Eggs in Japan: From Tamagoyaki to Ramen

TRAVEL through Japan and it doesn’t take long to encounter eggs. They might arrive rolled into neat layers of tamagoyaki. A softly cooked egg may sit on top of a steaming bowl of ramen. Elsewhere, an omelette wraps around seasoned rice to create omurice.

Then there’s perhaps the biggest surprise for Australian visitors: raw egg.

In Japan, eggs aren’t confined to breakfast. They move easily between morning meals, lunch, dinner and snacks. They’re humble, inexpensive and extraordinarily versatile.

More importantly, they offer a delicious glimpse into Japanese food culture.

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Why are eggs so popular in Japan?

Japan has one of the world’s great food cultures, yet many everyday Japanese meals are remarkably simple. Rice, noodles, vegetables, fish, meat and eggs can be combined in countless ways.

Eggs fit particularly well into this style of eating. They can add richness to rice or noodles without overwhelming other flavours. They also provide protein and can transform simple ingredients into a satisfying meal.

Presentation matters too. Japanese cooking often pays close attention to colour, shape and texture. The golden yellow of cooked egg can provide a striking contrast against rice, vegetables or darker sauces.

And few dishes demonstrate that better than tamagoyaki.

Eggshell and yolk colours can vary, but colour alone isn’t a measure of nutritional quality. The breed and diet of the hen play much bigger roles. 

What is tamagoyaki?

Tamagoyaki is a Japanese rolled omelette. Rather than cooking the beaten egg as one flat omelette, the cook builds it in thin layers. Each layer is rolled before another is added. The finished omelette is then sliced into neat pieces.

It sounds straightforward. Watching an experienced cook make one suggests otherwise.

A rectangular pan, known as a makiyakinabe or tamagoyaki pan, is traditionally used. The shape helps create the distinctive rectangular roll.

The egg mixture can be seasoned in different ways. Some versions are slightly sweet, while others contain dashi and savoury seasonings.

Tamagoyaki may be served at breakfast or tucked into a bento box. It can also appear as a sushi topping. The result is recognisably an omelette, yet quite different from its Western counterpart.

What is an onsen egg?

The name onsen tamago translates roughly as “hot spring egg”.

Traditionally, these eggs were slowly cooked in the naturally hot water of Japan’s onsen, or hot springs. The gentle temperature creates an unusual texture.

Instead of a firm white surrounding a soft yolk, both components remain delicate. The white becomes silky while the yolk turns creamy.

Today, you don’t need a Japanese hot spring to make one. The technique can be recreated using carefully controlled warm water.

Onsen eggs can be served simply with a light sauce. They also make a rich addition to rice and noodle dishes.

It’s another example of how Japanese cooking can turn an ordinary egg into something distinctive through technique.

And what about those eggs in ramen?

For many travellers, the egg sitting in a bowl of Japanese ramen is particularly memorable. These are commonly known as ajitsuke tamago or ajitama.

The eggs are usually soft-boiled before being peeled and marinated. Soy sauce and other seasonings give the outside its characteristic colour and savoury flavour.

Cut one open and the attraction becomes obvious. The white is seasoned, while the yolk may remain soft and almost jammy.

Alongside noodles, broth, meat and vegetables, the egg provides another layer of flavour and texture.

It’s easy to see why ramen eggs have developed a following well beyond Japan.

What is omurice?

Some Japanese egg dishes have surprisingly international origins. Omurice is one of them. Its name combines “omelette” and “rice”, which is essentially what the dish delivers.

Seasoned fried rice is wrapped in, or topped with, an omelette. Tomato ketchup is commonly part of the dish, either mixed through the rice or served over the egg.

Omurice emerged in Japan during the development of yōshoku. The term describes Western-influenced dishes adapted to Japanese tastes. It became a popular example of Japanese comfort food.

Modern versions can be remarkably theatrical. In some restaurants, a soft omelette is placed over the rice before being sliced open. The barely set egg then tumbles over the mound beneath it.

It’s food and entertainment on the same plate.

What is oyakodon?

Oyakodon brings chicken and egg together in a bowl of rice.

The name has a rather charming literal meaning: “parent and child bowl”. The parent is the chicken. The child is the egg. Perhaps it’s best not to think about the family reunion too closely while eating it.

For the dish, chicken and onion are simmered in a lightly sweet and savoury sauce. Beaten egg is then added and cooked gently. The mixture is served over a bowl of hot rice.

Like many great comfort foods, oyakodon isn’t especially complicated. Its appeal comes from the combination of familiar ingredients, warmth and flavour. It’s also another reminder that eggs in Japan certainly don’t clock off after breakfast.

Why do Japanese people eat raw eggs?

This is the question that tends to make overseas visitors hesitate.

One of Japan’s simplest egg dishes is tamago kake gohan, often shortened to TKG. A raw egg is mixed into a bowl of hot cooked rice, usually with soy sauce or other seasonings.

For Australians raised with warnings about raw eggs and food poisoning, that can seem rather adventurous. There is an important reason the practice is more commonplace in Japan.

Japan has stringent hygiene controls throughout egg production, grading, packing and distribution. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also points to careful refrigeration and handling by consumers as part of the picture.

Even so, raw eggs always require appropriate food-safety precautions.

The Japanese approach shouldn’t be taken as evidence that any egg, anywhere, can automatically be eaten raw. When travelling, local food-safety advice remains the sensible guide.

Are Japanese eggs different from Australian eggs?

An egg is still an egg, but farming and handling practices vary between countries.

Japanese consumers place considerable importance on freshness because raw and lightly cooked eggs feature in everyday foods. Egg packaging may also provide information that helps consumers understand the period recommended for raw consumption.

In Australia, food-safety authorities advise caution with raw or lightly cooked egg dishes. This is particularly important for vulnerable people.

So, while recreating Japanese dishes at home can be great fun, Australian food-safety guidance should take priority.

Fortunately, most Japanese egg dishes can be enjoyed without eating a completely raw egg. Tamagoyaki, omurice and oyakodon offer plenty of places to start.

Eggs beyond breakfast

Perhaps the most interesting thing about eggs in Japan isn’t any individual dish. It’s their freedom.

Eggs don’t seem burdened by the same breakfast identity they have acquired in Australia and other Western countries. They can accompany rice in the morning, appear in a bento box at lunch, crown ramen later in the day or become part of dinner.

That versatility raises an interesting question.

Why do so many of us think of eggs primarily as breakfast food? The answer has less to do with nutrition than history and habit.

And if Japan demonstrates that eggs can comfortably belong to any meal, there’s no reason Australian kitchens can’t do the same.

An omelette filled with vegetables makes a perfectly respectable dinner. No passport required.

Want to explore Japanese cooking at home?

From tamagoyaki and ramen to rice bowls and everyday Japanese favourites, a good Japanese cookbook from Amazon can take the story from armchair travel to the kitchen.

A taste of Japan

Food is one of the pleasures of travelling in Japan because it constantly encourages curiosity.

Sometimes you know exactly what’s arriving at the table. Sometimes you don’t.

Years later, the name of a particular dish may have disappeared from memory. Yet the experience of sitting down to eat somewhere unfamiliar can remain surprisingly vivid. That’s certainly true of my own travels through Japan.

In 2019, I photographed meals along the way, although today I can’t confidently name everything on those plates. Perhaps that doesn’t matter.

Together, the photographs (below) form their own record of travelling through Japan and discovering its food, including ramen with egg, noodles, soup, dumplings and other traditional and everyday meals. Somewhere among all those bowls, plates and bento boxes, there were almost certainly eggs.