Tokyo is making global headlines again as a must-visit destination - this time for its world-leading food

Intro
Eating out in Tokyo
Tokyo’s Favourite Foods
No Reservations in Tokyo
Tokyo Food Festivals
Bonus Recommendations

Intro

As the great chef and food writer Anthony Bourdain once said, if you ask any leading chef where they would choose to eat for the rest of their days, and they could only choose one country, they would all pick Tokyo, Japan. This amazing endorsement from a legendary chef tells you everything you need to know about the quality and diversity of Japanese food. Here at JRPass.com, we’ve long since known about Tokyo’s status as a global city for food and recently commissioned some new research to check where Japan’s capital is currently ranking alongside its culinary rivals around the world. Unsurprisingly, Tokyo came out near the very top of the list, ranked in the top three cities in the world for food worldwide alongside Paris and Athens. Let’s take a closer look at why Tokyo is such a special place to eat and why so many chefs, like the late, great Anthony Bourdain, would choose to eat here over anywhere else.

Eating out in Tokyo

Tokyo has some of the world’s finest and most unique restaurants for you to experience. It also has one of the widest varieties, from fine-dining restaurants to gastropubs and festival food. One of the reasons that chefs like Anthony Bourdain rate Tokyo’s cuisine so highly is because of Japan’s artisan approach to elevating simple ingredients. This is at the heart of Japanese cuisine or ‘Washoku’, which means ‘food of Japan’. Chefs spend years learning their craft and often focus on mastering a single dish or culinary speciality, elevating it to new standards over years of intense practice. This ethos has led to the remarkably high standard of culinary excellence in restaurants across Japan, which is reflected in the incredible number of Michelin stars awarded to chefs from the country.

At this very moment, for example, Tokyo has the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world - with 200. That’s more than any other city in the world. Even foods not traditionally associated with fine dining such as ramen and sushi have become gourmet specialities at the very highest level due to Japan’s focus on quality, technique, tradition, and innovation. In the case of sushi for example, the preparation may take decades to master, from making and shaping rice, to perfecting the flavour of fish through ageing, massaging, temperature control, and precision of cut. Alongside the country’s famous, homegrown dishes, Japanese chefs are also masters at refining and adding new twists to food and drink from their global neighbours and elevating it to new levels - just look at what the country’s artisans have done with whisky as a perfect example. It’s not all fine dining though - far from it in fact. Eating out at a traditional izakaya, is a fun and lively experience similar to dining at a gastropub where food and drink is enjoyed together in copious quantities by groups of friends and colleagues. Meanwhile, sampling foods at one of the country’s colourful festivals, known as matsuri, is another unique, hugely fun, and shared dining experience. Tokyo has it all.  

Tokyo’s Favourite Foods

With thousands of delicious dishes to try, where should you start? Here are a few Tokyo specialities to put on the menu:

• Tsukemen

Invented in the 1960s by a Tokyo chef Kazuo Yamagishi, Tsukemen means dipping noodles. Served in two separate bowls, the noodles are provided to dip into a bowl of concentrated ramen broth.

• Chanko Nabe

A protein-rich hotpot and stew famously eaten by Tokyo’s sumo wrestlers to build muscle. Today, many of the city’s best Chanko Nabe restaurants are run by former wrestlers turned chefs. 

• Tendon

Deep fried seafood or vegetables, aka tempura, with sesame oil, on a bowl of white rice donburi style. A simple and delicious Tokyo speciality. 

• Nigiri-zushi

Arguably the most popular form of sushi in the world, nigiri is essentially a slice of seafood, most commonly salmon or tuna, on a bed of sushi rice. The origins of sushi can be traced back to Edo - Tokyo’s former name - and today, this dish is served everywhere from 

• Monjayaki

Basically, Tokyo’s answer to the famous Okonomiyaki, this is a delicious savoury pancake made with runny batter. In Tokyo, it’s affectionately known as ‘Monja’.

