Section
Food and Drink
26 stories
Japan Chain Restaurants: Where to Go for What You Want
16 Japanese chains matched to what you want to eat, from a ¥480 beef bowl to solo yakiniku and a free-toast breakfast. How to order at each one.
Most Beautiful Restaurants in Tokyo: Gardens, Views, History
Six of Tokyo's most beautiful places to eat: a garden kaiseki house, a 52nd-floor grill, a 1929 sukiyaki house, Edo-era dozeu. Prices, hours, booking.
Konbini Prices in Japan: 20 Items at 3 Chains (Oct 2026)
What onigiri, fried chicken, coffee and sandwiches cost at 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart in October 2026: 20 matched items from the chains' own sites.
Best Food in Kyoto: Where to Eat Beyond the Temple Circuit
Best food in Kyoto: Nishiki Market strategy, kaiseki vs casual, tofu and matcha, where to book, and how to eat well without wasting temple mornings.
Fushimi Sake District Guide: Kyoto's Sake Brewery Neighborhood
Fushimi is Kyoto's sake district: white-walled breweries, a canal boat and tastings a short ride from Fushimi Inari. How to spend an afternoon there.
Sake Tasting in Tokyo: Where to Go and What to Know
Where to taste sake in Tokyo, from a free information center to all-you-can-taste bars and a brewery day trip, plus the label words worth knowing.
Tsukiji and Toyosu Guide: Markets, Sushi, and What Tourists Should Know
Tsukiji Outer Market vs Toyosu for tourists — where to eat sushi, when to go, auction rules, and whether a food tour is worth it in 2026.
Best Tokyo Food Tours: Markets, Izakaya, and Sake (2026)
The best Tokyo food tours worth booking — Tsukiji and Toyosu markets, Shinjuku izakaya nights, and sake tastings — plus when to skip a tour and eat alone.
Vegetarian and Vegan Japan 2026: Honest Survival Guide
Fish dashi hides in “vegetable” dishes. Use HappyCow, a Japanese vegan card, confirmed shojin, and city-by-city tactics so plant-based Japan actually works.
How to Order at Ichiran: Tickets, Booths and Kaedama
How Ichiran works, step by step: the ticket machine, the vacant-seat board, the order sheet, the call button and ordering a noodle refill (kaedama).
Japan Cream Soda: Kissaten Melon Soda Floats Explained
Japanese cream soda is melon soda under vanilla ice cream, a kissaten classic with roots in Ginza soda fountains. Where it came from and what to order.
Japan Morning Service: The Kissaten Breakfast That Comes With Your Coffee
Morning service (モーニング) is Japan's kissaten breakfast deal: thick toast, egg and coffee, often until 11am. Born in Nagoya, still served in Tokyo.
Nomihodai: How All-You-Can-Drink Works in Japan
Nomihodai is all-you-can-drink for a fixed time, usually 90 or 120 minutes. The usual rules, what it costs, and when ordering by the glass is cheaper.
Tokyo Depachika: A Guide to Department Store Food Halls
Depachika are the food halls under Tokyo's department stores. The best ones, what to buy, how samples and evening discounts work, and where to eat it.
Tokyo's Most Talked-About New Restaurants in 2026
New in Tokyo in 2026: Smith & Wollensky in Ginza, Oxomoco at Roppongi Hills, Lenox House in Sangubashi, and the latest Michelin stars, Myojaku to Manoir.
Udon in Japan: Sanuki Udon and Where to Eat It
Kagawa Prefecture takes its udon seriously enough to be nicknamed Udon Prefecture. Here's what separates real Sanuki udon from the rest, and where to find it.
Best Breakfast in Tokyo: Toyosu Sushi, Pancakes, Kissaten
Where to eat breakfast in Tokyo: Japanese breakfast near Tsukiji, pancakes, kissaten morning sets, ¥150 konbini onigiri and hotel buffets, by area.
Best Tempura in Tokyo: Counters, Tendon and Old Shops
Tempura in Tokyo: Kondo in Ginza for vegetables, Mikawa Zezankyo for Edo-style seafood, Hachimaki for tendon, Tsunahachi in Shinjuku with no booking.
Best Yakitori in Tokyo: Birdland, Takahashi, Omoide Yokocho
Yakitori in Tokyo: Birdland's Okukuji shamo omakase in Ginza, Omoide Yokocho's alley stalls, and 410-yen Torikizoku. Where to go and how to order.
Best Ramen in Tokyo 2026 (Local Favorites by Style)
Tokyo ramen by style: shoyu at Tsuta, clam shio at Konjiki Hototogisu, tsukemen at Fuunji, niboshi at Nagi in Golden Gai, tonkotsu at Ichiran.
Hidden Tokyo Cafes: Old Kissaten and Quiet Coffee Shops
Tokyo coffee shops with history: Lion in Dogenzaka (since 1926), Café de l'Ambre in Ginza (1948), Chatei Hatou in Shibuya (1989), Yanaka and Jimbocho.
Osaka Food Guide: What to Eat and Where (2026)
Osaka is Japan's most food-obsessed city. Here is what to eat, where to find it, and why kuidaore is a way of life.
Best Izakaya in Tokyo: Where to Drink and Eat (2026)
Tokyo izakaya worth it: Andy’s Shin-Hinomoto under the Yurakucho tracks, Uoshin for fish, Ebisu and Omoide Yokocho for hopping, Torikizoku for cheap.
Japanese Food Guide: What to Eat in Japan (2026)
What to eat in Japan in 2026: ramen, sushi, yakitori, tempura, tonkatsu, izakaya, depachika, and regional specialties — from konbini onigiri to kaiseki.
Best Coffee in Tokyo: Kissaten and Specialty Cafes (2026)
Coffee in Tokyo: Fuglen and Little Nap by Yoyogi Park, Blue Bottle and Allpress in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, and the old kissaten Chatei Hatou and l'Ambre.
Best Sushi in Tokyo: From ¥100 Conveyor Belts to Omakase Counters
Sushi in Tokyo by budget: standing bars like Uogashi Nihon-ichi, Toyosu's Sushi Dai and Daiwa from 6am, and the top counters you can still book.