Breakfast the Tokyo Way

It’s important to start each day with a healthy breakfast, and your visit to Tokyo is no exception. In addition to trying a traditional Japanese-style breakfast, there are plenty of Western-style options available, as well as easy-to-use and reasonably-priced family restaurants.
We’ll also introduce some of the more recent breakfast trends, including stand-up noodle bars, and morning ramen.

Traditional Japanese breakfast

In some countries, breakfast is a light meal of cereal and fruit. A traditional Japanese breakfast, on the other hand, might be considered a more substantial meal, often involving white rice, miso soup, and grilled fish. You’ll almost certainly have the opportunity to try a Japanese-style breakfast if you’re staying at a traditional ryokan inn, and many hotels will also offer this option.
There are various places to try a traditional Japanese breakfast in the downtown Shitamachi area of Tokyo. Misojyu is a miso soup specialty store in Asakusa. Its aim is to give people an opportunity to try miso soup, and allow them to experience an important part of Japan's food culture. In addition to healthy miso soup made with organic vegetables, it also serves onigiri rice balls. There’s an English information board inside the store, making it easy to order.
Risaku is an onigiri rice ball cafe in Sendagi. The rice balls and side dishes are all handmade, using selected ingredients from all over Japan. The rice is traditionally cooked in a hagama pot. There are also set menu options, as well as dorayaki desserts.

Misojyu

Risaku

Stylish Western breakfast

Daikanyama and Omotesando are two of the most fashionable areas of Tokyo, where you can observe the latest trends from around the world, and visit stylish shops and restaurants. It’s also full of pleasant green spaces, where you can enjoy a Western-style breakfast in a comfortable and relaxing setting.
Ivy Place, a popular restaurant in Daikanyama, is found in a pleasant green space that suddenly appears in the middle of the city. The breakfast menu, served until 10:45, includes pancakes, granola, egg dishes, seasonal items, and fruit-filled smoothies. The restaurant has a homely atmosphere, and it’s a place where you can start the perfect day surrounded by pleasant greenery.
One of the most popular restaurants in Omotesando, “crisscross” is a friendly café which offers Western-style breakfasts, including pancakes and homemade toast. Enjoy breakfast on the open terrace surrounded by greenery. It also has a bakery called “breadworks” which bakes fresh bread every day.
World Breakfast All Day introduces different breakfasts from around the world, providing the opportunity to learn about different food cultures of the world, with a menu that changes every two months.
Western-style breakfasts are also available in most hotels.

Ivy Place

Ivy Place

crisscross

crisscross

Family restaurants & chain restaurants

Family restaurants and chain restaurants offer simple and affordable breakfast options that you can enjoy at any time. They offer various styles of breakfast at reasonable prices, such as Japanese set meals with rice, miso soup, and grilled fish, as well as Western-style breakfasts with scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast, or seafood bowls and buffets. There is often an all-you-can-drink option at the drink bar, including orange juice and coffee. With multilingual touch screens, cashless payment, and free Wi-Fi, these restaurants are easy to use, and make a perfect starting point for a day out. They are often open 24 hours a day, and also have other menu options such as donburi rice bowls and Japanese curry.

Stand-up noodle restaurants

Stand-up soba and udon restaurants provide a breakfast option that can be eaten quickly when time is of the essence. They can often be found inside or in front of major stations, and are open early in the morning. Join the commuters on their way to work for this tasty, quick and easy breakfast experience. There are plenty of toppings to choose from, such as meat, vegetables, and fried foods. There are also shops that serve a wider variety of options such as curry, katsudon, and ramen.

Morning ramen

The custom of eating “Asa-raa” or “morning ramen” as the first meal of the day, which has long existed in some parts of Japan, has recently become something of a nationwide trend. There are a number of popular ramen restaurants in Tokyo Station where you can sample the culture of morning ramen. The breakfast version often has a lighter soup, and many ramen shops offer a variety of early-bird special deals.