Oden … A thick pancake like dish filled with red bean paste, meat, potatoes, curry, cheese or custard, Imagawayaki can be found across Japan with different names and different fillings depending on the region. And if you’re a fan of ramen, it’s rated as one of the top places to go. Takoyaki Japan is no different and its street food vendors are known as Yatai. Every city, town, village, and region of Japan has its own unique and distinct specialities and varieties of food, often based on local produce, cultural beliefs, regional techniques and even the weather. Street stalls serving bowls of food were once common across Japan, but have declined in many parts of the country. And finally, for a broader introduction to the country’s cuisine, read our Guide to Japanese Food and Regional Dishes. Of course, the sheer variety and volume of amazing dishes can seem daunting, especially if you’re new to Japanese cuisine, and that’s where we come in. Join one million Future fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter or Instagram. What makes Japanese street food so special? Yakitori This delicious dish is famously a speciality of Osaka – a city known as Japan’s kitchen. Get to Hiroshima from Osaka using JR Pass by taking the Sakura bullet train on the Sanyo line. This hugely famous street in Osaka is known as ‘street food paradise’. This is one of the yatai – portable restaurants that were once common across Japan but have declined in many cities. Tomorokoshi I wanted to change the way people think about yatai.”. It doesn’t take long to see what he means. The National Street Food Festival, which is an annual event organised in Delhi by the National Association of Street Food Vendors of India is a platform where street food from all the states of the country is showcased. In Fukuoka, however, yatai are finding new life … A Brief History of Street Food in Japan There is an interesting backstory to Japanese Street Food. “It's a big change. Punters peruse the many yatai found lining the canal in Fukuoka's city’s nightlife district of Nakasu (Credit: Edd Gent). Is it the freshness? Served on a skewer, these round dumplings are made from rice flour and water and boiled until firm. Find out where to buy the japan rail pass online. As we eat, Mamichan gets up to bid farewell to three guests – a young man from Tokyo and two young women from Osaka who have struck up a quick friendship over shared beer and steaming bowls of ramen before heading off into the night together. ", Eiji Abe prepares food at his yatai Maruyoshi. Takoyaki are golden balls of fried batter filled with little pieces of octopus, tenkasu (tempura scraps), benishoga… Thankfully, Japan has one of the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants anywhere in the world. It’s also home to the Hokkaido Winter Food Market, Sapporo Wholesale Market (amazing for seafood), and the famous Sapporo Snow Festival, which features plentiful Yatai street food vendors and stalls. The answer is it’s all of the above and more. A Brief History of Street Food in Japan There are some exceptions however such as the Nakasu district of Fukuoka and other areas known for all-year-round street food. Yakitori Okonomiyaki. ", Yatai in Ofunato, an area devastated by the 2011 tsunami. You’ll find a huge amount of different street food dishes to try – many of which involve seafood which Osaka is famous for. According to an estimate of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, which was released in 2012, over 2.5 billion people eat street food in India every day. Shioyaki As we mentioned above, one of Osaka’s most famous dishes is Takoyaki – Diced octopus encased in a light batter and rolled into a ball – so be sure to try that. Okonomiyaki In the south-western city of Fukuoka, however, they still survive. Skewered meat grilled over charcoal – the beautiful simplicity and amazing taste of Yakitori makes it a street food favourite in Japan. "That's the spirit of the yatai," says my guide and translator for the evening Toshihiro Mori, from the city’s tourism department. No Japanese festival would be complete without the familiar sizzling of yakisoba. He’s lived in Japan for 18 years and previously owned a restaurant and bakery in Fukuoka, but when the city started taking new yatai applications a friend encouraged him to apply. But growing recognition of the pull this distinctive culinary tradition has on tourists both from Japan and abroad has seen that start to change. The Japanese version of a French classic, the potato croquette, Japan’s Korokke is filled with meat, seafood or vegetables and rolled in wheat flour, eggs, then panko breadcrumbs before being deep-fried to a golden brown. Remy tells me I won’t fully understand the yatai until I visit one alone, so I take his advice. Okonomiyaki. Laws were passed that made opening and running Yatai difficult and they gradually became less and less. A trendy-looking man in his thirties takes a seat opposite me and immediately starts joking with Kubota, who tells me he’s a regular.