Tokyo street food: Top 8 spots to try

Got a sweet tooth? There’s hardly a better place to be than Takeshita Street. Known for its vast selection of deserts, with something for every taste. 

Crepes, ice cream cones, milkshakes, and cookies are accompanied by more savory snacks such as rainbow cheese toast or the famous tornado potato. These are typically served together with sweet soy sauce.

Most street food here is just as full of color as it is of flavor, making it one of the best food spots in Tokyo for your social media snaps.If you’re having a hard time picking the treats yourself, there are multiple food tours available on Takeshita Street.

A guided tour will take you to the best spots on the street while skipping out on anything you might not enjoy as much, ensuring the best possible experience.

Togoshi Ginza Shotengai is Tokyo’s longest shopping street. As you’d expect, it’s also packed with street food vendors offering everything from traditional snacks to modern street food inventions.

Try yakitori, Japan’s famous chicken skewers, or oden croquettes for some of the top savory bites on the street. For dessert, grab some mochi or one of the endless decorated pastries, many made to look like cartoon characters or animals.

All in all, there are enough food stalls on the Togoshi Ginza shopping street to satisfy any taste, and you’re sure to find whatever you’re craving here.

If you’re looking for fresh seafood, Tsukiji Market should be the first place you visit. While it’s still mainly known for being a fish market, Tsukiji is also home to some of the best Tokyo street food spots. 

Wagyu beef skewers topped with sea urchin are a top drawer here, but at around ¥ $5,500 (~$35 USD), it’s more than most are willing to pay for street food.

Try the freshest sushi and sashimi possible for a pure taste of Japanese cuisine. Want something different? Grilled crab, tuna skewers, and fresh oysters are also readily available here. 

Desert options include a vast selection of ice cream cones and mochi, which you can wash down with a hot cup of coffee.

Jizo-Dori, also known as Grandma’s Harajuku, is yet another highlight of the Tokyo street food experience. As soon as you enter the street you’ll be met by the aroma of yakitori chicken skewers and crispy takoyaki. 

Shio daifuku, a rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste, might not dominate the scent of the street but is one of the most popular threats on Jizo-Dori. Often enjoyed with a cup of green tea or coffee, trying this sweet treat is a must if you want to experience the full palette of flavours available here.

Honeycomb ice cream, moist rice crackers, and candied sweet potato are all fantastic treats as well. And if you find yourself too full to eat street food, simply spend some time exploring the endless shopping options on the street and get back to food once you’re ready.

Finishing off with street food in Tokyo’s shopping streets, Oyama Happy Road is one of the local favorites. It’s known for its affordable prices and a vast selection of street food. 

There are many traditional, family-owned spots here selling the classics such as yakitori, takoyaki, mochi, rice cakes, sushi, and onigiri. 

Being one of the last remaining arcade-style shopping streets, Oyama Happy Road is a cultural experience just as much as it is a journey of flavor. So, while the food is fast, you shouldn’t rush yourself. Instead, spend some time looking around and drinking in the culture and history around you.

McDonald’s might not be the first thing you think about when food in Tokyo is mentioned. However, it’s the most popular fast food restaurant in Japan. Thankfully, it’s also much more interesting than the name suggests, with plenty of unique menu items that aren’t found anywhere else in the world.

The most popular picks are the Shaka Shaka Chicken, the Samurai Mac, Sankaku Choco Pie, various teriyaki options, as well as plenty of other dessert and drink options. 
Visiting a McDonalds should be on your list of things to do in Tokyo. Just to see how different it is from pretty much anywhere else.

7-Eleven can’t go unmentioned when street food in Tokyo is discussed. Sure, it’s not a traditional street food stall somewhere in a shopping street, but it’s the go-to option for quick, fresh, delicious meals for millions of locals and tourists in the city.

You’ll find most of Tokyo’s street food favorites here, including takoyaki, rice balls, sushi, ramen, and various onigiri options, such as pork, egg, and chili or spicy mayo fried chicken. It’s also a great spot for refreshing cold coffee or iced juice drinks.

Even though they are ready-to-eat and purchased from a convenience store shelf, 7-Eleven street foods taste surprisingly fresh and flavorful.

Vending machines are the next step in the evolution of street food in Tokyo. While many may associate vending machines with Snickers bars, sodas, and stale pastries, the ones in Japan are nothing like that.

Pork or beef cutlet sandwiches are some of the most popular items sold at vending machines. You can also get hot ramen, crapes, sushi, onigiri, takoyaki, rice balls, or mochi straight from a vending machine. 

These machines have become a way to automate quality food experiences rather than just a way to get a quick snack. Some are even run by local restaurants, ensuring that the food in their vending machines is always fresh.

Both the selection and the flavors of vending machine street food in Tokyo are mesmerizing. You could travel through Japan while getting all your nutrition from these machines, and you’d barely lose out on flavor.

Probably the most famous spot for vending machines in Tokyo is the Akihabara Electric City, which is also a hotspot for modern Japanese culture, mostly centered around manga, anime, and video games.