Hunting for the Best Tokyo Street Food: 10 Must-Visit Spots

Tokyo has an enviable foodie scene, boasting numerous Michelin-starred restaurants and a wealth of sushi restaurants and tiny ramen joints that are guaranteed to get your mouth watering. The city also has an amazing variety of street food on offer, which is perfect for those times when you want something delicious to eat on the go.

Low in price but high in flavor, Tokyo street food is a tasty window into another side of Japanese food culture. Getting hungry yet? Here are 10 of the top locations to sample Japanese street food in Tokyo.

Also explore: Tokyo's "viral" foods.

Here are the best spots to check out if you're wondering where to find street food in Tokyo.

Also known as Ameyoko, Ameya Yokocho (literally "candy store alley") is a bustling market street in Ueno. Historically, it was the site of a black market where residents could buy American goods, but now it’s a great place to shop for everything from clothes to cosmetics. Plus, there’s plenty of street food to enjoy!

Experience one of the most unique local traditions by heading to a candy shop and buying a bag for the staff to fill up with random sweets and treats for just ¥1,000. If you prefer something savory, try the rich and juicy A5 wagyu beef menchi katsu (ground meat cutlet), which is an absolute bargain at ¥400.

Ameya Yokocho Access Info: Ameyoko is a short walk from Ueno Station and Okachimachi Station on the JR Yamanote Line, and Ueno-Okachimachi Station on the Oedo Line.

Join the Ueno Food Tour to explore the best spots in Ameyoko and the Ueno Park area with a local guide!

Tsukiji Fish Market dates all the way back to 1935 and was once the largest wholesale fish market in Japan. The inner market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the outer market still has around 300 shops and restaurants to discover. It’s the ideal spot to try fresh, seafood-based Japanese street food such as melt-in-your-mouth slices of sashimi, seafood bowls brimming with fresh fish, and tamagoyaki rolled omelets that are packed with shrimp and have just a hint of delicious sweetness.

Tsukiji Market Access Info: Tsukiji Market is a short walk from Tsukiji Shijo Station on the Oedo Line and Tsukiji Station on the Hibiya Line.

Since the lively markets and stalls of the famous Tsukiji Fish Market may feel a bit overwhelming at first, we’d recommend joining one of our expert local guides for a tour.

In this food and walking tour, for example, you’ll wander carefree from stall to stall with an English-speaking guide by your side, sampling traditional Japanese foods like tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet), fried fish cake, sushi, matcha green tea, sake and more!

Having managed to survive the World War II air raids undamaged, the historic Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street oozes traditional charm. It also used to be home to many cute street cats, so this Tokyo shopping street has adopted the maneki neko (lucky beckoning cat) as its unofficial mascot — see if you can spot all seven statues as you tuck into all the yummy Tokyo street food during your visit!

Don’t miss the hasami-age renkon (meat sandwiched between two slices of crunchy lotus root), unique cat-shaped fuku nyan-yaki versions of taiyaki cakes, and an unusual Japanese street food dessert of chocolate-covered, chewy dango dumplings.

Yanaka Ginza Access Info: Yanaka Ginza is a short walk from Nippori Station on the JR Yamanote Line.

Join the Tokyo Old Town Food Tour in Yanaka Ginza or learn how to make taiyaki from scratch during the Taiyaki Making Experience in Asakusa, Tokyo!

After trying the fuku nyan-yaki in Yanaka Ginza, you might want to try some other taiyaki shapes that Tokyo has to offer. 

This walking tour will take you through the historic Asakusa district, where you will learn about the history of its famous landmarks from your English-speaking guide while eating various delicious street foods along the way. 

One of those street foods is ningyo-yaki, which come in a variety of shapes. You can try special Asakusa shapes like Senso-ji’s five-story pagoda or the big lantern of Kaminarimon!

Harajuku is not only the best place to go for unique fashion and creative subcultures, but it’s also home to some of the best street food in Tokyo. Walking down and around Takeshita Street, you can find the most Instagrammable snacks, including cookie dough milkshakes, ice cream cones shaped like adorable animals, sodas served in lightbulbs, and a crispy, towering "tornado potato" spiral flavored with soy sauce and butter.

For something really eye-catching, try the rainbow cheese toast filled with bright, multicolored gooey cheese that stretches enticingly as you pull it apart or take a bite.

Explore these colorful Harajuku street foods on the Instagrammable food tour!

Harajuku Access Info: Harajuku Station is on the JR Yamanote Line, and the Meiji-jingu-mae subway station is just a short walk away.

Jizo-dori Shopping Street in Sugamo is affectionately known as "Grandma’s Harajuku" because many of its stores are aimed at older generations. Sugamo is also a great location to try some traditional Japanese street food such as fried and candied sweet potatoes, crispy rice crackers, and a more unusual moist, pancake-like variety of senbei rice crackers.

