Not an exhaustive list but these are some of the things I got the chance to try. I didn’t love everything I ate but I feel like if you’re visiting a foreign country, you might as well try it. As Andrew Zimmern would say, “If it looks good, eat it!”

1. Sushi – I feel like I probably didn’t need to say this one. Obviously, it is a must. Even if you are not a raw fish eater, you should still give it a try. The sushi in Japan is completely different from the Americanized sushi rolls that are fried and/or slathered in some kind of sauce. If you find the right restaurants in Japan, the fish will just melt in your mouth

   

   

   

2. Conveyor Belt Sushi – okay, so this one is more for the experience. Don’t get me wrong, the sushi is still better than most sushi you’ll find in the United States, but I feel like this is more for fun. There are actual conveyor belts that go around, and you grab the plates you want. They then calculate your total at the end. They also have the ones where you order what you want from an iPad, and the sushi is delivered to you on the conveyor belt, like Genki Sushi. The system knows which seat ordered it, so the food will stop directly in front of you

   

3. Uni (sea urchin) – opened right in front of you at Tsukiji Market

   

4. Ramen – I’m not talking about dried ramen you made in the hot water pot of your college dorm room, but REAL ramen. Fresh ramen. I’m not a huge fan of ramen but I still wanted to try it in Japan. Especially Ichiran, where you order, sit in these little semi-cubicles, the waiter opens a door in front of your table, gives you your food, and you never hear from them again (if you need something, you just ring the bell). I kind of loved this. I was able to stuff my face in peace

   

5. Takoyaki – balls of dough with little pieces of octopus inside with a sweet sauce and/or mayo drizzled on top. I’m not a huge fan of it because the octopus usually has a smoky taste, and on top of that, I feel like I’m just eating balls of dough

   

6. Omurice – omelette with fried rice. Supposedly, this originated in a western-style restaurant in Ginza, so I guess the name makes sense. Egg? GOOD. Fried rice? GOOD.

   

7. Waygu – Japanese cattle with a higher fat percentage. Yes, it is still expensive in Japan. Obviously not something you will eat everyday, but it’s totally worth it to try it at least once. Like good sushi, the beef almost just melts in your mouth
   

   Wagyu @ Tsukiji Market (before grilling)

   

   Wagyu @ Tsukiji Market (after grilling)
8. Gyoza – once you’ve had this, you will not want to go back to the bags of dumplings in your freezer. These are pan-fried to perfection; perfectly crispy on the outer layer, but the inner layer has a nice, chewy bite to it

   

9. Okonomiyaki – pancake made of flour, grated yam, and cabbage as the base, and other things such as pork belly, seafood, or other veggies. Okonomi = what you like; Yaki = cooked. So really, anything goes

   

10. Udon – thick wheat-flour noodles, typically served in dashi broth. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try an udon specialty restaurant. But I did try it at one of the conveyor belt spots, and even that was better than most of the udon I’ve had in the States.

    

11. Tempura – deep-fried seafood or vegetables. Let’s face it – anything fried is good
12. Chicken Karaage – fried chicken

    

13. Curry – this is very different than the super spicy Indian curry. Japanese curry is a bit sweeter. It’s typically served with some breaded cutlet (pork or chicken), with some veggies, over rice. Curry House CoCo ICHIBANYA is a popular chain for some casual curry dishes

    

14. Yakitori/kushiyaki – grilled meat on a stick. Yakitori is specifically chicken, and kushiyaki is pretty much anything else skewered

    

15. Unagi (eel) – I’m normally not a fan of eel, but just like almost all of the other foods I’ve listed, it tastes completely different here. The texture is firmer and it tastes fresher than in the States

    

16. Donburi – rice bowl with fish or meat

    

17. MOS Burger – fast food burger joint. It stands for Mountain Ocean Sun and is the second largest fast food franchise in Japan, after McDonald’s

    

18. Grated Yam – typically eaten with rice. It was a very interesting texture. And by interesting, I mean slimy and gooey. Not my cup of tea. Plus, I didn’t really think it tasted like yams at all

    

19. Natto – fermented soybeans. Similar to grated yam, this is served with rice and has a lot of the same textures as grated yam. Again, not for me
20. Matcha – green tea anything and everything

    

21. Totoro cream puff from Shirohige’s – okay so this one is oddly specific but if you are a Totoro fan, this one is a must
    

    Totoro Cream Puffs @ Shirohige’s in Setagaya

    
22. Kit Kat – there are so many different (an unusual flavors) in Japan that you probably won’t even get to try them all. There are stores dedicated to selling these. You can even create your own. But a good place to buy them at a reasonable price is Don Quijote
23. Mochi – rice cake where rice is pounded into a shape, and then molded into its desired shape. Sure, you’ve had mochi ice cream from the Asian supermarket, or even from Trader Joe’s. But this is completely different. The mochi is so soft and fresh and should be eaten immediately
    

    Strawberry mochi @ Tsukiji Market

    

    Matcha Mochi @ Nishiki Market
24. Taiyaki – fish-shaped cakes with filling. The most popular filling is red bean but other variations include custard, or chocolate

    

25. Highball – typically made with Japanese whisky or shochu with various mixers (oolong tea is a popular one)

    

26. Sapporo/Kirin/Asahi – get a pint of either of these on draft. It’s so refreshing, especially with some bar food (i.e. gyozo, yakitori, etc.)
27. Sake – self-explanatory
28. Seven-Eleven or Lawson’s – the convenience stores in Japan are not like the ones in the United States. The ones in Japan actually have some good food
29. Train Station food – this sounds odd. But underground, there are actually a ton of shops, cafes, and restaurants since the train system in Japan is so huge. Grab a bento box and a beer for the train ride, and you will be good to go

    

30. Department Store food – another weird one. But a lot of the department stores have a food section and/or supermarket in the basement. We tried some of the sushi to go here and it was pretty good
31. McDonald’s – one of my favorite things to try in other countries. They had an ebi (shrimp burger) here, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and a chicken teriyaki burger, which was meh since it was soaked in sauce
    

    Teriyaki burger

    

    Ebi burger