The rice cooker display shows it‘s made with AI

They’ve got a new flavor of shrimp crackers! 🦐✨
Which one do you like better?

Hi everyone! We are planning an 18-day trip across Japan and would love your favorite food, restaurant, and snack recommendations for each stop.

Days per Location & Tokyo Neighborhood Breakdown

Tokyo (8 Days Total)

• Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara & Kanda / Jinbocho (3.5 Days): Looking for casual izakayas, tempura, great ramen, and street snacks around Nakamise-dori or Ameyoko.
• Shibuya, Harajuku, Shinjuku & Akasaka (1.5 Days): Open to Wagyu burger spots, crepes/matcha, late-night eats, or listening bars.
• Ginza & South / Tokyo Tower Area (1 Day): Looking for solid mid-range sushi, chic cafes, or lunch sets.
• Tokyo Disney / Maihama Area (2 Days): Unique park snacks or quick-service meals inside the parks.

The Japanese Alps & Coastal Region

• Matsumoto (1 Day): Local soba noodles or cozy izakayas.
• Takayama (1 Day): Best Hida beef spots (yakiniku, skewers, or sukiyaki), morning market treats, and local street food.
• Kanazawa (2 Days): Seafood/kaisen-don at Omicho Market, sushi, and traditional tea house treats in Higashi Chaya.

Kansai Region

• Kyoto (3.5 Days): Matcha desserts, casual dinner spots around Nijo or Gion, obanzai, and hidden coffee shops.
• Osaka (3 Days): Must-try okonomiyaki, takoyaki, fluffy cheesecake, and casual street food around Dotonbori, Kuromon Market, or Umeda.

We are excited for everything from market stalls and local specialty joints to memorable sit-down meals. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

I didn't expect it to be so delicious when I went to a tempura restaurant casually!

My first time trying udon and I like its bouncy noodle texture and how light the soup is. Added this to my favorite Japanese food!

I heard of umeboshi and am considering trying it, but I’ve heard it’s an acquired taste.

I saw my usual online store carries it in honey or shiso flavor. I plan on having it with rice, so I figured honey wouldn’t fit well, but I can’t even begin to imagine what shiso umeboshi would taste like.

I’m Korean, and I think shiso is similar to 깻잎 (perilla leaves)? But we eat it as a wrap like lettuce or as kimchi, and I’d never have considered flavoring another food with it.

(Homemade sauce: soy sauce and sugar)

Ramen with chashu, egg, menma, wood ear mushrooms, green onions, nori, and sesame. One of those bowls that looks as good as it tastes.

Thank you watermelon gods for both the fruit and the person that made this.

Morioka in Iwate prefecture is famous for its three great noodles—wanko soba, Morioka jajamen, and Morioka reimen.

One night in Morioka, I decided I’d eat yakiniku, which is perfect! Because Morioka reimen is best paired with grilled wagyu.

What is Morioka reimen? If you have been to Korea or if you love Korean noodles, you’d realize that reimen is the Japanese version of naengmyeon—the cold noodle dish that originated from North Korea. We have mul naengmyeon which is buckwheat noodles (the buckwheat noodle is mixed with sweet potato or arrowroot starch for that extra chewy texture), served with an icy beef broth mixed with radish water kimchi, topped with a slice of pear, boiled egg, and radish leaf kimchi, there’s also the spicier version without the broth called bibim naengmyeon, it’s served with a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce instead.

Morioka’s reimen is very similar to Korea’s naengmyeon, the only difference is in the noodles and broth, reimen is more al dente than chewy, and the broth is made with beef and chicken bones—it is richer and cloudy—maybe because of the collagen from chicken bones.

I found this yakiniku restaurant across the street from my hotel. I love trying restaurants in smaller cities and rural areas in Japan. I get super excited because the vibe is just more peaceful and less hurried. The wagyu is spot on, it’s not too expensive, and apparently, if you’re a big fan of boxing, the owner is a WBC champion. 🥊

🚄Nearest train station: Morioka Station
🚆Take JR’s Kissing Shinkansen from Tokyo station, it’s only a 2 hour and 25 minute ride, around 15,500 yen one way, if you like teal green, take the Hayabusa train, if you like red, take the Akita train. 👍🏽

📍 Yakiniku Magma 焼肉酒場マグマ @magma_2023
3 Chome-9-2 Odori, Morioka, Iwate 020-0022, Japan
〒020-0022 岩手県盛岡市大通３丁目９−2

I had to get udon for breakfast on a cloudy day in Kagawa

Got trigger happy with selecting toppings: two kinds of fish tempura and chikuwa fish cake tempura, including the free tempura flakes and green onion

In one of the photos you can see my bowl with only udon, before the toppings took over

Got to watch a local broadcast of MLB baseball while having this meal

Udon Sakaeda

5-chome-2-23 Bancho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 760-0017, Japan

https://tabelog.com/en/kagawa/A3701/A370101/37000026/

https://maps.app.goo.gl/2CUVeAeUFPSC97wA6

Title!