread around the 19^th century when ice was more commonly available thanks to advancing technology. July 25^th is even celebrated as Kakigori Day. Records suggest that the first official shop dedicated to selling kakigori opened in Yokohama in 1869 and ever since, has become a favorite summer treat.

The refreshing dessert is made by shaving ice into delicate flakes. The bowl of finely shaved ice is topped with flavored syrup, fresh fruit, and other sweet toppings, such as sweetened condensed milk, ice cream, or yoghurt. Melon, mango, matcha, and strawberry are popular flavors used in kakigori. However, kakigori shops have dreamt up some inventive creations, from flavors like avocado and fig to alcohol-infused shaved ice. The refreshing dessert is seasonal and perfect for staying cool on hot summer days.

This fish-shaped street food is a beloved sweet snack and dessert found at festivals and street food stalls across Japan. The cake is shaped like tai, Japanese sea bream, which is a fish that has strong cultural significance in Japan and reflects the country's connection to the sea. Tai is eaten during celebrations such as New Year's. There's even a sea bream festival in Toyohama. While taiyaki are believed to have first been sold as street food in the early 1900s, its origins date back to imagawayaki, popular in the 1700s. These were round cakes filled with bean curd that morphed from circular to fish-shaped over the centuries.

Today, taiyaki is a popular dessert across Japan, and beyond. The cake varies from a soft, thicker pancake to a thin and crisp, wafer-like style cake. To make the fish-shaped dessert, taiyaki molds are filled with batter. Once cooked to golden perfection, the fish-shaped cakes are stuffed with various fillings. Red bean paste, a popular filling for pastries in Japan, custard, chocolate, and matcha, are among some of the choices.

Taiyaki's popularity has also evolved into other dessert variations, namely with ice cream. The fish-shaped cake is used as the base, like a cone, then topped with soft-serve ice cream. Ice cream flavors can be traditional like vanilla and chocolate, or flavors inspired by Japanese cuisine, including black sesame and matcha. These highly-photographable desserts can be topped with things like sprinkles, mochi, and M&Ms.

Sometimes simply called octopus balls, Takoyaki made its way onto Japan's street food scene around 1935. These round dumplings originated in Osaka and eventually spread to other areas of Japan. Gaining popularity over the years, Takoyaki now dominates Japan's street food scene and can be found at food festivals and yatai carts across the country. These octopus-filled dumplings can also be found in dedicated shops and at supermarkets and convenience stores.

I have a distinct memory of being a kid at a festival somewhere in Japan and grabbing some food to try with my family. I bit into a delicious-looking snack and to my horror, it was filled with octopus. My culinary palate at the time wasn't nearly as adventurous as it is now.

Takoyaki is made from a wheat-based batter, which is filled with diced octopus, green onion, pickled ginger, and tempura scraps, known as tenkasu. The batter is cooked in a special molded cast iron pan that creates small ball-shaped dumplings. Once cooked until golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, drizzle the dumplings with Takoyaki sauce (a sweet and tangy sauce made from soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and vinegar). Other toppings like mayonnaise and dried bonito (tuna) flakes put the finishing touch on these tasty snacks.

Some of Japan's street food can be found year-round, while other dishes are more seasonal. Nikuman, or steamed meat-filled buns, are a winter specialty in Japan. These share a lot in common with some of the buns found at dim sum restaurants, and for good reason. Originally called Chukaman (meaning Chinese buns), Nikuman was introduced to Japan by the Chinese around the 1920s.

The base of nikuman is a flour dough, which is filled with various ingredients. Pork is the most common of these, but nikuman can also be filled with curried beef, red bean paste, and even tomato sauce and cheese for a pizza-style bun. The fluffy buns are steamed on a bamboo steamer at the street vendor, making them an easy-to-grab snack for the go. Exclusively found from the fall until the early spring, nikuman is a snack best enjoyed piping hot and steaming when you bite into the soft, flavorful bun.

This popular street food's name tells you exactly what you're going to get. Ikayaki, which originated in Osaka, translates to "grilled squid"– ika meaning squid and yaki meaning grilled. And if you order ikayaki from a street cart in Japan, you'll get just that: grilled squid on a stick. A common find at festivals in Japan, ikayaki is a must-try for the more adventurous eaters. Ikayaki can come as a whole squid on a stick or as rings cut from the body. The squid is brushed with soy sauce and grilled to chewy perfection. 

If eating squid from a stick doesn't quite do it for you, you may want to sample another, less common version of ikayaki. Also originating in Osaka, the secondary version of ikayaki is more or less a squid pancake. This regional specialty is a crepe made from chopped squid mixed into batter, which is then grilled between iron plates. The squid pancake is drizzled with the Worcestershire-style sauce that is common on many Japanese dishes. This version is quick to cook, making it a convenient snack to grab from the street or beach.

In its simplest form, dango is a dumpling that can be made from different types of rice flour. The dough is formed into ball-shaped dumplings sweetened with sugar and syrup, among other things, and served on a stick with three to five balls. Dango is sometimes compared to the perhaps more well-known Japanese dessert, mochi. Although they share similarities, mochi is traditionally only made with pounded rice.

