The majority of the Japanese population does not have lunch at home and ends up resorting to restaurants or bento boxes called obento. In this article, we will talk about the main preference of the Japanese, Fast Food restaurants.
There are thousands of them in Japan, many of these restaurants and fast food places are part of large chains. We can say that Japan is the world of fast food, competing with the USA and India.
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Fast food in Japan
Those who want fast food in Japan can resort to various options besides the traditional fast food restaurants or burger joints like the popular Mcdonalds and Subway in Brazil.
Since the lunch hour is limited and the number of Japanese who eat lunch on the street is huge, many restaurants tend to be quick, even those that serve common foods like rice, soba, and ramen.
You can also go to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant and simply grab the sushi that passes quickly on the belt without worrying about preparation or orders.
Another alternative is to go to a convenience store (konbini) and buy a bento or any snack. The fact is that there is no shortage of fast food options in Japan.
What are fast food restaurants like in Japan?
Have you ever wondered what fast food restaurants are like in Japan? Many fast food restaurants and joints in Japan use various ways to speed up and not waste the customer’s time.
Others have a vending machine at the entrance where the person pays and gets their ticket for the dish they want, hands it to the cook, and some receive their food just a few seconds after ordering.
Other restaurants, like soba places, allow the customer to choose what to put on their plate and what sides they want. Some even have the customer prepare their own dish.
The fast food market in Japan generates over 5 trillion yen a year. The most popular are the fast food from convenience stores like the obento.
In addition to bento boxes, some foods are considered fast food, such as the traditional onigiri, some also resort to karaage, oden, or nikuman.
The interesting thing about restaurants and fast food in Japan is the enormous variety of options on the menu, completely different from what we are used to. There are various ingredients, sauces, seasonings, and different flavors, seasonal, giant, or bizarre.
International fast food chains are quite popular in Japan. The ones that stand out the most are McDonald, KFC, Burger King, Subway, among others.
The best part is that they are cheap and usually cost less than half an hour’s wage. I wish the same could be said for Brazil, but here we end up paying almost a day’s wage to eat at places like McDonald’s.
The best Fast Food in Japan
Now let’s take a look at a list of the best and most famous Japanese fast food in Japan:
Yoshinoya – A famous Japanese fast food chain where the main dish is the famous Gyudon. A dish that consists of rice topped with meat and chopped onions, although it seems simple, it is delicious… I don’t know how these Japanese manage it. This is the most popular and also the first fast food in the world, founded in 1899. The best part is the super cheap price!
Matsuya – Another quite popular chain with over 1000 locations. A fierce competitor of Yoshinoya, it offers other options like curry. It is not as popular among foreigners because it does not have instructions and signage in English.
Sukiya – Another strong competitor of Yoshinoya with great gyudon bowls and over 2000 restaurants in Japan. The menu also includes other tasty options and must-have miso soup. Like most fast food, this one is open 24 hours a day. There are Sukiya chains in Brazil and other countries.
CoCo Ichiban – A large chain of curry rice restaurants. Quick and with various options to enhance your curry like natto, tonkatsu, chicken, etc.
Tenya – A popular rice and tempura restaurant chain in Tokyo.
Ichiran – A chain famous for traditional ramen. To order, you don’t even need to talk to anyone. Just go to the machine, pay there, and enter with your ticket. Even if your noodles run out, as long as you have soup, just ask and they can refill your bowl again.
Japanese fast food snacks
Freshness Burger – As the name suggests, they offer burgers ranging from small to giant, as well as coffee and vegetarian items. It is also famous for a series of exotic sauces.
MOS Burger – A local variation of the famous McDonald’s, with juicy and flavorful burgers. MOS Burger is a Japanese franchise founded in 1972 in Tokyo.
Lotteria – Founded in Japan in 1972 and expanded to South Korea in 1979. It serves burgers with unique flavors like teriyaki or shrimp.
Jef – A restaurant chain from the island of Okinawa, its popular dishes are based on goya, a type of bitter melon.
Pizza-La – One of the largest and most successful pizza chains in Japan. There are various options with unique ingredients different from what we are used to, in addition to the traditional ones.
First Kitchen – A popular restaurant in Tokyo famous for selling burgers, pizza, pasta, and fried chicken.
Other Fast Food in Japan – List
To conclude the article, let’s leave a small list of other Fast Food that deserve mention:
- Ajisen Ramen;
- Aoki’s Pizza;
- Beard Papa’s;
- Dipper Dan;
- Dom Dom;
- Gyoza no Ohsho;
- Hotto Motto;
- Ichibanya;
- Matsuya Foods;
- Mister Donut;
- Pepper Lunch;
- Yogen Früz;
- Beard Papa’s
And you? What do you think of fast food in Japan? We appreciate your comments and shares.
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