Five foods I've eaten in Japan that surprised, challenged, and stayed with me.
Last updated: February 2026
One of the most common mistakes travelers make is skipping out on the local cuisine. An easy way to tell whether you're being adventurous enough is to ask yourself: Can I eat this in my home country? If the answer is yes, choose something else.
Japan's food selection is vast—especially from the perspective of a first-time visitor. And there are misconceptions depending on where you're from. In the U.S., for example, Japanese food has been Americanized to make things like seaweed and raw fish more palatable. American-style sushi tackled portion sizes and offered more cooked options, because the idea of eating one or two small pieces of raw fish at a time wasn't something most Americans were used to.
I was genuinely surprised the first time I visited a conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Japan and couldn't find the rolls. It wasn't until later that I realized that's not actually how the locals eat sushi. I had to rewire a lot of assumptions.
Living here for an extended period has given me the chance to immerse myself in Japan's food culture. I've found everything from the bizarre to the spectacular—and the five foods below represent both ends of that spectrum. If you want a broader look at everyday Japanese dining customs, check out our guide to eating like a local.
1. Miso Potato
When you think of miso, you probably think of that savory broth served as an appetizer at sushi restaurants. But miso comes in all different types—including a sweet sauce that resembles apricot jam. This jam-like sauce is generously applied to skewered potato slices that have been deep fried in tempura style. The traditional method is to boil the potato first, then deep fry it, then coat it in miso. Variations exist depending on who makes it, but the core is always the same: crispy potato, sweet miso glaze.
It's one of the more delicious entries on this list—and one of the most approachable. A great place to start if you're easing into the more adventurous foods below.
2. Tsumikko
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Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Our Regional Cuisine" Image provided by: Honjo City Hall Commerce, Industry and Tourism Division |
This specialty hails from northern Saitama, particularly Honjo city and Chichibu. It's made as an easier alternative to udon. The main ingredient is wheat flour mixed into dough, but instead of shaping it into noodles, the dough is ripped into dumpling-like pieces and cooked in a fish or vegetable broth along with hearty vegetables. It's excellent on cold days. One difference between the Honjo and Chichibu styles is that you might find black sesame seeds mixed into the dough.
On a personal note—during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the entire country shut down and the school lunch cafeteria closed, the school nutritionist asked me to help her make tsumikko. The experience of making it felt so familiar because of a similar food I grew up eating back home. This entry will always hold a special place in my heart. It was a home-cooked comfort during a volatile and scary time.
3. Inago no Tsukudani (Fried Grasshoppers)
I was once invited to dinner at an izakaya by the principal of the school I worked at. It was designed to look like you were walking into 1940s and '50s Japan. My principal told me he was going to order something and that I must try it. I agreed. When the dish came out, I was confused. I put one of these critters in my mouth—and immediately realized what he'd suggested I eat. I could feel the pokey legs and antennae of the grasshopper inside my mouth. It was grotesque in a way, but if I hadn't known what it was, I imagine I would have liked it.
Grasshoppers are boiled in soy sauce and sugar—a traditional food that originated in the inland parts of Japan where grasshoppers were abundant. There were two main reasons for eating inago no tsukudani: pest control, and it served as a crucial source of protein in areas where meat was a luxury. If reading about Japanese food labels and ingredients is your thing, our guide to reading food labels digs into how to decode what you're eating.
4. Basashi (Raw Horse Meat)
Depending on the culture, certain animals are seen as friends while others are regarded as food. One of my favorite books growing up was My Friend Flicka, and when my friends ordered basashi, I kept thinking: "Forgive me, Flicka."
Basashi is raw, thinly sliced horse meat, garnished with green onions and dipped in a sweet soy sauce. I don't remember what it tasted like, because I was too occupied thinking about betrayal. It was a shock, to say the least.
Historically, horse meat has been a food source in specific regions of Japan—particularly in times when other meats were scarce—giving it a unique place in local culinary traditions. Kumamoto Prefecture is especially famous for it.
5. Raw Deer Heart and Wild Game
This one wasn't at a traditional Japanese eatery but at a local restaurant with an Italian flair. I hadn't previously known about this place or even considered eating wild game before. My wife wanted to show appreciation to a friend of ours who was very much into the farm-to-table scene. Have I had venison before? Yes. Was it good? Yes—but it wasn't raw, and it wasn't the heart.
Wild game, or "gibier" (ジビエ) as it's known in Japan, has a fascinating and often overlooked place in Japanese cuisine. While you might not associate it with sushi or ramen, in rural and mountainous areas, animals like deer and wild boar are locally sourced and increasingly featured on menus. For locavores in the mountains of Saitama, the two main wild game meats are wild boar and deer.
The restaurant had a two-hour, eight-course meal planned around the deer. But it was the deep, rich red of the raw deer heart that shocked me most. The texture was surprisingly firm yet tender—almost like a very lean cut of beef without the chewiness. The taste was subtle, almost metallic, and absorbed the simple seasoning well. It was a stark reminder that some of the most unexpected culinary experiences in Japan come from stepping off the well-trodden tourist paths.
Venture Off the Beaten Path
Japan's culinary landscape is far richer and more surprising than just sushi and ramen. We've gone from the approachable sweetness of miso potato to the challenging depths of raw deer heart and fried grasshoppers. These aren't just oddities—they're glimpses into the unwritten side of Japanese food culture.
Think of it like this: you wouldn't play an open-world video game made in Japan and stick to the first town, right? You'd explore every hidden cave, every secret path, because that's where the real excitement and lasting memories are. Carry that same sense of adventure when you visit. Don't be afraid to step off the well-worn tourist paths and explore the unknown unknowns. Doing what's comfortable might fill your belly, but trying something like those fried grasshoppers just might make you feel truly alive.
What "unwritten" food experience will you discover?
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