While you're eating your way through the streets of Japan, you may notice many different types of dango. These names refer to the different sweeteners and seasonings used, many of which are seasonal variations. Hanami dango, for example, is a tri-colored dango sold during Sakura season. The pink, white, and green-colored dumplings reflect the order in which cherry blossoms bloom. Another is tsukimi dango, made white and round to resemble the moon and served during the tsukimi festival, which celebrates the autumn moon.

More year-round flavors include anko dango, in a sweetened red bean paste, and cha dango, a green, matcha-flavored version. Most dango are sweet and best enjoyed with green tea. However, you can also find savory variations of these rice balls. Shoyu dango is an option incorporating classic Japanese flavors. This baked dango is seasoned with shoyu (soy sauce).

Few things are a more perfect remedy for a chilly day than a steaming snack from a street vendor. Yaki Imo is a beloved cold-weather street food in Japan that is thought to have been around since the Edo era in the late 1700s. This simple and delicious dish is made by roasting Japanese sweet potatoes on a hot stone.

Locally known as satsumaimo, this sweet potato variety has red-purple skin with a white interior that turns yellow when cooked. Satsumaimo is sweet with a subtle nutty flavor that turns delectably fluffy when roasted correctly. No butter or salt is needed to enhance the naturally flavorful sweet potatoes.

Yaki Imo has traditionally been sold from small trucks where they are slow-roasted on hot stone. A steaming yaki imo wrapped in newspaper is a favorite, old-school treat sold during the autumn and winter seasons in Japan. The steamy sweet potato warms you from the inside out as you bite into the crispy skin and sweet, caramelized inside.

A quick and easy snack to grab on the go, korokke is often likened to a French croquette. These deep-fried patties have a crunchy exterior and soft, creamy interior, with several varieties. There are two traditional filling options, mashed potatoes or cream sauce, that are usually served with the Worcestershire-style sauce served with many of Japan's dishes.

Potato korokke are shaped into a flat patty and commonly have other ingredients cooked in for flavor, such as ground meat and onions, vegetables, and curry. Cream korokke are more cylindrical in shape and are filled with a thick cream sauce. Crab, corn, and shrimp are popular variations of cream korokke.

Korokke is often sold as a side dish as an accompaniment to a meal in a sit-down restaurant. They are also available at Japan's infamous convenience shops and from street food carts. These fried snacks are a tasty option for a quick bite on the go.

While it might not initially be as appealing as a plate of steaming noodles or a stick of grilled meat, shioyaki is a perfect entry into some of the more unusual sides of Japanese cuisine. In this case, shioyaki literally translates to a cooking technique (shio means salt and yaki means grilling). In the case of shioyaki street food, fresh fish is prepared with salt, left overnight or for several hours to allow the salt to be absorbed, and then grilled.

From mackerel to salmon, sea bream to saba, shioyaki can be prepared with a variety of types of fish. Shioyaki is served both at restaurants and at street food carts. Ayu is a common choice to use for the street food version of shioyaki. This small fish is the perfect size for skewering whole. Its naturally sweet flavor complements the salt to make for a sweet and salty dish. Look out for these skewered fish at summer festivals, and don't let the face looking back at you deter you from trying one of Japan's beloved street eats.

Japan has plenty of one-pot dishes. Oden is among those. The term oden can mean several things in the world of Japanese cuisine but when it comes to the street food version of oden, it refers to a mixture of ingredients boiled together in a pot of broth. Classic oden will include fish cakes and vegetables. This version of boiled oden is rumored to have its origins around the late 19^th century or early 20^th century when a mix of ingredients was boiled together. The result? A tasty dashi soup that is easy to serve streetside. And if you're wondering what exactly dashi is, it's a stock rich in umami flavor that is used in many Japanese dishes. 

Oden boils down to two main components: the broth and the ingredients that go in it. Chikuwa (a type of fish cake), daikon (Japanese radish), hard-boiled eggs, tofu, and root vegetables are common additions to the pot. What goes in the dish varies by region. On the street, you'll see carts with big vats of broth divided into sections each with unique ingredients. Enjoy the soaked ingredients with a steaming broth during the cold seasons as a cozy treat.

Kare pan is a chewy, crispy bun filled with a savory curry filling, and is one of Japan's favorite pastries. As a kid growing up in Japan, I learned the hard way that many of Japan's bakeries specialize in pastries filled with savory ingredients that are unusual to Western palates. My picky tastebuds were not always thrilled to bite into a delicious-looking baked good to discover it was not filled with chocolate or cream, but rather with red bean paste or curry. 

Kare Pan translates to curry bread in Japanese. This popular snack is made from bread dough filled with a Japanese curry, usually made with meat. It also has one more defining feature: it's deep-fried. The filled pastries are covered in Japanese-style panko crumbs and fried until the pastries are golden brown and crispy.

Thanks to its popularity, kare pan is also sold at convenience stores and grocery stores. However, to experience these savory donut-like treats at their best, enjoy them freshly made. Any time of day, kare pan is a perfect, quick snack on the go.