Tokyo’s Global Gourmet Scene

Article written by Yoshiaki Maekawa

What Are Tokyo’s Popular Foods?

If you’ve ever been to Tokyo, you’ll understand the surprise at just how many restaurants there are. In major cities in the United States, there are many fast-food chains, but in Japan, there are countless independently run restaurants that offer delicious food at reasonable prices. So, in a city like Tokyo, what do Japanese people like to eat?

My Favorite Tokyo Gourmet Foods

My favorite Japanese foods include tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), sushi, soba (buckwheat noodles), oden (stewed dishes), Japanese-style Western food, tempura, eel, udon (wheat noodles), and donburi (rice bowls). Many of these dishes are served at long-established restaurants that have existed since the Edo period, which highlights the depth of Japan’s culinary culture.

During the Edo period, Tokyo was a city of samurai. Daimyo (feudal lords) from all over Japan came to Edo as part of the sankin-kotai system. These samurai often traveled alone, accompanying their lords. Moreover, since most Edo residences were wooden and fires were common, there was a shortage of labor such as carpenters.

As a result, young single men came from all over the country seeking work. Street food stalls serving sushi, tempura, and eel satisfied the appetites of these hungry young men. In addition, standing bars for drinking sake (kakuuchi) evolved into izakaya (Japanese-style pubs). Many izakaya that have existed since the Edo period are still operating in Tokyo today.

The oldest izakaya is said to be Toshimaya, established in 1596 in Kanda-Nishikicho. Considered the root of the modern izakaya, this establishment has closed and reopened several times over the centuries, and in 2020 it was revived as a combined sake shop and standing bar.

Japanese Culture and Japanese Food

Japanese culture is often described as a “mille-feuille” culture. Cultures and religions from around the world have been introduced over thousands of years, blending together to form the foundations of Japanese culture and creating a unique identity.

Many of the dishes now considered Japanese actually have origins abroad. For example: spaghetti napolitan (Italy), teriyaki burger (USA), nanban-zuke (Portugal), tempura (Portugal), curry rice (India), croquettes (France).

Japanese people have grown up eating these dishes, making them what is often called “Japanese soul food.” Moreover, with international travel becoming cheaper and easier, even more foreign restaurants have opened. In Tokyo, you can find restaurants offering Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Cambodian, Tibetan, Greek, Croatian, Egyptian, Spanish, Israeli, Uzbek, Ethiopian, and Nordic cuisines. There are also African and South American restaurants in Tokyo.

Japanese Sweets

Tokyo is also a paradise for those with a sweet tooth. Traditional Japanese sweets—wagashi, dango (dumplings), senbei (rice crackers) —are available at long-established shops that have operated for hundreds of years in old-town areas like Nihonbashi, Kanda, and Ningyocho.

You can also enjoy street treats like taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes), imagawayaki (filled pancakes), and warabi mochi (bracken-starch jelly). In the basement food halls of major department stores— commonly known as depachika —there are long lines for wagashi, Western-style sweets, and bakeries. Depachika are a uniquely Japanese cultural phenomenon.

Everyone should take the opportunity to casually enjoy cuisine and drinks from around the world while exploring Tokyo.