Food Theme Parks

When you think of theme parks, you usually think of Mickey and his friends or some high thrill roller coaster. However, in Japan there is another type of theme park, the food theme park.
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Japanese Curry

You might not expect to find curry on a Japanese menu, but it is quite common, extremely popular and a relatively cheap dish throughout Japan.
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Taiyaki

Taiyaki is a popular Japanese sweet desert that generally comprises of a sea bream shaped jaffle made from pankake or waffle batter. It is filled with red bean paste or various other sweet fillings.
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Takoyaki

New York has its hot dog, London has its bangers and mash, Berlin has its Currywurst and Osaka has its Takoyaki. Takoyaki is found all over Japan but Osaka is the home of the Octopus Ball.
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Fugu

Poisonous Pufferfish are a specialty at many Japanese restaurants, especially around Osaka. Pufferfish are known as Fugu in Japan and depending on the region are one of a number of species. One of the more popular is the Takifugu, which is also known as the tiger blowfish. These fish are blubbery leathery looking and one of the most deadly fish. They generally have nasty spikes all over their body that poke out when they puff up as a defence mechanism.
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Vending Machines

It is estimated there is a vending machine of some variety for every 20 people in Japan. With Japan’s population in excess of 127 million people, there must be some 5 million vending machines in the country.
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Gyudon

Gyudon is fast food Japanese style, translated gyudon means cow bowl, and that’s sort of what gyudon is, strips of beef served in a bowl. Often served with a salad and miso soup, gyudon is popular all over Japan. Gyudon cafes are generally small and consist of a long counter that you sit at in front of the waiter and his preparation area.
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Bento

Bento is a popular Japanese meal traditionally served in a wooden box. Bento dates back centuries and could be called one of the world’s first fast foods. Bento was developed so farmers, school children or even army warriors could carry a small quickly prepared meal for their lunch around with them while they worked. Bento would of originally been placed inside leaves, but later on it was more fashionable to be contained inside small wood boxes. Today much of the bento sold is contained in plastic or cardboard boxes that resemble the traditional wood box.
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Yakitori

Yakitori is one of the tastiest and cheapest meals in Japan, it is succulent pieces of chicken meat served on bamboo skewers, marinated in BBQ sauce and grilled over hot charcoals. Many of the restaurants serve this tasty dish along with cold beer. You will find many yakitori restaurants are just small stands, set up around popular train stations. Many yakitori stands will have a sign out the front with the Tori Bird character and most Japanese style bars known as Izakaya, will also serve Yakatori. Izakayas will always have some red paper lanterns out the front, but the fragrance of the barbecuing Yakitori will be a real give away.
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Sushi

Probably the best known of the Japanese foods to westerners are Sushi and Sashimi. Over recent years, these dishes have become popular, if not fashionable in many of the big cities around the world. Many people think Sushi is raw fish, but it isn’t (although it can contain it). Sushi is really a range of small rice based finger foods in a variety of shapes and styles. On the other hand, Sashimi usually is only freshly prepared thin slices of raw fish.
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Recipes

Fancy some Japanese cuisine at home? Try out some of our tasty recipes for the real flavor of Japan without leaving your kitchen.
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