Japanese Street Food

Takoyaki

Perhaps the most quintessential Japanese street food is takoyaki: fried octopus balls. These delicious spheres of tentacles and fresh batter originated in Osaka and today can be found all over the country. Served up golden, the takoyaki are topped with mayonnaise or other sweet sauces, pickled ginger, fish flakes, or a variety of other toppings, and eaten on the spot.

Yakisoba

If you're looking for Japanese comfort food, it's hard to think of something better than yakisoba. Simply meaning "fried noodles," yakisoba is a common side dish for meals, but you'll find it as a main course on the street. The wheat noodles are fried with vegetables and pork and served on a plate, or, in the dish yakisoba-pan, in a hot dog bun.

Okonomiyaki

While the Japanese seem to be crazy about sweet crepes (and anything French, for that matter), Japan has their own version of a savory pancake that packs a powerful punch. Another Osaka-born food, okonomiyaki is a savory pancake made with cabbage and filled with anything from seafood to vegetables to eggs to meat. The proper way to serve it is topped with sweet sauces like mayonnaise, pickled ginger, fish flakes, or a variety of other toppings.

Ramen

A bowl of ramen is one of the best things to eat on the cheap in Japanese restaurants, and it's even cheaper on the street. A far cry from what most North Americans would consider to be ramen, Japanese ramen typically includes a rich, meat- or fish-based broth, sometimes flavored with miso, and the eponymous curly wheat noodles, often topped with thin slices of meat or fish and vegetables.

Yakitori

Get ready to feast on some of the most succulent chicken on a stick you've ever tasted in your life. Yakitori, consisting of different parts of chicken grilled on skewers and served piping hot, is usually the fare of izakaya (Japanese pubs), you'll find it on the street on occasion as well. It could be anything from simple white meat to chicken gizzards or intestines. Take a bite and remind yourself that the Japanese wouldn't be eating it if it weren't delicious.

In a country where the cuisine is this outstanding, it's no surprise that Japan's street food is so good. You'll undoubtedly leave Japan with innumerable memories, but perhaps your culinary experience will evoke the most nostalgic memories of all.