I have heard it before: “Oh, you went to Japan? But, what did your kids eat?” I get it. Kids can be picky. And no one wants to feel like their kid is starving on vacation.
Like so many aspects of traveling with littles, it’s so much about your attitude. Instead of letting foreign cuisine worry us, we embrace it! And guess what!? Our kids won’t starve! I promise. Our philosophy is, we will offer local food and hope they take a liking to it. And if not, oh well! We can always find some fruit, a version of bread, etc from a local store to fill their tummies. What can be so cool is seeing how an open attitude from parents leads to an open attitude from kids. The spirit of soaking up a culture is contagious and food is a natural part of the experience.
Here’s what we really loved eating in Japan:
RAMEN-
give. me. all. the. ramen. the. end.
OK, not the end. Because ramen in Japan is just too good. It is so belly-warming delicious. You really cannot go wrong. We especially loved Kyushu Jangara. I was also a fan of the burnt miso ramen at Kyoto Gogyo in Kyoto. The kids were really thrilled to learn that slurping ramen is not only allowed but encouraged. Slurps up!
SOBA & UDON-
If you love ramen, you most definitely won’t hate soba (buckwheat noodle) & udon (thick wheat flour noodle).
KAISEKI-
This is a traditional Japanese meal that is an array of amazing foods. Most likely you can expect miso soup, sashimi, sushi and dishes steamed/simmered/grilled. Come hungry to this one! I wrote more about this experience in my post about our ryokan adventure.
SHABU-SHABU-
Oh Shabu-Shabu. Let me count the ways I love you. 1, 2, infinity. Seriously, this is so so good. Rob is a pescatarian so he did not fully experience this. This was the only time in the years he has not eaten meat that I felt bad for him. I have never had such delicious meat EVER. It’s also super fun because it’s cooked slice by slice at the table.
SUSHI-
The sushi in Japan is unbelievably good. This message to you from Captain Obvious. We enjoyed learning the correct chopstick ettiquette. My kids now know that you never leave your chopsticks sticking up vertically in food. It’s bad luck and bad manners. Part of a Japanese funeral involves vertical chopsticks in a bowl of rice. And you never pass food from one person to another using chopsticks. Again, this is too similar to another funeral practice in their culture.
CANDY-
No matter where we travel our kids want to experience the local sweets. It seems the farther away you travel the more unfamiliar the candy is. Japan did not disappoint. Somehow they can get their fruit flavors to taste more authentic. What is up with that?
Japan is also well known for their obsession with Kit Kats. We had a mission to try any new flavor we could find. Green tea, Apple, Sake, Raspberry, Banana and more. So fun and so good.
STREET FOOD-
Don’t you love a place with good street food? Sometimes you want to eat on the go but you don’t want to give up an opportunity to have something awesome. Street food is the answer. The options are nearly endless but some of our favorites were:
Taiyaki. Try the one with cream filling:
Say yes to crepes:
Dango. Dumpling made from mochiko (rice flour):
BENTO-
Bento boxes are kind of a thing in the US now. We love our PlanetBox for our kids’ lunches. Pretty sure we are just copying something the Japanese have been doing. Best time for Bento boxes are before you hop on the bullet train. Eating it with an out-cold toddler on your lap optional.
7ELEVEN-
Yeah this isn’t a food. But 7Eleven is part of the food experience of any good trip to Japan. I know you’re feeling skeptical but trust me. Find the location nearest your place and grab some goodies. We especially loved the sushi, Onigiri (rice balls usually containing a filling), instant ramen and pancakes. My kids LOVED these premade pancakes that where in a little sandwhich set up that had butter and syrup in between. We just warmed them up!
Eating is one of our fav things about travel. Hope you enjoyed reading about some of our best in Japan.
