Are you looking to experience some weird foods in Japan? You’re on the right page! Below are 9 strange food in Japan you can track down, eat and tell a pretty unique story afterward.

As you’ll see, some of these foods aren’t completely unique to Japan, but you’ll be surprised how common some can be found, while shocks the delicacy is a thing – sea urchin (or Uni) for one!

And no, we won’t be covering ramen or sushi – we are talking truly unique food from Japan here.

This is a guest post by the writer of Luxury on Points travel website, and you can find more information about their style of travel in the bio at the bottom of this article.

For now, let’s get into the 9 points on unique food in Japan – Beyond Sushi and Ramen: The Most Unusual and Delicious Foods in Japan

 

9 weird foods in Japan to try

 Everyone knows Japan has great sushi and ramen. But one of the biggest culture shocks in Japan for me was the variety and amazing-ness of all the other food there. For sure, sushi and ramen are incredible. I hope you also take advantage of all the weird foods in Japan I’m going to describe here, though: It’s delicious and worth the culture shock in Japan.

 

1. Uni

Pronounced – “ooh-nee”

What it is: Sea urchin – The spiky creatures in the sea!

Why you should try it: Uni looks really scary. It definitely qualifies as a weird Japanese food, and it may be the scariest-looking food ever. In the shops near where the old Tsukiji Fish Market was, they serve it to you on paper plates inside the actual, spiky urchin:

The soft lobes of meat inside are a dark orange color. It’s slippery and fleshy, and when you bite into it, the flavor pops in your mouth. You know how liver (especially foie gras) has a coppery taste and a creamy texture? Well, uni has those qualities too, but it also reminds me of the way the ocean smells. You should try it because it’s so unique and tasty.

Uni is often served in nigiri alongside salmon roe (ikura), which helps to balance out the strong flavor. When you see it like this, it’s not nearly as scary, right?! 

Where to get it: If you want to try it in its raw form, served in its spiky shell – and I highly encourage this – go to the old Tsukiji market in Tokyo. The Tsukiji fish market and auction closed down in late 2018 and moved further out to a newer, larger location called Toyosu. But the “Tsukiji outer market,” where many of the stalls and restaurants were in the old days, are very much still open. In my opinion, they were the best part of the old Tsukiji fish market anyway! 

Aside from the Tsukiji outer market, you can get raw uni outside of Toyosu, or in most fish markets in other cities such as Osaka and Sapporo. Uni season is from September to April, but you can get it off-season too, as it is farmed.

Although you can’t get uni served in its spiky shell everywhere in Japan, you can usually find uni packed in little containers at most grocery stores and served in many sushi restaurants. It might seem weird to us, but uni is rather common in Japan.

Typical cost: About $15 for a large, whole, raw urchin; or about $5 for a piece of prepared nigiri at a market stall. Uni is worth the splurge. To save your money, check out my guide to booking a 2-week luxury trip to Japan worth $53,000 for only $827  – airfaire and luxury hotels included. 

 

2. French-style bakeries

What it is: French bakeries certainly aren’t “weird Japanese food.” The reason they’re on this list is because I was shocked by how well the Japanese do French bakeries. 

Why you should try it: Fancy French bakeries were one of my culture-shock experiences in Japan because they’re just as good as, if not better than, the ones you’ll experience in Paris. The Japanese pride themselves on making food look beautiful, and pastries are an incredible opportunity to do that.

They’re not just pretty, either; I’m not kidding that the taste and texture will rival Paris. Many Japanese bakery owners actually learn their craft in France. 

 Where to get it: You’ll find fancy French pastries all over Japan! However, the high-end Ginza neighborhood of Tokyo is where you can find some of the best ones. Plan to go window-shopping in Ginza, and stop for a rest in whichever shop you find. I love Hidemi Sugino and Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki.

Side tip: Both are within walking distance of one of my favorite hotels, Conrad Tokyo. Learn how to book the Conrad Tokyo Hotel for free using points.

Typical cost: About $6 for one single-serving tart or cake.

 

3. Bonito

What it is: Bonito is a type of fish that reminds me of tuna, both in color and flavor. Normally when you see it in Japan, you won’t eat this fish grilled. It’s usually served dried and shaved, and doesn’t look like fish at all. It almost looks like the shavings you buy for the bottom of hamster cages! How’s that for weird Japanese food?

