A funny thing to note about Japanese people and Japan in general: people don’t eat on the streets. They think it’s rude. You’ll never see someone with a bag of chips walking down the street. Or a hotdog. There are a couple of acceptable things to eat while standing on the street (and maybe even walking). If the first is ice cream, the second is definitely taiyaki. Taiyaki are piping hot, freshly made hotcakes filled with a variety of flavors. They’re shaped like fish, which is why they’re called taiyaki – taiyaki is literally traslated as grilled sea bream – but they’re not fishy at all. Made with a batter that’s similar to pancakes or waffles, the fish-shaped treats are filled with things like sweet azuki beans, custard cream, and the like. You can usually smell them from a mile away and there’s a store over a hundred years old that specializes in taiyaki. If people are lining up, it’s a good sign.
