Food · Tokyo · Japan
What to eat in Tokyo
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Tokyo, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Sushi, Ramen and Tsukemen. The basement food floors of department stores such as Isetan Shinjuku and Mitsukoshi Ginza sell bento, wagashi, flawless fruit and prepared dishes; near closing time many items are discounted. Many ramen shops and casual restaurants use ticket machines at the entrance: pay first, then hand the ticket to the staff.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Sushi
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 2
- Tipping
- Tipping is not part of Japanese culture and is usually politely refused.
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Dish
1.Sushi
Tokyo is the home of Edomae sushi, originally made with fish from Tokyo Bay: hand-pressed rice topped with tuna, shellfish or cured fish, brushed with soy by the chef. Options range from conveyor-belt shops to counters serving a set omakase course.
Where: Conveyor-belt chains for value, Tsukiji Outer Market for breakfast, and reservation-only counters in Ginza for omakase.
Dish
2.Ramen
Tokyo-style ramen is a clear soy-sauce (shoyu) broth with curly noodles, roast pork (chashu), bamboo shoots and nori, but every style from rich pork-bone tonkotsu to miso is easy to find.
Where: Ramen shops near every major station, often ordered by ticket machine; Tokyo Station has a dedicated Ramen Street.
Dish
3.Tsukemen
Thick, chewy noodles served separately for dipping into a concentrated pork-and-fish broth; at the end, ask for hot soup to thin the remaining dip and drink it.
Where: Specialist tsukemen shops around Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Tokyo Station.
Dish
4.Tempura
Seafood and vegetables in an ultra-light batter, fried in front of you at a counter and eaten piece by piece with salt or a dipping sauce with grated daikon.
Where: Tempura counters in Ginza and Asakusa, and tendon (tempura rice bowl) chains for a cheaper lunch.
Dish
5.Monjayaki
Tokyo's runny cousin of okonomiyaki: chopped cabbage and toppings fried on a hotplate at your table, with a thin batter poured into the middle, eaten crisp straight off the griddle with tiny spatulas.
Where: Monja Street in Tsukishima, near Tsukishima Station, lined with monjayaki restaurants.
Street food
6.Yakitori
Skewers of chicken — thigh, meatballs (tsukune), skin, hearts — grilled over charcoal and seasoned with salt or a sweet soy tare, the classic food to go with beer.
Where: Smoky alleys such as Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku and the bars under the railway arches at Yurakucho.
Dish
7.Soba
Buckwheat noodles served cold on a bamboo mat with a dipping sauce (zaru soba) or hot in broth. Soba shops dating back to the Edo period are part of Tokyo's food heritage.
Where: Long-established soba shops in Kanda and Asakusa, and stand-up soba counters in stations.
Dish
8.Tonkatsu
A thick pork cutlet coated in panko breadcrumbs, deep-fried and served with shredded cabbage, rice, miso soup and a sweet-savoury sauce.
Where: Specialist tonkatsu restaurants across the city, many with good-value lunch sets.
Dish
9.Grilled eel (Unagi)
Freshwater eel grilled over charcoal with a sweet soy glaze and served on rice (unadon or unaju), traditionally eaten for stamina in midsummer.
Where: Specialist unagi restaurants, some run by the same family for generations, around Asakusa and Nihonbashi.
Snack · Vegetarian
10.Ningyo-yaki
Small sponge cakes filled with sweet red-bean paste, baked in moulds shaped like the Seven Lucky Gods, lanterns or pagodas.
Where: Stalls along Nakamise-dori in Asakusa and shops in Ningyocho.
Snack
11.Onigiri
Rice balls wrapped in nori with fillings such as salmon, pickled plum (umeboshi) or tuna mayonnaise. Convenience-store versions use clever packaging to keep the seaweed crisp.
Where: 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart convenience stores, and specialist onigiri shops.
Drink · Vegetarian
12.Matcha
Powdered green tea whisked to a froth and served with a small sweet (wagashi) to balance its bitterness. Matcha also flavours ice cream, lattes and pastries across the city.
Where: Teahouses in gardens such as Hama-rikyu, and tea specialists in Ginza and Asakusa.
Food experiences
Depachika food halls
The basement food floors of department stores such as Isetan Shinjuku and Mitsukoshi Ginza sell bento, wagashi, flawless fruit and prepared dishes; near closing time many items are discounted.
Yokocho alley dining
Tiny bars and grills packed into narrow alleys such as Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku and Ebisu Yokocho serve skewers and beer shoulder to shoulder with locals.
Izakaya evenings
Japanese pubs serve small shared plates — sashimi, karaage fried chicken, grilled fish, edamame — with beer, sake or highballs, and many add a small seating charge that comes with a starter (otoshi).
Breakfast at Tsukiji
Bowls of fresh sashimi on rice (kaisendon) and grilled seafood skewers at the outer market make one of the city's great breakfasts.
Quick bites and street food
- Yakitori — Smoky alleys such as Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku and the bars under the railway arches at Yurakucho.
- Ningyo-yaki — Stalls along Nakamise-dori in Asakusa and shops in Ningyocho.
- Onigiri — 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart convenience stores, and specialist onigiri shops.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 2 are usually vegetarian: Ningyo-yaki and Matcha. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many ramen shops and casual restaurants use ticket machines at the entrance: pay first, then hand the ticket to the staff.
- Saying 'Itadakimasu' before eating and 'Gochisōsama deshita' as you leave is appreciated.
- Slurping noodles is normal, but never stand chopsticks upright in rice or pass food from chopstick to chopstick.
- Popular sushi counters and restaurants need booking well ahead; queueing outside is normal at ramen shops.
- Carry some cash: cards are increasingly accepted, but small shops and stalls may still take cash only.
Tipping
Tipping is not part of Japanese culture and is usually politely refused. Service charges appear only in some high-end restaurants and hotels.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Konnichiwa | Hello |
| Arigatō gozaimasu | Thank you very much |
| Sumimasen | Excuse me / sorry |
| Kore o kudasai | This one, please |
| O-kaikei onegaishimasu | The bill, please |
| Eigo no menyū wa arimasu ka? | Do you have an English menu? |
| Itadakimasu | Said before eating |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Tokyo famous for?
Sushi, Ramen, Tsukemen and Tempura. Tokyo is the home of Edomae sushi, originally made with fish from Tokyo Bay: hand-pressed rice topped with tuna, shellfish or cured fish, brushed with soy by the chef.
+Is Tokyo good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Ningyo-yaki and Matcha.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Tokyo?
Tipping is not part of Japanese culture and is usually politely refused. Service charges appear only in some high-end restaurants and hotels.