It’s dried fish, so when it’s served like this, the flavor is strong and, well, fishy. For this reason, it’s usually served in little flakes as a topping, such as on top of takoyaki or okonomiyaki – both of which we’ll talk about here! 

Why you should try it: You’re going to end up trying bonito at some point in Japan. It’s just inevitable. It’ll be flaked on top of whatever street food you’re trying, and I hope you try it all. Some people love bonito flakes because they say it brings out the flavor of whatever they’re eating, kinda the way salt does. It’s easy to pick off if you don’t like it, though.

Where to get it: As toppings on top of street food. You’ll see it everywhere once you know what it is.

Typical cost: N/A, usually offered free as a topping on whatever you’re eating. If you love it, you can buy it at most Japanese food markets. 

 

4. Kobe beef (“koh-bay”)

Pronounced – “Koh bay”

What it is: Kobe beef is a marbled, extra-flavorful type of beef. It’s Wagyu, from a particular strain of Japanese black cattle, and raised according to its own set of rules. Kinda like champagne, you’re not allowed to call it Kobe unless it fits certain criteria. However, just like champagne’s cousin’s, prosecco and cava, there are other versions of Japanese beef that are incredible too.

Why you should try it: Because it is way better than any beef you will ever have in the U.S. And this is coming from someone who grew up in the Midwest and had the “best American beef.” Kobe beef melts in your mouth. It’s so pink and fatty and beautiful, it looks more like fatty otoro tuna when you see it presented as nigiri: 

I love going to Japanese grocery stores and looking at all the different kinds of beef. Some of it is Kobe, but there are other kinds that taste about as good. Either way, you should definitely check out the butcher counters! Here, the good stuff costs about $54/pound even in the grocery store:

Where to get it: You can get small servings of Kobe, or similar, beef at market stalls in large cities, wherever you see big food markets. I’ve got delicious beef at market stalls in downtown Hiroshima, Osaka, and Kobe itself. This is a quick, relatively inexpensive way to experience Kobe. But if you can splurge, I highly recommend getting the full experience and ordering it at Wakkoqu Kitanozaka Head Shop in Kobe.

This is the quintessential Kobe experience, and they even take advance reservations online! Order the “Lunch Wakkoqu Course,” which is a little cheaper than the same thing at dinner. The chef cooks the beef right in front of you, along with vegetables and rice:

Kobe is only a 15-minute train ride from Osaka and about 50 minutes from Kyoto, so you can make an easy day trip of it. Stay at the outrageously nice Conrad Osaka using credit card points.

Typical cost: $12 for the two pieces of Kobe nigiri pictured above, when bought at a cheap market stall; $80/person for the least-expensive Kobe lunch course at the Wakkoqu Kitanozaka Head Shop. 

 

5. Shabu shabu

Pronounced “shah-boo shah-boo” (say it fast)

What it is: Sometimes called hot pot, shabu shabu means “swish swish.” When you order it at a restaurant, you’re expected to cook plates of thinly-sliced beef by swishing them around in a pot of broth. Often, you get to choose two different broths. The traditional broth is dashi-based, which is a common soup base used for miso soup too. Usually you get assorted vegetables to add to the broth too. 

Why you should try it: The thin slices of beef cook really fast in the broth, like 30 seconds, and they pick up a huge amount of flavor. You swish a slice around, then take it out and drop it on your little bowl of rice. They give you various sauces to add too, like chili garlic oil and sesame oil and salt. Eat one mouthful of beef-rice-sauce-vegetables at a time out of your rice bowl. This is a casual, comfort food that will make you feel warm and relaxed inside.

Where to get it: Shabu shabu restaurants are everywhere in Japan! Nabezo is a common chain, but I’d just ask around for recommendations.

Typical cost: About $30 per person if you want to do all-you-can-eat style, which is offered at some restaurants. $20 per person is a good estimate if you want to pay as you go and pick your meats along the way.

