Like most countries, Japan also has its share of street foods. However, Japanese street food is not much heard of. The reason may be connected to Japanese food etiquette; certainly, there are certain expectations when you go for, say, a sushi lunch – although these are not so important if the restaurant is not in Japan itself. You must have heard more about Thai and Taiwanese street food but not about their Japanese counterparts. Traditionally in Japan, eating on the streets is not considered appropriate behavior. With the influx of foreigners to the cities of Japan, tabe-aruki meaning ‘eating while strolling’ is gaining rapid acceptance.

However, Japanese street food is also growing in popularity, thanks to tourism, easy connectivity, and of course delicious-looking food blogs and stock photos that pop up on computer screens!

Here is a list of Japan’s specialty street food dishes you don’t want to miss.

Yakitori

Yakitori is a popular street food mostly because it is easy to eat. This dish consists of small pieces of grilled chicken prepared on a charcoal fire. They are served in bamboo or metal skewers. You can find versions of Yakitori that are salty or salty-sweet.

Some of the skewered chicken may also be flavored with Asian favorite wasabi, black pepper, cayenne pepper, or Japanese pepper. This is one of the most popular Japanese street foods and you will find small shops that dedicatedly sell Yakitori. They are known as Yakitori-ya in Japan. You can also enjoy this dish dry or with sauce at small roadside pubs and take-out restaurants.

Did imagining Yakitori entering your mouth with all its’ aromatic flavors, made you salivate? Are you already wondering where to find such yummy, authentic Japanese food outside of Japan? Then, Los Angeles Japanese Food may prove to be your saviour. Interestingly, they not only deal in Yakitori, but most of the food items you will come across, in this blog. You might save the names and check them on their website or any similar website that delivers at your location.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a representative of Osaka’s food culture and true street food of Japan. It’s a gooey little ball-shaped sweet and savory snack made with chopped octopus, tempura pieces, pickled ginger, and green onion covered with wheat flour batter. These balls are cooked in specially molded pans. When eating on the streets, you will be served Takoyaki with a sweet and savory sauce accompanied with Japanese mayonnaise, green laver, and bonito flakes. The ease of eating Takoyaki on the streets or while on move makes Takoyaki one of the most popular Japanese street foods.

Okonomiyaki

Often compared with pizza, Okonomiyaki is often called the ‘Japanese pizza’. However, okonomiyaki resembles more of a pancake. The name of this food can be literally translated into ‘grilled as you like it’. That explains Okonomiyaki well because you can fill it with ingredients that you fancy most. Some of the most popular fillers used in Okonomiyaki are chicken, bacon, cheese, squid, and almost any vegetable. At the core sits shredded cabbage bound by a loose batter. This ‘Osaka soul food’ especially popular in Osaka and Hiroshima is delicious and suits the taste of Japanese people as well as westerners. The traditional toppings used in Okonomiyaki are chuno sauce, something like a thicker version of a sweet Worcestershire sauce, bonito flakes, and kewpie mayonnaise. However, to suit your taste this food can also be had with Thai chili sauce, Sriracha, or even ketchup.

Oden

One of Japan’s most favorite winter cart foods is Oden. It is a convenient one-pot dish consisting of fish, eggs, tofu, vegetables like yam cake, radish, and konnyaku. Everything is simmered in a soy-flavored dashi broth seasoned with traditional ingredients. This stewed dish is a comfort food during the chilly winter months.

Those who have never tried it before may find it intimidating with a large variety of ingredients. If you want to take a look at how the dish appears, check out some stock photos and food images to get a fair idea. But don’t go by appearance, the savory dish is mouth-watering. The traditionally prepared steaming broth is one of the best street foods to keep your body warm during winter.

Dango

Dango is a simple, yet extremely popular street food in Japan. This snack food consists of skewered rice dumplings that are prepared from uruchi and glutinous rice flour. They are a little chewy and have a mochi-like consistency. You can find them covered in different types of sweet-savory glazes and coatings.

Some of the popular versions of Dango are – mitarashi dango (sweet and savory soy sauce and sugar coating),

Hanami Dango (a three-colored version of dango), Anko dango (dipped in red bean paste), and Kinako Dango (covered with roasted soy flour).

Karaage

Karaage is something similar to American popcorn chicken and Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken. The difference is, instead of cornstarch and flour, the Japanese version of the fried chicken is dipped in potato starch before deep-frying. They are also sometimes flavored with ginger and garlic.

Korokke

Korokke is closely related to a croquette. Korokke is a breaded and deep-fried patty. It is not traditional Japanese food but was introduced in Japan by the French in the late 19th century. The filling consists of different kinds of chopped vegetables, meat, seafood, and mashed potato. The patty is dipped in eggs and rolled in wheat flour and panko breadcrumbs. It’s then fried to a golden brown Korokke. It is easy to carry away this Japanese street food. However, the inside can be gooey sometimes, covered by the crispy flaky external layer.

Other than these, Ramen, Senbei, Bento, Yaki imo (woodfire baked sweet potatoes), Kushiten (skewered fish cake), are some of Japan’s must-try street foods.