The usual dishes that come to mind when one thinks of Japanese food are sushi, ramen, yakitori, and tempura. But have you ever heard of yoshoku?
Literally translating to "Western food," yoshoku is a Western-style cuisine adapted to appeal to the Japanese palate. Yoshoku, or Western-style cuisine, can be found all over Japan, most especially in Tokyo, the center of commercial activity in Japan, and the port city of Yokohama.
It is a comfort food that feeds the soul after a long day at work or at school, which is why both adults and children love yoshoku.
Here, Western-style protein is served with rice (not bread). The dishes are plated (not served in a bowl) and eaten with a spoon (not chopsticks). Cheese is a common ingredient, but so are demi-glace sauce, ketchup and other pantry staples readily available in Japan.
Is yoshoku Western-influenced Japanese food or Japanese-influenced Western food? Let’s dive into the flavorful world of yoshoku!
What is yoshoku?
Yoshoku is a Western food reimagined and adapted through the lens of Japanese ingredients and culinary techniques. Western food, by yoshoku standards, doesn’t mean authentic Neapolitan pizza, French pate or an American cheeseburger.
Japanese people first encountered Western cuisine in the 16th century when trade with Spain and Portugal began. However, due to the country’s ban on meat consumption, yoshoku — which is largely meat-based — did not take hold in Japan at that time.
It wasn't until the Meiji Restoration, when Japan opened its ports to America and Europe, that the ban was lifted, and the Japanese began to embrace Western cuisine.
Yoshoku continued to evolve, particularly after World War II, when it was heavily influenced by the United States. In 1946, amid severe food shortages, Japanese-American volunteer organizations sent large quantities of aid to Japan, including powdered milk and wheat. This led to the introduction of koppepan, small loaves of bread made from donated wheat, into school lunches to improve the diet of Japanese children.
As the United States continued to export surplus wheat to Japan, bread became a popular staple, and yoshoku dishes made from wheat — such as spaghetti and pizza — were integrated into Japanese food culture.
Where can you eat yoshoku?
Western-style food is often served in fami-resu (family restaurants), where Japanese families can enjoy their spaghetti and hamburg dishes. If you don’t have time to go to a restaurant, you can purchase yoshoku meals pre-packaged and ready-to-eat from the many chains of convenience stores and supermarkets around Tokyo.
Whether you’ve eaten it in a restaurant or purchased in a convenience store, yoshoku will always be a staple of the Japanese diet.
Must-Try Yoshoku Foods in Japan
1. Omurice
Want to learn how to make omurice? Check out Shizuka from byFood as she attempted to create the dish with an instructor!
Definitely a favorite among kids, omurice or omuraisu is an omelet stuffed with ketchup-flavored fried rice. It is actually one of the staple dishes served in yoshoku-ya (yoshoku restaurants).
Omurice is prepared by stir-frying rice with ingredients such as chicken, onions, and other vegetables, and then seasoning it with ketchup. Finally, the ketchup-seasoned rice is wrapped in a thin layer of omelet and decorated with even more ketchup.
First invented in the 19th century (with competing claims of origin in Osaka and Ginza), omurice became even more popular after viral videos, such as one showcasing the chef at Kichi Kichi Omurice in Kyoto cutting open a giant omelet to let the runny egg spill over the rice.
Loved, admired and even immortalized in film (like in 1985’s Tanpopo), omurice is often featured on maid cafe menus, where maids decorate the dish with ketchup at the table as part of their service.
Find out more: Best Omurice in Tokyo
Make your own omurice!
Discover omurice for yourself in this Kanagawa cooking class. Choose between making it in the traditional style with ketchup fried rice wrapped in egg or a toro-toro omurice with scrambled eggs laid atop a bed of the ketchup fried rice.
No matter which you pick, the end result will be delicious. With vegetarian and gluten-free modifications available, this class can also be adjusted to various dietary restrictions.
2. Doria
The name doria came from Andrea Doria, a 15th-century military commander. The dish originated in Yokohama. Its birthplace is fitting, as the port city was one of the first to be exposed to Western influence.
Doria is very much like the French gratin, which is made with bechamel sauce, cheese and rice (instead of potato). It was first introduced in Japan by Swiss chef Saly Weil, who was working at the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama during the 1930s. A sick customer asked if the chef could make something soothing for their throat, and so the Japanese doria came to be.
Doria is usually made with shrimp cooked in cream sauce with a gratin sauce, topped over rice, and baked in the oven with a generous serving of cheese on top, though there are many different and creative versions of this classic yoshoku dish in Japan. The name doria came from Andrea Doria, a 15th-century military commander.
3. Spaghetti Napolitan
Napolitan — or naporitan — pasta might look every bit Italian at first glance, with its tomato-based sauce tossed over thick spaghetti, but a closer look reveals that it strays far from the traditional Naples recipe.
Spaghetti napolitan was also born in Yokohama at the Hotel New Grand, when General MacArthur used the hotel as his headquarters in August of 1945. Hoping to please the general and U.S. officers, Chef Irie Shigetada had an idea about what to serve to make them feel more at home.
He had pasta on hand and made a fresh batch of sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, onion, mushrooms and boneless ham.The dish made such a buzz that other hotels in the area started serving their own spaghetti napolitan.
Nowadays, spaghetti napolitan is usually made with green peppers and ketchup-based sauce, but Hotel New Grand still sticks to their original tomato paste-based recipe.
The ketchup sauce in this pasta hits multiple taste senses: sweet, tangy, salty and umami, creating a flavor profile distinct from what Western palates might expect from tomato-based pasta.
