How do you choose between the legends here, between ramen, the noodle of true obsessives, and soba, so pristine and beautiful, and udon, hearty and filling? The answer is, you can’t. Or at least, I can’t. When you’re in Japan you should seek out all examples from the noodle world, served hot or cold, with hearty soups or clear broths, with side dishes or given solo starring roles.

We couldn’t skip Japan’s most famous delicacy. Although it’s not quite as ubiquitous in its homeland as you might expect, there is still a genuine love and respect for sushi in Japan, and at a high-end, omakase-style sushi bars you will find nigiri that is absolutely mind-blowing in its exquisite flavour and texture, driven by the laser-like attention to detail of its chefs.

As with so many of the great dishes of Japan, you could describe yakitori very simply: it’s chicken on a stick. But that would be selling this style of cuisine well short, because in practice this is a refined art, as chefs take all sorts of interesting cuts of poultry and vegetables and grill them over artisanal binchotan coals to absolute perfection.

Here’s another simple concept – grilled beef – launched into the stratosphere. At yakiniku joints, diners gather around small grills and cook their own cuts of wagyu, everything from sirloin and rib to tongue, oyster blade and more. Hot tip: on the 29th of each month, many yakiniku joints have special offers, because the word “ni-ku” can be read as both the number 29, and “meat”.

Coffee is a big deal in Japan, because of course it is. The culture here has evolved over the last 100 years or so, and you can still find purveyors of all the historical styles, from the old-fashioned “kissaten” coffee shops, to the American-style chain stores such as Doutor, to the new-wave espresso joints, to the hipster boltholes doing artisanal pour-overs.

It’s time to get out of your comfort zone and sample a classic Japanese beer snack that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Shiokara means “salty-spicy”: it’s raw squid that’s chopped up and mixed with a paste of salty fermented squid guts. The result is… look, it’s a challenge, but if you do enjoy the taste, you will love it with a cold beer.

French pastries, in Japan? Is that legit? We are here to tell you this is 100 per cent legit. The Japanese are obsessed with croissants, pain au chocolat, escargot and the like, and local chefs do them incredibly well. This is actually your entry point into a world of foreign foods made with great skill in Japan, everything from Neapolitan-style pizza to Valencian paella and more.

This is not going to take much persuasion. Katsu is breaded, deep-fried meat. You’re in, right? And now we can tell you about tonkatsu, the king of the katsu world, a chunky pork schnitzel that is served with shredded cabbage doused in sesame dressing, with rice on the side, and usually a cold beer. Or, you could have your katsu with curry sauce (katsu kare). Or, on rice with an eggy sauce (katsudon). You can’t lose.

You could spend a lifetime studying sake, the Japanese rice-wine, and still not learn all there is to know about it. So instead of trying to understand it, just drink it, either at an izakaya – a laidback sake bar with good food – or right from the source, by visiting a sake brewery. And don’t miss other boozy Japanese beverages such as local beer, whisky, and awamori.

We finish with a sweet treat: wagashi. These are the delicate, perfect little morsels that are typically served alongside matcha tea, though also occasionally to end a kaiseki meal. They’re so beautiful, it almost seems a shame to eat them. Almost.