The first thing that comes to mind when we think of Japanese food is sushi.
Sushi is a traditional type of Japanese food made with vinegared rice and other ingredients such as seafood, vegetables, and raw fish.
Japan has its own unique variety of sushi including:
- tamago sushi
- Inari-zushi
- chukujime
- akazu
- and nigirizushi just to name a few
There are also many pizzerias in Japan, where you can find different types of pizza with original toppings not often found elsewhere.
While the taste may be different from what you’re used to, these pizzas have become increasingly popular among locals and tourists alike in recent years.
Table of Contents
we look at the latest trending pizzas and toppings in Japan
We found an interesting survey carried out in Japan that said the most popular current pizzas are the ones listed below:
- Margherita 60% and Seafood 31%
- Bacon, potatoes 27%
- Four cheese (Quattro formaggi) 25%
- Basil and garlic (Genovese) 20%
- Teriyaki chicken only 15%
- Soft-boiled egg and ham (Bismarck) 15%
- Shrimp, mayonnaise 15%
- Potatoes, mayonnaise 10%
- Spicy pollack roe (Mochi & Mentaiko) 7%
However, the 6 Pizza toppings below are growing in popularity fast and it would not surprise me if they are on the most popular pizza list next year.
1. Don Don Pizza
Don don pizza is a combination of a pizza and a donburi (rice bowl).
It is a crispy pizza topped with chopped cabbage, sliced eggs and sweet sauce.
This pizza was invented by a restaurant owner from Tokyo who had been inspired by the Japanese donburi dishes.
The inspiration came from the fact that donburi is also made with a crispy topping.
The don don pizza became a hit as it didn’t just stick to being a pizza, but also brought something new to the table.
The delicious pizza can be found in several places across Japan.
2. Hokkaido Cheese Pan
Hokkaido is the northernmost island of Japan. It is also the largest producer of milk in the country.
The cheese pan pizza is a must-try if you’re in Hokkaido. It’s a baked pizza topped with melted cheese and a custard made with corn flour.
While it may sound unusual, the melted cheese on a crispy base is absolutely delicious.
The cheese pan was invented by a restaurant owner in the early 2000s. He had come up with the recipe due to the surplus of milk from Hokkaido.
He wanted to come up with an innovative way to use the milk, and the cheese pan was the outcome.
The cheese pan soon became popular and spread across Japan.
3. Chicken Curry Pizza
Chicken curry pizza is a pizza topped with curry and sliced chicken.
It may sound odd and unusual, but this pizza has become a popular choice for many Japanese.
It is especially popular among office workers, who eat it for lunch due to the ease of preparing and eating.
Like many other popular types of pizzas in Japan, the chicken curry pizza is served in various places across the country.
It’s easy to find this delicious pizza in Japan. The chicken curry pizza was invented by a pizza chain in the 1990s due to the growing popularity of curry.
This pizza soon became popular, and a number of pizza chains came up with their own versions.
4. Shrimp Don Pizza
Shrimp don pizza is a baked pizza topped with shrimp and a special sauce.
It was invented by a pizza chain in the 1990s.
The pizza chain wanted to come up with an innovative way to use shrimp, which is a very popular ingredient in Japan.
The shrimp don pizza is different from other types of pizzas in Japan as it is baked in an oven. The shrimp don pizza soon became popular and spread across the country.
There are various places where you can try this delicious pizza in Japan.
5. Calpis Pan (Calpis and Shrimp Pizza)
Calpis is a Japanese soft drink made from fermented milk. It is a popular drink among Japanese children and teenagers.
The Calpis pan is a baked pizza topped with a special sauce made with Calpis and shrimp. As with the shrimp don pizza, this pizza is baked in an oven.
It is popular among both adults and children. The Calpis pan was invented by a pizzeria in the 1990s.
The Calpis pan is different from other types of pizzas in Japan as it is baked in an oven.
Like other popular pizzas in Japan, the Calpis pan can be easily found in various places across the country.
6. Katsu Don Pizza
Katsu don pizza is a baked pizza topped with a katsu sauce.
It is a variation of the famous Japanese katsu dish. This pizza can be found in various places in Japan. It was invented by a pizza chain in the 1990s.
The pizza chain wanted to come up with an innovative way to use the katsu sauce, which is very popular among Japanese people.
Katsu don pizza soon became popular and spread across the country.
When did Pizza first arrive in Japan?
In Japan, Pizza was introduced to the country in the early 1960s.
The first pizza restaurant opened in Tokyo in 1964. It was located in a large building on Ueno Street and is still one of the oldest pizza restaurants in Japan.
The restaurant was called “Pizza Hut”, I’m sure you have been to one and it had a capacity of 200 customers.
The owner of this restaurant had a dream to open a pizzeria that could serve more than two types of pizza at once.
He wanted to have an international pizzeria that would be able to serve several restaurant models, including katsu don pizzas, udon and Takoyaki (rice balls).
The owner liked this idea so much that he decided to start his own business. He started his business by selling katsu don pizzas and udon for about 300 yen for each pizza made by him.
He started selling udon for about 100 yen per bowl from other restaurants as well as from his own store, which was called “Udon Shop”.
After Two Years – Udon Shop received its license from the Osaka Prefectural Board of Health due to its popularity among children.
The owner continued selling udon at Udon Shop until it closed down on July 30th, 1973.
Is Pizza the most popular fast food in Japan?
No, the most popular fast-food chains are listed below:
- 1 – McDonald’s (67 percent)
- 2 – Mister Donut (46 percent)
- 3 – MOS Burger (32 percent)
- 4 – Kentucky Fried Chicken (29 percent)
- 5 – Subway (10 percent)
- 6 – Lotteria (9 percent)
- 7 – Krispy Kreme (6 percent)
- 8 – Freshness Burger (3 percent)
However, “Pizza Hut” is the most popular restaurant in Japan, when it comes to pizza take out with about 7.4 million pizzas sold every year.
“Pizza Hut” has its own “pizzeria”, which was first opened in Osaka, then moved to Tokyo and finally to Osaka.
The name of the original location is unknown, but it’s believed that it was founded by a Japanese immigrant named Hiroshi Fukuda.
The original location was located at Nakanoshima Station of the Tokyo Metro subway system, where a large number of customers came to have pizza at least once a day.
The owner decided that he wanted to open his own restaurant because he wanted to give back to the people who helped him start his business.
So he decided to open more locations so that more people could come around and share their love for pizza with each other.
As time went by, the owners of Pizza Hut started selling pizzas at night so they would be better able to attract customers from other parts of Japan as well as from overseas.
Since Then – Pizza Hut has built up a huge fan base around the world, including North America and South America.
As a result of this popularity, Pizza Hut has become one of the largest fast food chains in Japan today.
Conclusion
Japanese pizza is usually different from the type of pizza found in other parts of the world.
While the toppings used may be unusual, they are still delicious and worth a try for those who visit Japan. These six types of pizza are among the most popular types in Japan currently.
I don’t think any of them will take the crown away from the favorite “Margherita”, but they might find their way into the top 10 pizza toppings in the future.
And don’t forget to wash it down with a refreshing can of Calpis!
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