4. Hambagu (Japanese hamburger steak)
An oriental take on the Salisbury steak, hambagu is a Japanese-style hamburger steak. Unlike the typical American hamburger, which is served in a bun, hambagu is served as a patty on a plate, often accompanied by rice or vegetables.
Hambagu is made from ground beef (sometimes mixed with pork), seasoned with ingredients like onions, garlic, soy sauce and breadcrumbs and bound with egg. It’s then shaped into a patty and either pan-fried or grilled. Hamburg is usually served with demi-glace sauce.
5. Korokke (Japanese croquette)
Typically cheap yet satisfying, korokke is both literally and figuratively a meat-and-potatoes dish that’s long been a staple of Japanese home cooking. It is deep-fried, greasy and delicious.
The name "korokke" comes from the French croquette and the dish is similar in style. It is made with mashed boiled potatoes, mixed with other ingredients such as onions and minced meat. It is then formed into a ball, coated in flour, egg yolk, and breadcrumbs, bathed in hot oil and deep-fried. Some korokke are paired with type of Worcestershire sauce.
6. Kare (Japanese curry)
At first glance, an unassuming plate of curry might not evoke much enthusiasm — its deep light brown hue can seem ordinary — but this comforting dish is a staple in Japan's culinary landscape.
Introduced by the British during the Meiji era, curry is considered a yoshoku (Western-inspired) dish. The British, who controlled India at the time, most likely introduced curry powder to Japan. The magic of Japanese curry lies in the curry roux, which results in a thicker, sweeter curry that's less spicy than its South Asian counterpart.
Japanese curry takes many different forms, such as curry rice or kare raisu, curry udon, and kare pan or curry bread. Japanese curry is made with simple yet flavorful ingredients which include cubed potatoes, carrots, onions, and your choice of meat (usually pork or beef).
Discover the world of Japanese curry
Learn how to make your own plate of delicious Japanese curry under the guidance of a pro-home cooking instructor in this curry cooking class in Tokyo.
Choose from a tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) or vegetable curry before diving in. Prep the ingredients, learn the proper cooking methods, plate your curry and then dig in to enjoy your handmade meal.
7. Hayashi rice
Leave it to yoshoku to take Western-style dishes and incorporate rice, as seen in hayashi rice. This "hashed beef" dish features thinly sliced beef and mushrooms cooked in a rich demi-glace sauce, giving it a velvety, stew-like texture.
Hayashi rice becomes a hearty Japanese comfort food, with spoon-tender beef, onions and mushrooms braised in a savory-sweet roux. The flavor is a delightful balance of acidity and sweetness without being cloying. This subtle sweetness lends a sophisticated depth to the dish. A popular variation is omuhayashi, which combines the beloved omurice (fried rice wrapped in an omelet) with hayashi rice.
8. Tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlets)
Most people would agree that if you haven’t tried tonkatsu, you’re missing out on a key part of Japanese cuisine. This breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet is typically made from a thick, boneless pork loin or tenderloin. The meat is coated in flour, dipped in beaten egg and then covered in panko breadcrumbs before being fried to crispy, golden perfection.
Originally inspired by Western-style breaded cutlets, tonkatsu became popular in Japan during the late 19th to early 20th century, around the Meiji era. Today, it’s a comforting dish enjoyed in both restaurants and homes, with variations like katsudon (tonkatsu served over rice with egg) and katsusando (a tonkatsu sandwich).
Find out more: All About Tonkatsu, Japan’s Crispy Pork Cutlet
Combine yoshoku dishes for a delicious meal
In this Tokyo cooking class, you’ll learn how to cook various yoshoku dishes, culminating in a delicious feast of flavor.
Under the guidance of a professional chef, you’ll make crispy tonkatsu to pair with a plate of Japanese curry. Learn how to deep fry the Japanese way as you fry not just tonkatsu but also a plate of fried shrimp as you delve into the world of yoshoku dishes.
9. Furai (Japanese fried food)
Furai is a Japanese loanword derived from "fry," referring to breaded seafood or vegetables and is a form of yoshoku (Western-influenced Japanese cuisine).
While it shares characteristics with other deep-fried dishes like katsu and tempura, it differs in key ways. Unlike katsu, which refers to breaded and fried proteins like chicken, pork, or beef (typically in a disc shape), furai is mainly used for seafood and vegetables.
Furai uses panko breadcrumbs for a hearty, crunchy coating, while tempura features a light batter that creates a delicate, airy crispness.
Popular furai dishes include ebifurai (fried shrimp), oyster furai and crab furai, commonly found in yoshoku restaurants or family-style diners in Japan, typically served alongside rice.
10. Japanese pizza
An Italian name, with an American-style base and Japanese toppings — this is the remarkable take on pizza in Japan. Rumor has it that Japan’s first pizzeria was Nicola’s, opened by Italian-American Nick Zapetti in 1954 in Roppongi, which helped spark the pizza craze in the years that followed.
By the 1970s, pizza could be found in cafes, family restaurants and Western-style establishments across the country, giving rise to several unique iterations.
Far beyond the usual pepperoni, marinara, or cheese toppings, Japanese pizza incorporates local favorites like teriyaki chicken, squid ink, cod roe (mentaiko), corn and mayo, and even the infamous natto. There's often a sweeter preference in the flavor profile.
That said, Japan doesn’t lack authentic pizza. In fact, Tokyo is considered one of the best cities for pizza in the world, with a number of its pizzerias securing spots on the 50 Top Pizza list.
Find out some of Tokyo's best places to get yoshoku, from pizza to curry and tonkatsu. You can also explore the other side of Japanese cuisine with 50 traditional Japanese foods.