No Reservations in Tokyo

Anthony Bourdain was famous for his book and TV series, No Reservations, but in Tokyo it's definitely better to have one - if you can. Yes, when dining out in Tokyo, it’s generally advisable to book ahead to make sure you get a table, especially if you’re looking to try one of the country’s Michelin-starred restaurants or other famous, fine-dining establishments as they can be fully booked months in advance. The city’s izakaya are also famously small with a limited number of tables, and the country’s best restaurants are often the same in terms of size, so it’s definitely worthwhile to make reservations for the places you want to go. The renowned Sushi Masuda, Tokyo, for example, has just six seats in the entire restaurant! Thankfully, there are some great websites and apps which can help with making bookings, while also offering restaurant recommendations. Japan Gourmet Pass, for example, provides a curated list of top-tier Japanese restaurants for you to choose from, with a free reservation service, English menus and translation features. It’s also worth noting that some restaurants are walk-in only and do not take bookings. On that note, if you’re out and about looking for somewhere to eat, keep an eye out for restaurants packed with local people inside (and patiently queuing outside) as this is usually a sign of a popular and respected establishment.

Tokyo Table Manners

While eating out in Tokyo, the country’s dining customs and restaurant etiquette may seem daunting if you’ve never been to Japan before but being aware of a few simple rules will make navigating the country a breeze. Japanese people are friendly, polite, patient, and gracious, when overseas visitors make the effort to try and follow their customs. Japan’s mouthwatering cuisine is among the best and most exciting in the world, and a big reason why people want to visit. Of course, the last thing you want to do is accidentally commit a cultural faux pas while sampling the country’s food and drink, so learning a few basics before you arrive can save a lot of awkwardness. Here’s a quick guide:

• Greeting - Bowing is customary when greeting people.
• Ordering - Remember to say ‘kudasai’ or ‘please’ when ordering. If you’re not sure what to order, try using the word ‘Osusume’, which means ‘recommendation’, and ‘Omakase’ which is the ‘chef’s choice’. It can be seen as respectful to ask the chef and most restaurants offer a menu of chef’s recommendations.
• Oshibori - This is a towel specifically for cleaning your hands during a meal and is not for your face, neck or mouth. Using it for anything other than your hands is considered a faux pas.
• Chopsticks - They should be used to pass food into your mouth without touching the sides. Do not point at food or people with them. Do not stab food with them. If you place them on the table to the side of your dish it signifies you’re still eating, but if you place them together and sideways across the plate or bowl then this means you are finished. 
• Eating - Start a meal by saying ‘Itadaki-masu’ which means ‘I gratefully receive’ before you begin. Remember not to put too much on your plate as anything left uneaten could be seen as a sign of impoliteness. 
• Drinking - The number one rule is to never start drinking alone. Always wait until all of your guests have a drink, then say ‘kanpai’ which means ‘cheers’, before drinking yourself.
• Paying - You can end a meal by saying ‘gochisōsama deshita’, which means ‘Thank you for the feast’. Crossing one finger over the other to create an ‘X’ can then also be used to signify you are ready for the bill. 
• Tipping - Tipping is not necessary or expected in Japan. In fact, it’s best not to tip as it’s not part of Japanese dining culture and can cause confusion. 

 For a much more detailed guide on dining etiquette including pre-meal customs and greeting etiquette read our full guide to Japanese Table Manners. 

Tokyo Food Festivals

Alongside its world-renowned restaurants and lively, traditional izakayas, Tokyo is also home to some of Japan’s finest food festivals and markets. In Japan, food and traditional festivals (known as matsuri) go hand in hand. As well as being a great way to experience Japanese traditions and customs, attending a matsuri is also the perfect opportunity to sample Japan’s version of street food at festival stalls. Here are three of the best food festivals in Tokyo to look out for: 

• Meguro Kumin Matsuri

The Tokyo suburb of Megura has a food festival dedicated to the Sanma (Pacific saury) fish and inspired by a local legend. The story goes that a travelling Japanese feudal lord on his way through Tokyo stopped to eat and having forgotten to pack food, was offered a grilled and salted fish by a local fisherman from the suburb of Meguro. He was amazed by how beautiful it was but could never replicate it once he returned home. Ever since then, Meguro has been famous for its Sanma fish and every year at the festival, the suburb gives 5,000 grilled and salted fish away to visitors. 