Be sure to sample the local specialty, shio daifuku, which is a unique salted mochi (rice cake) that’s super fluffy, with a saltiness that perfectly balances the sweetness of the red bean paste inside. Explore Jizo-dori's best street food on a local tour of Sugamo!

Sugamo Access Info: Jizo-dori Shopping Street is a short walk from Sugamo Station on the JR Yamanote and Mita lines.

Nakano is a hub of otaku culture, especially in the Nakano Broadway shopping complex which is filled with manga, anime and memorabilia stores. Among these, you’ll also find some tasty Tokyo street food stalls to keep you fuelled as you browse.

Tuck into imagawayaki pancakes filled with fluffy sweet potato or deep-fried karepan (Japanese curry bread) that's perfectly crispy on the outside and deliciously doughy on the inside. For your Japanese street food dessert, treat yourself to an eight-flavor, kaleidoscopic ice cream tower from Daily Chiko.

Or, for a food tour that takes you off the streets and into the warm embrace of local izakaya bars for tempura and Japanese BBQ, join our private Nakano food tour.

Nakano Broadway & Nakano Sun Mall Access Info: Nakano Sun Mall starts by the north exit of Nakano Station on the JR Chuo Line and Tozai Line, and Nakano Broadway is a five-minute walk along the arcade.

This nostalgic Sunamachi Ginza Shopping Street in Tokyo's shitamachi (downtown) area boasts 670 meters of stores selling everything from traditional Japanese sweets and tea to yummy street food.

It's a wonderful spot to sample authentic eats such as freshly fried kakiage (mixed tempura), soft steamed buns packed with meat and vegetables, and red date chimaki. This consists of sticky rice wrapped in a bamboo leaf with a stewed red date filling that’s deliciously sweet and syrupy.

Sunamachi Ginza Access Info: A short bus ride from Kinshicho Station on the JR Sobu Line and the Hanzomon Line.

At an amazing 800 meters long, Musashi Koyama Shopping Street is the longest covered shopping street in all of Tokyo. As well as clothing, electronics and stationery, you can find plenty of mouthwatering Japanese street food here.

Some of the most famous treats include fluffy anpan breads from Komine Bakery, which are filled with different textures, colors, and flavors of sweet bean paste. Musashi Koyama is also a fantastic spot to try juicy grilled yakitori chicken skewers, a perennially popular Tokyo street food that all meat-eaters have to try when they visit Japan.

Musashi Koyama Shopping Street Access Info: At the east exit of Musashi-Koyama Station, on the Tokyu Meguro Line.

Said to be Tokyo’s longest shopping street at 1.3 kilometers, Togoshi Ginza Shopping Street was actually built using bricks from the high-end Ginza district after the latter was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. The classic Tokyo street food to sample here is breaded potato croquettes, as well as rich and juicy menchi katsu cutlets.

Don’t miss the unique oden croquettes, which are mouthwateringly crisp on the outside, beautifully fluffy on the inside and incorporate the dashi flavor of the oden broth.

Togoshi Ginza Access Info: A short walk from Togoshi Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro Ikegami Line and Asakusa Line.

Oyama Happy Road is another shotengai (shopping street) that got its start following World War II, and today it still encapsulates the spirit of the Showa era (1926–1989). With over 200 shops, many of the establishments have been passed down generations, like Arai Meat Shop, which opened 86 years ago and is now in the hands of its third generation owner. Their ham and cheese “sand” katsu is crisp and creamy — recommended for Japanese street food lovers with a hankering for something savory. 

For those with a sweet tooth, check out the wagashi and onigiri shop Iseya, which has been in business since 1955. The longstanding crepe shop Pierrot is another great stop for either dessert or a savory snack. Passed down from father to son, the shop now offers more than 300 types of crepes. Their famous mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and cheese crepe has even been featured in the manga Gekikara Kachou in which the main character tries the spiciest food at actual restaurants in Japan in order to impress his kohai (junior) at work. 

Oyama Happy Road Access Info: 3-minute walk from Oyama Station on the Tobu-Tojo Line.

Hopefully, this post has given you some inspiration about where to eat street food in Tokyo, Japan, and the sort of delicious treats you’ll find when you visit the food stalls, or yatai. This is only the tip of the iceberg, so be sure to keep an eye out for all the other amazing street food this city has to offer.

• Have some cash on hand. While some shops may accept credit cards or electronic currencies, shopping street and market stalls might prefer bills and coins. 
• Be prepared to wait in line — especially if you want to snap a pic with a viral food item. It's part of the experience!
• Be mindful of rules! It's generally frowned upon to eat and walk in Japan. Some places may have dedicated areas to eat, so set yourself to the side of walking traffic and dig in. When in doubt, ask!

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Yes, street food in Tokyo is safe. The city has health and safety regulations in place that street food vendors must follow.

Takoyaki is probably the most popular street food in Tokyo, but there are many other popular choices, including taiyaki and yakitori.