The 10 best Japanese Festival Food you should try

Japan is known for its exuberant festivals where people can not only witness culture and tradition but also can indulge in an assortment of mouth-watering street foods. From satisfying, savory eats to delightful sweet treats, Japanese festivals offer pleasurable experiences for your taste buds.

Festivals happen the entire year, but it’s during the summer season when most of them take place. So for those planning to visit Japan, why not experience some of the most popular festivals in the country? And while you’re at it, visit the stalls or yatai (屋台) lined up to satisfy your hunger or cravings for the best traditional Japanese festival food.

Today, we’ll give you an idea of the snacks and desserts sold at festivals in the land of the rising sun.

• 1. Yakisoba
• 2. Baby Castella
• 3. Choco Banana
• 4. Ringo Ame (Apple Candy)
• 5. Takoyaki
• 6. Kakigori
• 7. Ikayaki
• 8. Yakitori
• 9. Taiyaki
• 10. Dango

Yakisoba

There's no question that yakisoba is a perennial favorite when talking about Japanese cuisine. Yakisoba, which means fried noodles, is a scrumptious noodle dish seasoned with a flavorful sauce that's sweet, sour, and savory all at the same time. The noodles absorb the flavors, resulting in a rich umami taste that satisfies even the most discerning palates.

The chef may include ingredients like finely chopped vegetables such as cabbage, onions, and carrots, as well as proteins such as pork, chicken, or seafood. Contrary to its name, yakisoba’s major ingredient isn’t soba or buckwheat noodles. Instead, mushi chukamen (蒸し中華麺) or Chinese-style style noodles are used. Texture-wise, they’re like ramen noodles.

Baby Castella

Baby castella is a staple food during festivals. These mini versions of the castella cake are cooked on a takoyaki griddle, making them bite-sized. 

Simple ingredients make up these delightful, fluffy cake balls. Its batter consists of eggs, sugar, flour, and sometimes honey or other flavorings. The batter is then poured on the takoyaki machine and cooked until golden brown.

The result is a batch of irresistibly cute and delicious mini cakes, each with a soft and sponge-like texture. Baby castella cakes are usually served hot, and their small size makes them perfect for popping into your mouth in a single bite. 

Choco Banana

Every festival in Japan, particularly the ones held during the summer, will always have stands selling choco bananas. The combination of the sweet, fleshy fruit and chocolate is simply perfect.

Choco banana sellers also add their own twist to this delectable delight. Some sprinkle them with colorful candies, while others add nuts or granola after the chocolate dip.

Ringo Ame (Apple Candy)

Ringo ame is inspired by Western apple candies. The whole apple is covered in a hard sugar coating, so it has a sweet crunchiness outside and a mild crispiness coming from the apple within.

Other ringo ame sellers make the outer shell extra special by using chocolate instead of syrup or sprinkling some more candies or peanuts. To make ringo ame easy to consume, they are always served on a stick.

There are other variations of the ringo ame. Instead of apples, some shops sell candied grapes or strawberries.

Takoyaki

Takoyaki may have originated from Osaka, but these delicious savory, octopus balls are found everywhere. They’re a classic festival food too! Since it’s very convenient to eat (three to five minutes after cooking), lots of shops sell them at festivals in Japan.

Wheat batter and tender octopus are the major ingredients of takoyaki. But other sellers cook it without the octopus. They use other proteins, instead.

The batter is poured into a griddle with round molds. The balls are cooked until it's golden brown on the outside. Once cooked, it is topped with a sweet, savory sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and more.

Kakigori

Summers in Japan are hot and if you want to escape the heat as you enjoy the sights of the festival, grab yourself a kakigori. It is a shaved ice dessert that comes in different traditional and modern flavors. You can go with classic flavors like strawberry, lemon, mango, sweet plum, and Blue Hawaii, or be more adventurous and choose ones that use unique ingredients like kinako or kuromitsu.

The finely shaved ice creates a light and fluffy texture that will simply melt in your mouth with each bite. Yet another special feature of the kakigori is its appearance. So it’s exciting to see how different shops serve them in different presentations.

Ikayaki

Ikayaki is yet another favorite festival food. As the name suggests, it is a grilled squid skewered on a stick. Available in different sizes and served either whole or sliced, ikayaki is tender and flavorful. Its sauce is either soy or teriyaki sauce.

The squid is quickly prepared, making it tender and easy to eat. You are treated to a delicate, slightly sweet, and savory taste at the same time. The charred edges add a delightful hint of smokiness, creating a perfect balance of textures and tastes. The skewered, grilled squid is excellent to pair with beer. 

Yakitori

There’s a great selection of snacks on a stick sold at Japanese festivals, and one of the popular ones is yakitori. This grilled, skewered meat dish uses different parts of the chicken and comes with vegetables too. 

Yakitori sauce is seasoned on the meat, creating a balance of smoky, salty, and sweet flavors. Each skewer is carefully grilled to perfection, allowing the meat to become juicy and infused with the rich flavors of the sauce.

Taiyaki

Taiyaki is an absolute must-try if you’re planning to visit Japan and experience its different festivals. This fish-shaped treat commonly has red bean paste or anko (餡こ) as its filling, but there are other flavors too. Some of the favorites include chocolate, custard, and cheese. 

Taiyaki is quite similar to waffles. It is cooked on a fish-shaped mold, giving it its distinctive appearance. The batter, typically made from a mixture of flour, sugar, eggs, and milk, is poured into the mold and filled with the desired filling. The mold is then closed, and the taiyaki is cooked over a hot griddle until it becomes golden brown and crispy on the outside.

Dango

Dango is a snack you'll find everywhere when you visit the stalls of festivals and shopping districts in the land of the rising sun. The traditional snack, depending on the variety, can be made of mochi, wheat, millet, and soba.

The balls are either cooked either by boiling or grilling then are drizzled with sweet sauce. They are served on a stick just like most festival food. 

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a place where all of Japan’s must-try foods can be found, you can never go wrong with festivals, especially the events held during the summer. Since they’re all served in a convenient manner (mostly on a stick), you can explore the interesting sights and visit more shops as you munch on your sweet or savory treat. 

Get yourself some Japanese festival flavors in our Japanese snack box!