Every travel blogger wants to tell you about the hidden omakase, but this is a love letter to the Japan chain restaurants I kept going back to, again and again, like a woman with no imagination and a very happy stomach.
Here’s the thing. I came with a long list of places to try. I did try some of them. But by day three my feet had a mind of their own, and they kept walking me to the same glowing signs. Familiar, fast, cheap and never once disappointing. Japan does chains better than anyone else does restaurants.
So here is my rotation, in the order I fell for them.
1. Gyukaku
For the nights we wanted to sit down and make it an occasion without actually making an effort. Gyukaku is yakiniku; you grill yourself at the table, and the all-you-can-eat sets are dangerous for someone like me. Marinated beef, a little smoke in your hair, a cold drink.
2. Sekai no Yamachan
The chicken wing place that started it all. Yamachan has been serving Nagoya-style tebasaki since 1981, and the wings are thin, crispy, sticky and loaded with black pepper. We eat a bucket, then we order another plate, then we pretend we were sharing.
3. Yoshinoya
The orange sign of comfort. Yoshinoya has been doing gyudon since 1899, starting at the old Nihonbashi fish market, and they have not needed to change much since. Thin beef, sweet onion, rice, done in minutes. Add a raw egg and some beni shoga (pickled ginger) and you have breakfast, lunch or a 10pm emergency.
4. Lawson
Convenience stores in Japan are not convenience stores. They are a lifestyle. Lawson is where I went for Karaage-kun, the little box of fried chicken bites.
5. McDonald’s
Yes, I flew all the way to Japan to eat McDonald’s. Hear me out. Japanese McDonald’s (Tokyo calls it “Makku” and Osaka calls it “Makudo”) is a different universe. The Teriyaki Burger, the Ebi Filet O (prawn, crunchy, perfect), and whatever seasonal special they are pushing that month.
6. 7-Eleven
And finally, 7-Eleven, the one that was in my rotation every single day. The egg sandwich. The onigiri (you know about my onigiri trail dream by now, and 7-Eleven is practically its starting line). The hot coffee for the morning train.
Some people go to Japan and find themselves. I went to Japan and found a routine. Wings on one night, gyudon the next, a konbini run in between, repeat until the flight home. I thought I’d feel guilty about not chasing more new places, but there is something lovely about a city feeling familiar enough that you already have your spots. Maybe that’s the real souvenir. Or maybe it’s the pepper still stuck in my teeth from Yamachan.
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