Komeda Coffee

A wonderful Japanese chain of coffee shops originating in Nagoya, Komeda Coffee is the brainchild of Taro Kato. A true innovator, he was a riverboat gambler and monocle aficionado—at least, I hope he was. Just look at their logo.

Komeda has around 100 locations in Nagoya and hundreds more nationwide. They are famous for their Morning Set which is usually served until 11 AM. An order of coffee comes with half a slice of thick Japanese-style toast, an egg, and butter/spread for the toast.

Generally far less crowded than Starbucks, filled with comfy booths and filling foods, Komeda Coffee is a great place to relax and read a book. They also open much earlier than most Japanese coffee shops, 7AM at most locations.

The newer locations have English menus, but they’re not on the tables. You need to ask.

Japan Digital Nomad Visa

If you dream of an extended stay in Japan, the weak yen combined with Japan’s new digital nomad visa creates the perfect opportunity.

Staying longer in Japan will enable you to get comfortable, experience daily rhythms, make connections and friendships with locals, and travel to more varied locations than you could ever experience on a standard holiday.

Japan is an incredibly safe and convenient country. With world-class cafes, affordable and delicious food, comfortable workspaces, and kind people, Japan has you covered.

Japan’s digital nomad visa allows stays for up to six months. In addition to having private health insurance, you must show proof of at least 10 million yen (around $67,000 USD as of 10/20/24) annual income to qualify. 

All the details are spelled out on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.

Finding Great Restaurants

Japan is renowned for its food culture and most visitors look forward to sampling a wide range of delectable cuisine. One of the questions I get most frequently is how to find great restaurants, particularly affordable ones.

Finding great expensive restaurants is not complicated. They appear on every top ten list for best restaurants in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, etc.

Avoiding tourist traps is one thing. Finding affordable restaurants with incredible food where locals eat regularly, is something else altogether.

My favorite way to find new restaurants is to ask people in izakayas, bars, and cafes what places they like. Patrons and service industry folks have lots of insider knowledge and I get great information this way that has led to some of my best meals in Japan. 

This approach works best at a restaurant you’ve discovered that has food you like. However, it may not appeal to shy people, people with little Japanese language ability, or people who prefer having their itinerary sorted before they arrive.

Keeping those things in mind, here’s a way anyone can find great eats. It’s easy to do but requires thinking a little differently.

Japanese people don’t google things in English, foreigners do. The places that come up in English will be geared more towards foreigners and tourists. They will often be more crowded, more expensive, and lower quality. We don’t want this.

To get authentic restaurant recommendations, stop searching in English. It’s time to get comfortable searching in Japanese. It’s not difficult. Put whatever food or type of restaurant you want into any translation app and get the Japanese language spelling. Sushi = 寿司, yakitori = 焼き鳥 or やきとり, okonomiyaki = お好み焼き, ramen = ラーメン, etc.

Now put the Japanese version into your favorite search engine and the location (also translated to Japanese Kanji). It’s that easy.

Ok. You may still feel overwhelmed or want to do more research. In that case, tabelog.com (English, Japanese) has reviews and ratings. I prefer to search in Japanese but read in English.

The first thing you’ll notice is most restaurants have a 3-point something rating. Unlike in the USA and elsewhere, that’s a normal rating in Japan. Japanese people do not default to a 4 or 5 rating. Japanese standards are very high, they don’t give 4s and 5s easily. They will default to a 3 rating with anything above 3 indicating better quality. A 3.5 is a good rating in Japan, and anything over 4 is excellent.

In many countries, the customer is always right. That is not the case in Japan. In Japan, the chef is right, as they know more about the food they are making than 99% of the people in the world. This translates to them preparing and serving food in the best way possible, most of the time. Foreign reviewers may be put off by not getting a certain food served the way they want it, and then give a negative review. So, if you see conflicting reviews, I recommend trusting a local review over a foreign one.

I hope these suggestions lead you to exciting adventures and unbelievable food experiences.