• Furusato Food Festival

Held each year in March inside the dome in Tokyo’s beautiful Yoyogi Park, the Furusato Food Festival features dishes from right across Japan. It is a perfect way to sample some of Japan’s finest foods in a gorgeously picturesque green space in the heart of Tokyo. There’s also music, performances, and paper float parades. 

• Tokyo’s Hokkaido Food Festival

Interestingly this festival brings the food of Hokkaido to Tokyo. Known as the Hokkai Shokudo, this four day festival celebrates the food and drink of Japan’s northernmost island which is renowned for its produce and speciality regional dishes. Look out for this festival in December in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park. You can read more about this fun-filled park in our guide to Yoyogi Park: The Green Getaway in the Metropolis. 

Go Shopping for Japanese Food

Tokyo’s food markets are legendary. Since the 1930s, seafood lovers have known to head to the city’s historic Tsukiji Fish Market, which has been famous around the world for its unique fish auctions. While this closed in 2018, it was replaced with a new market that continues this proud heritage. One of the many claims to fame of the Tsukiji Market was its sheer size. It used to hold the title as the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. Now with the Toyosu Market, which is almost twice its size, that title has been passed on to the new market as well.

• Toyosu Market

Replacing the famous Tsukiji Fish Market, the Toyosu Market is the place to go now to see Tokyo’s iconic tuna auctions. Of the three main buildings in the Toyosu Market, the most important is generally the Fish Wholesale Market building. That’s because this is the part of the market where the iconic auctions take place, with one hall dedicated to tuna auctions and the other for other seafood auctions. The other two buildings of the market are where the stalls and vendors are actually set up. One building is the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market building, where each of the wholesale vendors have their shops setup and seafood on display. Seafood isn’t the only thing on the menu at Toyosu though, as the final building is dedicated to a wholesale market of fresh fruits and vegetables. Naturally, there are also lots of places to eat. The largest collection of food stalls is found up above the market in the Fish Intermediate Wholesale Market building. There you have around 40 stalls, including some very popular sushi restaurants to sample. 

• Tsukiji Outer Market

Although the inner market has moved to Toyusa, Tsukiji Outer Market remains in its original location and features several blocks of wholesale and retail shops, selling fresh and processed seafood, as well as kitchenware and knives, surrounded by alleyways filled with excellent restaurants to discover. 

Three More Reasons to Visit Tokyo

As well as being one of the world’s best cities for food, Tokyo. Here 

1. The World’s No.1 City To Visit

In Tripadvisor’s annual Travellers' Choice Best of the Best awards for 2024, Tokyo came out on top, receiving praise for its unique combination of ancient tradition and contemporary pop culture. 

2.   The Coolest Neighbourhoods

Tokyo famously contains some of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods and this list recently gained a new addition with lesser known Gakugeidaigaku ranked as the coolest area of Tokyo and 15th in the world by TimeOut Tokyo.

3.   Great Value and Great for Walkers

A survey by the Post Office earlier this year named Tokyo’s as one of the best value cities for travellers. Meanwhile, a separate poll saw the city named as one of the world’s best cities to get around on foot!

Bonus Recommendations

Here at JRPass.com, we love sharing our knowledge of Japan as much as we love Japanese food. You'll find many more articles about Japanese cuisine on our blog. Here are a few of our favourites:

• For more on fine dining, read our guide to Japan’s Michelin-starred Restaurants.
• Want to learn to cook Japanese food at home before you visit this amazing country? Read our guide to Cooking Japanese Food at Home for more.
• For more on Japanese produce, check out our A to Z of Japanese Ingredients. 
• Everywhere you go in Japan, you’ll discover delicious regional variations of the country’s best dishes. Our guide to Japanese Food and Regional Dishes has everything you need to know. 
• Finally, for more on visiting Tokyo generally, you’ll find a wide range of Tokyo focussed articles on our blog from 48 Hours in Tokyo to Best Day Trips from Tokyo and more.