Japanese Fast-Food That Everyone Knows About

Many tourists who visit Japan come expecting fancy sushi, like the sushi they regularly eat at posh events (or events that try to appear high-quality but the quality is like a high school snack party).
But guess what? Ramen totally steals the show here (ahem, ahem, the ramen alley in Sapporo).

Ramen

I have no idea how warm soup becomes the food of choice at a party, but that's just how it is!
You must eat ramen in Japan, and you probably already know the name of a popular chain or two that started there (yes, Ichiran, I'm looking at you!).
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any bad ramen in Japan (and believe me, I wanted to dislike some!), but no luck.
So, let's talk about an awesome ramen experience: The Ramen Wars.
My first visit there was in Osaka at night, and it was such a cool experience ("Why is the waiter yelling? I'm scared!").
They have four types of ramen on the menu (my favorite is Pistol, but I haven't tried them all). I've also been to the Tokyo branch, but it wasn't quite the same experience.

Sushi

Sushi is like pizza, a cultural food that one large nation (the same nation, of course) made wrong and took it global in a way that finding the "real thing" can be a challenge.
So, here I am, showing you how to Make Sushi Great Again.
First, no pineapple on the sushi (nice idea to try actually, rice and pineapple can be interesting). But seriously, the Japanese aren't Italian so they probably wouldn't mind. After all, authentic sushi is all about letting the fresh ingredients shine..
There are two well-known sushi chains: Kura and Sushiro. I prefer Sushiro, though it's a close call (I liked some toppings at Sushiro that I couldn't find at Kura, like their limited-time salmon with mozzarella and basil oil – WOW!).

The most popular type of sushi here is nigiri. And when you see just nigiri on the sushi menu, you might be thinking, "Where the hell is the sushi? Where is the seaweed?".
Well, nigiri is all about the good stuff: rice (sometimes you can choose a smaller portion) mostly topped with just one, big central piece of fish, meat, or even a Japanese omelet. You typically get two pieces for around 1.5 USD making it a delicious and affordable option..
Here's the deal with the soy sauce: a few drops go only on the fish (not the rice, it soaks up liquids). And then you eat it! No seaweed (who needs it, anyway?), no unnecessary toppings, and definitely no sweet sauces muddling the flavors.
By the way, do you know why they don't use the familiar conveyor belts anymore? It's because of "sushi terrorists", tourists who took the shared plates and put sushi back on the belt after licking it – thanks to social media for encouraging grown-up behavior.

Japanese Fast-Food That Everyone Should Know About

Yakitori

Well, it's just a Japanese type of skewered chicken (Yakitori means grilled bird), but it's incredibly tasty! One of the best places to try it (experience-wise) is Torikizoku (鳥貴族).
You get seated at a table and order a variety of skewers, not just chicken. The menu is pretty basic, but you won't need anything more.
Everything you order is around 400 yen (about $2.50 USD), from classic chicken skewers (just choose a part, welcome to Asia hahaha) to lemon sours.
One of the best dishes is their cabbage with a sesame oil-based sauce (free refills!). it's a must-try.
With branches all over Japan, it's a popular spot for groups (although they have tables for one too – it's still Japan!).
It's a great place to grab a bite, enjoy some drinks, and have a fun evening with friends.
Who needs more than that in life?

Not Japanese Fast-Food That Everyone Knows About And I Don’t Want To Mention But I Must Because You’re Lovin’ It

McDonalds

So McDonalds in Japan is pretty regular but the main problem with Japanese food is that it’s not as suited for takeaway as McDonalds (and that’s very important to what i'm going to tell you about).
Nothing is good to eat while you do other things like those shitty burgers that we all like. Plus, when you crave the food from your trip to Japan, you can satisfy this crave anywhere with a nice Big Mac.
Grab some food from McDonalds and ask for takeaway. Then, head to karaoke (by the way, in Japan you pay 8% tax for takeaway and 10% when you decide to sit in a restaurant).

I must say that I almost left Japan without singing in those tiny rooms, but that would have been a huge mistake.
The Japanese karaoke is so cool, you get your tiny room, you can choose from refillable drinks, ice cream, snacks or even bring your own (mcdonaldo partyyyy).
At first you will be shy and then you will start to sing all the English hits.
I went once with a friend who I know from home (we sing the songs in English and Japanese with English transcription) and on the second time with an Israeli friend that I met here (she studies Japanese in Kyoto).
The second time I went, she put on a Japanese song (Cha-Ra He-Tcha-Ra) and started singing along in Hebrew! It turned out to be the Dragon Ball Z theme song – you can check the lyrics online in your own language. It was such a unique experience.
One last thing before you take the mic, don’t bring too much food if you are just a couple because you won’t have enough time to eat, it's so addictive.

Instead of recommending you a fancy restaurant you might only go to once (and there are many here), you got deep dive into Japan's fast food scene, which is different from the American one (besides McDonald's - sorry, I couldn't make a list of fast food restaurants and keep McDonald's out, but at least there's a good reason).
We've got epic ramen battles and perfectly simple nigiri dipped in soy sauce, none of that sugary crap.
And let's not forget yakitori, skewered chicken so good it'll blow your mind (in a good way).
Now, I know you might crave McDonald's after all this, and hey, no judgment there (sometimes I find myself in that dark place too).