Japan tops many people’s bucket list and for good reason. It offers futuristic cities, feisty sumo wrestlers, stunning scenery, adorable snow monkeys, the latest tech, flamboyant street style… I could go on. But for me one of the very best things about visiting Japan is the amazing food! Here’s my top 5 must trys for any trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.
When in Hiroshima head for Okonomi Village, a multi storey building filled with 30 vendors selling exactly the same thing - okonomiyaki, Japan’s version of savoury pancakes. Grab a free seat around any one of the giant hot plates - it's a great way to meet the locals - and watch your chef create a flavour explosion of shredded cabbage, yakisoba noodles, choice of protein and batter all mixed together and ‘grilled as you like it’ (the literal translation of okonomiyaki).
Sizzling, succulent world famous Wagyu beef is worth splashing out on – usually ordered by weight, there’s no shame in going small. Just a few mouthfuls is all you need to have tasted the most incredible steak you’ve EVER had. The restaurants of Kobe & Hida offer some of the country’s very best.
Be served by the cutest robots with a real heart! Dawn Avatar Robot café in Tokyo is a social enterprise where each robot is operated remotely by people who struggle to leave their homes. Enjoy dinner and a chat (reservations are a must) but if dinner is booked out you can just grab a coffee served by a expert robot barista of course.
Octopus dumplings, or takoyaki, are quite the thing in Osaka and trust me are delicious. Served in boat shaped bamboo dishes, drenched in a delicious sticky sauce and eaten with a toothpick, it’s the perfect street food to grab in the city’s legendary Donburi entertainment district before karaokeing the night away.
Kanazawa is Japan’s city of gold - it’s been proudly producing almost 100% of the country’s gold leaf for over 500 years. It’s also renowned for being the city that consumes more ice-cream than any where else in Japan. Whilst the streets aren’t sadly paved with the gleaming stuff, any visit here really isn’t complete until you’ve picked up an ice-cream gilded in real (and 100% edible) gold leaf from one of the cities numerous ice cream parlours. If ice cream isn’t your thing (?!), you can always ask for a cuppa – even the tea here is adorned with flecks of gold.
/carrieh/$FILE/carrieh-lg.jpg)
Carrie Hawes
Head of Content
Carrie is the Head of Content at Trailfinders and based in our Kensington head office. Carrie has worked at Trailfinders since 2003 and has travelled to 86 countries (and counting!). Her favourite destinations include India, Rwanda and Easter Island.
©2026 Trailfinders Ltd. | Reg No. 1004502 | Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy
