26

I'm planning a trip to Japan in a couple months.

Here in Korea, shops and restaurants often don't open until late morning--even most coffee shops aren't open for breakfast. The main exceptions are places like convenience stores and McDonald's. As much as I enjoy a McMuffin, I don't want to eat one every day that I'm in Japan.

Are there places open for breakfast in Japan? Or should I look into reserving a room in a hotel that includes breakfast?

When I travel, I like to try the local food. And I don't usually eat big breakfasts, but I like to have something to carry me through until I find lunch/my next meal--especially since I may not be on my regular schedule or know when I'll be eating again. It's difficult to enjoy a trip with a growling stomach.

Blaszard
  • 14,810
  • 20
  • 68
  • 122
miltonaut
  • 1,113
  • 1
  • 9
  • 19
  • 2
    Having to get out to get your breakfast is a huge waste of time, you're much better off eating a decent breakfast in a hotel. – Count Iblis Nov 17 '16 at 22:21
  • 17
    @CountIblis It depends how you travel. If you don't want a big breakfast, grabbing a quick croissant or danish and coffee at a coffee shop can be much faster and cheaper than a full breakfast at a hotel. I'd say it's a matter of personal preference. – Zach Lipton Nov 18 '16 at 00:00
  • 2
    @ZachLipton Yes, for many people that would be good enough. For me the problem is that at breakfast I need to prepare lunch too, because I eat a lot and getting good healthy foods in restaurants is expensive and time consuming. So, I'll have bought my own bread the previous day from a local supermarket and I'll prepare lunch using that bread plus some stuff I can get from the breakfast buffet (I ask permission for that). Then with my stomach full and my breadbasket full, I can leave the hotel. – Count Iblis Nov 18 '16 at 02:00
  • 17
    @CountIblis The OP is asking about Japan, where eating yesterday's supermarket bread for 2 of your 3 meals would mean missing out on a whole lot of incredible food. – lambshaanxy Nov 18 '16 at 03:30
  • 4
    You may want to rethink your idea of breakfast at McDonald's in Japan. – fkraiem Nov 18 '16 at 03:36
  • @fkraiem - how do you mean? it's exactly the same as breakfast at McDonalds in other places ?? – Fattie Nov 18 '16 at 12:48
  • 1
    @JoeBlow It's certainly not the same as in France where I'm from. Also, OP apparently lives in Korea and from the question it seems they only serve muffins there. – fkraiem Nov 18 '16 at 12:57
  • Bonjour - wait, I too lived in France for years ... isn't the breakfast menu at McDonalds much the same as other countries? I don't remember ever noticing it being different? (Other than the wine and beer!) – Fattie Nov 18 '16 at 13:01
  • 1
    Ah damn! @fkraiem - you're right of course, I totally forgot about that!!! p'tit dej is really "petit" at McDonalds in France, quite so. For whtever reason, they don't offer the usual "muffin - breakfast sandwich" gala that is a big part of McDonalds in most countries. (Just for clarity, the Japanese breakfast menu is just the same as the US one.) cordialement – Fattie Nov 18 '16 at 13:03
  • 4
    @CountIblis I typically see Hotels charging ridiculous amounts for breakfast, which,if staying in a city, can be gotten much better and cheaper in many nearby cafes, or much quicker buy buying on the move pastries for a tenth or less of the price of the Hotel breakfast. – CMaster Nov 18 '16 at 13:24
  • 1
    I think it all comes down to the reasons we travel: to me is trying to "feel" the place I've gone, thus food plays a very important part in it. On the other hand, money is too, so...if the hotel serves local breakfast at a reasonable price, or if it is already included in the room rate, why not? Otherwise if the hotel serves continental breakfast, or a local one at a very inflated price...believe me, I'll find a better place to have it ;-D – motoDrizzt Nov 18 '16 at 14:18
  • Are you an early morning person? There seem to be a lot of places that open at 8:00 AM, which may be a bit on the late side if you like to get going early. – Spehro Pefhany Nov 18 '16 at 14:23
  • It's pretty common knowledge that fast food chain menus differ based on the country. A simple search before posting would have cleared that up. –  Nov 18 '16 at 15:51
  • @CMaster Breakfast is free in this hotel and the rooms are only 61 euros! – Count Iblis Nov 18 '16 at 19:43
  • @fkraiem The McDonald'ses (?) here in Korea have the full breakfast menu. I was just using the McMuffin as an example of eating at a McDonald's everyday. – miltonaut Nov 19 '16 at 03:16
  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat. – Ankur Banerjee Nov 20 '16 at 18:53

3 Answers3

36

Yes, there are tons of places open for breakfast in any Japanese city. In particular, cafes open early and nearly always offer a Western-style "morning set" (モーニングセット) usually consisting of toast, eggs and coffee. Here's the morning menu at Doutor, one of the larger chains, but local mom-and-pop cafes also have similar offerings.

A "proper" full American/English breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes etc) is harder to find in Japan. Outside large Western hotels where you'll pay through the nose, your best bet is likely family restaurants (ファミレス famiresu), some of which open early and offer this. Denny's, in particular, is ubiquitous and does a reasonable facsimile for 500 yen and up: http://www.dennys.jp/menu/select-morning/

If you're looking for a more local experience, Japanese fast food chains like Yoshinoya also open early and serve Japanese-style breakfasts, typically rice, miso soup and grilled fish (search for 朝食). Just beware the raw egg, which you're supposed to stir into your rice, and the little plastic pack of natto (fermented soybeans), which most non-Japanese find tough going, particularly first thing in the morning. Or if you're an adventurous eater, go to your local market and have raw fish for breakfast with the fishermen!

lambshaanxy
  • 99,649
  • 41
  • 569
  • 806
  • 7
    Great suggestion about the fishermen. One friend of mine did it and said it's an awesome experience. – Itai Nov 18 '16 at 05:47
  • Thanks for the suggestions, but I'll skip the fish market. Not a fan of fish in raw or cooked forms. Blech. >.< – miltonaut Nov 18 '16 at 11:59
  • 1
    hi @miltonaut, hmm, it's a shame you don't enjoy fish - Japan is the home of fish cuisine and almost everything there is a bit fish based. Perhaps you will learn to enjoy fish, when in Japan. – Fattie Nov 18 '16 at 12:49
  • Raw egg stirred into rice and topped with a little soy sauce is called tamago kakegohan and it is delicious. Given the prevalence of raw egg in Japanese cuisine, I wouldn't worry about the safety issue there. Texture may be an issue for some, though. – senschen Nov 18 '16 at 17:56
  • 1
    Interesting, I rarely found anything that looked like a proper western style breakfast in my travels in Japan. Often if I had a hankering for hearty eggs, I had to wait until the afternoon for オムライス omelette places to open. – Paul Nov 19 '16 at 00:23
5

You can always go to nearest 24x7 "kombini" and buy obento in Japan.

vdudouyt
  • 211
  • 1
  • 4
4

In the neighborhoods which have a subway or rail stop there are many places which serve breakfast items just outside the stations. I tried everything from pastry filled with egg, cheese, ham and other foods popular to Westerners, as well as fish and sushi. Eggs are very popular.

Nicholas Cimato
  • 41
  • 1