 

6. Okonomiyaki

Pronounced – “oh-koh-no-mee-yah-kee” (say it fast)

What it is: Okonomiyaki roughly means “as you like it,” and is often described as a Japanese savory pancake. Okonomiyaki is cooked on a hot grilltop and contains cabbage, bean sprouts, noodles, pork belly or octopus, egg, and toppings like mayo, bonito flakes, a sweet-savory sauce, and scallions.

You can get it Osaka-style or Hiroshima-style. In Osaka, okonomiyaki has everything mixed together into a batter. Hiroshima-style has all of the ingredients layered on top of one another, starting with the noodles that are fried at the bottom as a base.  

Why you should try it: Every okonomiyaki restaurant has its own special way of making the dish. Pick a restaurant with a line heading out the door and check it out! With those ingredients, what’s not to like? 

Where to get it: Osaka and Hiroshima are the biggest cities to get this dish, but you can find it in restaurants all over Japan. If you’ll be in Hiroshima, you must see Okonomimura, which is a “food theme park” (neighborhood of restaurants) all dedicated to okonomiyaki. 

Typical cost: $10 for a big okonomiyaki pancake, which is probably enough to split between two people. Cheap lunch! 

 

7. Italian pasta

What it is: This is another example of something that’s not “weird Japanese food,” but rather a foreign food that is weirdly delicious in Japan. A tour guide explained to us that young Japanese couples often go on dates at Italian restaurants. Italian-style pasta is considered exotic there.

It was delicious, but it was definitely a little different from the Italian restaurants you’ll visit in the U.S. For example, while you could get tomato-based sauces, they weren’t nearly as prominent as American-Italian restaurants. The flavors were a little more subtle, with less garlic. You’ll come across some dairy-free, creamy pastas too, which is unusual to find in the U.S. 

Why you should try it: I trust you already know Italian food pretty well. You should try it in Japan because it’s subtly different, and because of the “date vibe”!

Where to get it: Any Japanese city will have at least a couple of Italian restaurants. Ask the concierge or a local for a recommendation. 

Typical cost: Similar to the U.S., $8-14 per dish of pasta.

 

8. Oden

Pronounced “oh den”

What it is: A simple, casual soup filled with various ingredients: fish cakes, fish balls, boiled eggs, scallions, tofu, daikon, carrots, etc. The soup broth is light, clear, and dashi-based. 

Why you should try it: To eat like a local! This is the type of quick meal a Japanese person would put together using the ingredients in their house. It is casual and easy.

Where to get it: Casual, counter-style restaurants throughout Japan. Late-night pubs sometimes serve it too. 

Typical cost: $6-$10 for a bowl, depending on what ingredients you add to it. 

 

9. Takoyaki

Pronounced “taco yah kee”

What it is: Takoyaki is fried dough balls filled with octopus, definitely weird Japanese food. It’s an Osakan street food, meant to be eaten quickly, possibly while walking around at night. Takoyaki is often topped with bonito, Takoyaki sauce (a sweet-savory sauce), mayo, or seaweed flakes. Each ball is about an inch in diameter.

Why you should try it: Octopus doesn’t have a strong, fishy flavor; it’s actually very subtle. Eating octopus is more about the texture than about the flavor. Takoyaki is a great way to eat octopus because it gets chopped up with little bits of onion, rolled in a tempura batter, and fried/cooked in a molded pan. The result is a hot, crispy ball of dough with toppings. 

Where to get it: Osaka! It’s an Osakan street food, and Osaka is a foodie city. You can find takoyaki in Tokyo or other cities too, but it’s native to Osaka and probably best there too. 

Typical cost: About $5 for a serving of 6 balls. 

 

 

That’s the 9 weird foods to try in Japan

Each of those foods to try in Japan will have an interesting story to tell – from Uni, pancakes and pasta – Japan has something in store for every foodie.

What is your favorite strange food of Japanese cuisine? Make sure you drop a comment below and join the discussion.

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Bio – Luxury on Points

The Hotel King loves to travel – especially luxury travel, and especially when he doesn’t have to pay for it.

Travel hacking is the art of using credit card points to travel for free, and he became passionate about it upon realizing that outrageously expensive hotels can be fairly easy to book with credit card points.

Luxury on Points reviews the world’s best hotels, while giving you strategies to stay there for free.

 

Thanks for reading! 

Happy and safe travels,

ben – Horizon Unknown