From MOS Burger To Yoshinoya! Japanese Fast Food

There Are Many Fast Food Chains In Japan

High-end sushi and famous ramen stores are great, but if you're traveling Japan, why not try out some of the Japanese fast food restaurants? There are many fast food chains that are exclusive to Japan, and even some worldwide chains have special Japanese menus.

Today we'll be introducing some of our favorite Japanese fast food.

Hamburgers (MOS Burger, Freshness Burger, etc.)

Hamburgers are found worldwide as one of the most popular fast foods. Burgers are loved by all generations and ages, but in Japan you'll find some unique chain restaurants.

The most well-known Japanese hamburger shops may be MOS Burger, with its special flavors made especially to the liking of the Japanese, Freshness Burger, where you can enjoy the fresh ingredients and even alcohol, and Lotteria, famous for its delicious cheeseburgers.

MOS Burger, with its high-quality ingredients and service, is especially popular among visitors from overseas. Recommended is the standard MOS Burger, made with a great collaboration of a juicy patty and special meat sauce, which has been studied and created to satisfy the taste buds of the Japanese. Their prices are around 200 yen to 500 yen. The burger chain's products are made in cooperation with farms throughout Japan, so it is a highly recommended fast food chain, even for families with small children.

America-born McDonald's offers the Teriyaki McBurger, as well as the autumn-only Tsukimi Burger, a burger with egg, and other Japan-exclusive menus. In recent years, it seems that more and more foreign travelers have been enjoying the Japan-only McDonald's menus. You should stop by one of the hamburger chains we introduced and try the Japanese taste out too!

Gyudon (Yoshinoya, Matsuya, Sukiya, etc.)

In the Japanese fast food world, boasting the same popularity as hamburgers is gyudon (beef bowl). Gyudon is a dish with beef and onions on top of rice. The salty-sweet sauce that tops this dish is made from soy sauce and sugar. The rich taste and large portions have been loved by men especially for ages.

Gyudon chains like Matsuya and Sukiya are very popular all times of day.

Yoshinoya, a famous gyudon chain with over 1,000 shops in the country, is known for its reasonable prices and quick service. The price range is around 300 yen to 600 yen. You can adjust the amount of rice or how much sauce you want on your gyudon bowl, so light eaters don't have anything to worry about. If you're hungry and on a budget, and want to fill your stomach, we highly recommend gyudon chains.

Standing Soba Eateries

These are not generally considered fast food, but there are various food joints that offer quick cheap meals.

Standing soba is one of them. At these soba restaurants, often found on train platforms or inside stations, there are no chairs or tables to sit at.

Here you will see busy businessmen silently eating their food at the counter. One of the most well-known is Fuji Soba, a chain that has over 100 joints just in Tokyo alone. The price range starts from around 300 yen to 600 yen. If you're ever craving cheap and good Japanese food, or if you want to experience the hurried Japanese food culture, we recommend you stop by.

Ten-don

At Tenya, a ten-don chain with over 140 shops throughout Japan, there are various dishes to choose from. You can even order food to-go. Ten-don is a rice bowl dish topped with tempura. At Tenya, fresh tempura deep-fried in 100% vegetable oil can be enjoyed.

The price range is about 450 yen to 800 yen. You can eat the freshly-fried ten-don at the restaurant, or take it to your hotel to eat. It's a convenient chain that you'll find near stations and on busy streets.

Curry Rice

Curry rice is a staple Japanese home cuisine. There are many curry chains throughout Japan that offer curry rice at a reasonable price. One of the most famous is Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (CoCo Ichi). CoCo Ichi offers to-go and delivery as well. 

They have various types of curry, from the standard pork curry and cutlet curry, to vegetarian curry and seafood curry. The price range is about 600 yen to 900 yen. You can choose your sauce and amount of rice, as well as add toppings.

Photos by Pixta