Beef Bun
(JDT Recommends)

Available during Takayama Festival Japan Tours.

Nikuman is the Japanese name for the popular Chinese beef bun dish. Made using flour dough and stuffed with cooked beef and then steamed, nikuman are juicy, warm snacks enjoyed during Japan's colder winter months. Nikuman can often be found in convenience stores during the colder months, and in some cases are available year round. Convenience stores often have them by the registers, ready for hungry patrons looking for a nice snack to warm them up. While niku refers to beef, there are some stores that offer special varieties besides the usual beef filling like Stuffed Pizza, Spicy Chicken, or Hamburger fillings. The variety of fillings make it difficult to have just one during a chilly winter day in Takayama.

While the nikuman available at convenience stores are good, fresh nikuman is the best way to enjoy the snack and can usually be found at markets and festivals. Enjoying nikuman fresh is highly recommended, especially in Takayama where many local nikuman vendors use Hida beef for the best flavor. Hida beef is considered one of the best types of beef in Japan, much like Kobe beef. There are also premium nikuman vendors around Japan that offer the snack with mouth-watering wagyu beef, the highest quality of beef around.

Japan Deluxe Tours highly recommends trying a nikuman filled with hida beef during our fully-guided line of Takayama Festival Japan Tours available Spring or Autumn!