Now you have arrived in Japan and you might like to have something to eat. What to eat?
If you do not have anything in mind, maybe you can try one of those chain restaurants/shops.
Here are some resutaurants you will see throughout Japan that locals also often go to.
Good thing about those chain restaurants/shops are that you know what to expect anywhere in Japan. Also, they are not too expensive, generally good service, and quick. If you are tired of big, fancy restaurants, or big breakfast at the hotel, or want something quick, here are your options.
Family Restaurant
Family restaurants have variety of foods-western, japanese, something light like salad and sandwiches, drinks and desserts. There’s something for everyone. So, if some of your family member don’t want to go to Japanese restaurant, you could go there. If you are not familiar with Japanese food, you can try out in those family restaurants and see if you like it. If you are travelling with small children, they have children’s menu, too. They usually have menu with pictures so you know what you will be getting. Some restaurants have touch panel order device and often have English menu, too.
・Royal Host Japanese only
・Denny’s
・Gusto
・Jonathan’s
Kaiten Sushi /Kaiten Zushi
If you are in Japan, you probably want to try Sushi. Before you go to expensive sushi restaurants, you might like to go to Kaiten Sushi, or Conveyor Belt Sushi. Most of them are casual and price are much more affordable than authentic sushi restaurants. If you are travelling with children or teenagers who do not like fish, many Kaiten Sushi restaurants offer other options like fried food, noodles desserts and so on.
Some of the popular Kaiten Sushi chains include:
Uobei /Genki sushi GENKI SUSHI CO.,LTD.
Sushiro SUSHIRO – No.1 SUSHI sales in Japan (akindo-sushiro.biz)
Kanazawa Maimon Sushi maimon-susi (Japanese only)
Japanese Fast Food
If you would like to spend more time exploring, these are popular option. These shops are popular among workers, business people or students on the run. You can try what ordinary people are eating every day. Prices are very reasonable. Those shops may be a little crowded between 12 and 13:30 because most of the companies have lunch break around that time.
Beef Bowl –Yoshinoya(吉野家)、Matsuya(松屋)、Sukiya (すき家)
Donburi mono –Tenya(天丼てんや)、Nakau (なか卯)
Soba/Buckwheet noodle–Yudetaro（ゆで太郎）、Fujisoba（富士そば）、Shibusoba（しぶそば）、Komorosoba（小諸そば）
Udon Noodles –Marukameseimen（丸亀製麺）、Hanamaruudon（はなまるうどん）、Kineya（杵屋）Nakau（なか卯）、Yamada udon shokudo（山田うどん食堂）
Japanese Curry–CoCo Ichibanya（CoCo壱番屋）
Japanese Hamburger chain–MOS burger（MOSバーガー）、Freshness Burger（フレッシュネスバーガー）、First Kitchen（ファーストキッチン）
Ramen
Ramen shops are everywhere. Some famous ramen shops such as “Ichiran” or “Ippudo“, you have to queue, but there are other popular shops.
Some other famous Ramen shops are:
Tenka Ippin（天下一品）、Kyushu Jangara（九州じゃんがら）、Hidakaya（日高屋）、Korakuen（幸楽苑）、Chukasoba Aoba（中華そば青葉）、Ramen Kagetsu Arashi（らあめん花月嵐）、Menya Musashi（麵屋武蔵）
If you see queue in front of ramen shops, these are usually good ones.
Most of the Ramen shops, you buy ticket using vending machine first. (mostly cash only) Then, enter the ramaen shop and hand the ticket to the staff.
Conbini
Convenience Store; Japanese people often say “Conbini” for short
“Conbini” are open 24/7 and in the big city, you will find them literally every corner, on major streets, near the train stations or in big office buildings.
Seven Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson are the 3 major conbinis.
For food options, you will find sandwich, Bento (Packed lunch/dinner), Onigiri (rice ball with different fillings), bread, pastry, salad, fruits, cup noodle, cup soup, hot & cold drinks, snacks and desert… you name it.
Recently, Conbinis make extemwly good desserts and they are popular among locals.
Some big Conbinis has tables and chairs inside for people to eat there. You can also take it out and have quick lunch in the park or in your hotel room. There is always microwave at every conbini, so if you bought Bento, you can heat it up there.
They also have good coffee machines you can take out. You can ask at the casher you want to buy coffee and they will give you the cup. You will then go to the machine. Sugar, cream, and lids are there, too.
When going to shop in Conbini, if you don’t want to buy plastic bags, please take your shopping bag. (Japanese people call it “eco bag”) You can also buy “eco bag” for souvenir. There are variety of size, prices and designs from 100 yen shops to Loft/ Hands shops.
Department Stores/ Shopping Malls
Shopping malls have variety of restaurants and food court. Department stores also have nice selections of restaurants. If you do not know where to go eat, these might be a good choice for the first few days. Restaurants in shopping malls and department stores can be busy and have long queue. Sometimes, you need to write your name in front of the restaurants or get a waiting ticket with number.
One caution: restaurants in department stores tend to close a bit early.
Bon Appetit！
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