What to Eat/Cook on a Road Trip in Japan

Japan is probably the most campervan-friendly country in the world when considering the availability and taste of food.

In this article, we will show you what dining options are available on a road trip in Japan!

Cooking simple dishes from the grocery store

Japanese supermarkets offer a variety of options, including Bentos, breads, and rice balls that can be eaten relatively quickly. If you are looking to save time, I would suggest a bento or light meals from the supermarket. There is a wide variety of foods that can be easily cooked in the car or at a campground. They are all delicious for the price! With a large repertoire of seasoned meats, fish, and dishes that can be prepared in a single frying pan, you can enjoy a variety of meals at the campsite or in the car if you can shop at a supermarket. Our campervan is equipped with all the necessary cooking utensils, and you will be able to prepare the dishes you are accustomed to making with ingredients from the supermarket.

The author’s favorite is to make yakitori, which can easily be done with a simple barbecue set from a 100-yen store, bamboo skewers, chicken thighs, green leek, and salt and pepper.

Some supermarkets will have all of these items available at a reasonable price.

Cut chicken thighs and green onions into bite-sized pieces and skewer them on bamboo skewers.

Just season with salt and pepper and grill! This one can be simply grilled in a frying pan, so anyone can enjoy the classic Japanese dish, yakitori, easily and inexpensively. It’s great with a beer!

Convenience store

There are nearly 60,000 convenience stores throughout Japan, and in some places you can find several within a few minutes walk. Not only is there an abundance of food in the area, but also relatively everything necessary for daily life is available. You will be able to find delicious rice balls and bread for breakfast or a quick meal between driving for up to 200 yen.

You can always ask the convenience store to heat up pasta, ramen, lunch boxes, and other items that need to be heated to eat. Also, many cup noodles and instant soups are available, and hot water can be available in the store! There are always fried and grilled foods in front of the counter, all of which are of a quality that one would not expect from a convenience store. And above all, you can easily buy alcohol, sweets, etc.

Local restaurants/Izakaya

In Japan, each region has its own local food, and there are local dishes all over the country that make use of ingredients from the bounty of the land. For example, the following is a list of famous local dishes of each region that can be reached by campervan from Tokyo.

・Nagano – Soba noodle

・Osaka – Okonomiyaki (Japanese style pancake)

・Kyoto – Matcha sweets

・Kobe, Hyogo – Kobe beef / Kobe beef steak, sushi, etc.

Also, if you like to drink, going to Izakaya can be a good experience. Izakaya is like a pub, where you can enjoy Japanese local cuisine and drinks. Usually crowded with people after work, it is a place where you can enjoy meals and drinks in a group with a wide variety of alcoholic beverages and many snacks such as edamame beans and egg rolls. These taverns are relatively plentiful unless you are in a mountain area, so it is a good idea to try a local tavern.