Top 5 Korean Delicacies Every Japanese Traveler Must Taste

① Favorite Korean Foods Among Japanese Visitors

While many Koreans visit Japan, the number of Japanese tourists visiting Korea has also significantly increased. Last year, 2.32 million Japanese visited Korea, making them the top group of tourists. With the increase in Japanese tourists, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization are working to attract more tourists, particularly women in their 20s and 30s, who tend to visit Korea more often, to speed up the recovery of Japanese tourists visiting Korea.

It’s interesting to see where Japanese tourists mainly visit when they come to Korea. I will introduce some famous places in Korea that Japanese tourists particularly enjoy.

One of the popular travel routes for Japanese tourists is Namdaemun Market. Namdaemun Market has been famous among Japanese tourists for a long time. It is an excellent place for shopping and offers a variety of street foods, attracting many visitors. Popular shopping items among Japanese tourists include socks, fashion accessories, and Korean souvenirs.

Japanese tourists enjoy street food such as hotteok, tteokbokki, and steamed buns at Namdaemun Market. Long lines of people waiting to eat vegetable hotteok are often seen. Namdaemun’s Kalguksu Alley and Galchi Alley are also famous among Japanese tourists. At Kalguksu Alley, you can taste kalguksu, barley rice, and cold noodles at affordable prices.

It’s also a great place to enjoy the atmosphere of a traditional Korean market. Namdaemun’s Galchi Alley, which was previously introduced in the Japanese media, continues to attract many tourists.

Many Japanese tourists visit Gejang (marinated crab) restaurants in Euljiro. Famous Gejang restaurants even have menus in Japanese. Gejang restaurants frequently appear in YouTube videos made by Japanese tourists.

Gejang is incredibly popular among Japanese people. It’s a must-try food when visiting Korea. In Korea, you can enjoy a generous serving of Gejang at a much lower price, which attracts Japanese tourists.

Another Korean food that Japanese people particularly enjoy is Tongdak (baked or fried chicken). Many head to Dongdaemun to taste Tongdak. You can see many Japanese tourists in Dongdaemun.

② Visiting Large Shopping Malls

Japanese tourists do not miss out on visiting shopping malls during their trip to Seoul. The Hyundai Seoul is the flagship store of the Hyundai Department Store and the largest single store in Seoul. It recorded sales of $601 million just one year after opening and achieved annual sales of $782 million on December 2 last year.

The Hyundai Seoul was hugely popular as soon as it opened. Its unique interior design, which broke the mold of the traditional department store’s appearance, drew much attention. The Hyundai Seoul allows you to enjoy shopping in natural light indoors. The store’s eco-friendly interior also catches the eye.

Along with The Hyundai Seoul, the Starfield Library in COEX is also popular. Taking a certification photo at the Starfield Library has become a trend.

③ Popularity of Korean Brands Due to Social Media Influence

Due to social media’s influence, various Korean brands are becoming popular among Japanese people. Seongsu-dong has become a popular place for Japanese tourists. Last year, the Korea Tourism Organization announced the results of an analysis of Japanese tourists’ characteristics. They said that the number of Japanese visitors to Seongdong-gu increased after COVID-19.

In Seongsu-dong, there are many places to enjoy besides shopping, such as Cafe Streets and Seoul Forest. Tourists often visit brand showrooms and prop shops in Seongsu-dong. Hannam-dong, where brand showrooms are concentrated, is also popular.

Brands popular among Japanese people in their 20s and 30s include Nonfiction, Matin Kim, Mardi Mercredi, and Tamburines.

Myeong-dong is still a popular travel route for foreign tourists in Korea. In Myeong-dong, there is “Olive Young Myeong-dong Town,” a must-visit place for foreigners. It is the largest Olive Young store in Korea. This location is a foreigner-specialized store that provides English, Chinese, and Japanese services.

The store is two stories high and has more products than other branches. They also created a “K-Beauty Now Zone” where you can explore various K-beauty brands. Olive Young Myeong-dong Town is a place established considering the shopping convenience of foreign customers, and it attracts many foreign tourists. Many Japanese tourists continue to visit.

One Japanese tourist said, “I’ve visited two other Olive Young stores, but the Myeong-dong Town branch is the largest. The foreign language guidance is well done, making shopping easy and fun.”