Yamagata Beef Sando (山形牛サンド)
Sandwich with Yamagata beef (premium wagyu region).
Andrew Lekashman
Yakitori Sando (焼き鳥サンド)
Take the chicken off the yakitori skewer, keep the charcoal smoke and the lacquered soy-mirin tare, lay it flat in soft shokupan. A modern sando that carries the Japanese grill counter into one hand.
Yakisoba Pan (焼きそばパン)
Sauce-fried noodles packed into a soft koppepan: a cheap two-starch bakery roll whose real trick is moisture, the sauce reduced to coat so the bread carries it without going to mush.
Yakisoba Pan with Beni Shoga (紅しょうが入り焼きそばパン)
Yakisoba pan topped with beni shoga (red pickled ginger); adds color and tang.
Yakisoba Pan with Aonori (青のり焼きそばパン)
The green goes on last, shaken from a tin over the finished bun, and it is the detail this version is named for. Dried aonori brings a grassy sea note to a sweet carb-on-carb roll.
Wiener Pan (ウインナーパン)
Soft roll wrapped around a wiener sausage; ketchup and mustard.
Wanpaku Sando (わんぱくサンド)
'Boisterous' sandwich—overstuffed with colorful layers of ingredients for dramatic cross-section.
Wako Katsu Sando (和幸カツサンド)
Wako chain's katsu sando; widely available.
Wagyu Steak Sando (和牛ステーキサンド)
Premium wagyu steak sandwich; luxury item.
Wagyu Sando Specialty (和牛サンド専門店)
Shops specializing in wagyu beef sandwiches; various preparations.
Wagyu Katsu Sando (和牛カツサンド)
Premium wagyu beef cutlet sando; heavily marbled A5 wagyu, often seared rare, with special sauce; luxury item costing ¥3000-10000+.
Wagyu Katsu Sando - Omi (近江牛カツサンド)
Omi beef katsu sando; Japan's oldest branded beef.
Wagyu Katsu Sando - Matsusaka (松阪牛カツサンド)
Matsusaka beef katsu sando; often considered Japan's finest wagyu.
Wagyu Katsu Sando - Kobe (神戸牛カツサンド)
Kobe beef katsu sando; one of Japan's three great wagyu brands.
Wagyu Katsu Sando - A5 (A5和牛カツサンド)
Specifically A5-grade wagyu (highest marbling score); melt-in-mouth texture, served very rare.
Vegetable Sando (野菜サンド)
Mixed vegetables (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot) with mayo on shokupan.
Vegan Sando (ヴィーガンサンド)
Vegan sandwich options; growing trend in urban areas.
Tuna Sando (ツナサンド)
Canned tuna mixed with Kewpie mayo on shokupan; konbini staple.
Tuna and Egg Sando (ツナたまごサンド)
Combined tuna salad and egg salad.
Tuna and Corn Sando (ツナコーンサンド)
Tuna with sweet corn and mayo; popular with children.
Tonkatsu Sando (とんかつサンド)
Slice it and the whole sandwich confesses on the cut face: gold crust, pale meat, white crumb, no grease. The tonkatsu sando hides all its engineering inside a frame that looks like nothing.
Tonkatsu Sando with Cabbage (キャベツ入りカツサンド)
Tonkatsu sando with layer of finely shredded raw cabbage; adds freshness and crunch.
Tonkatsu Sando - Wako Style (和幸カツサンド)
Wako chain style; thicker cut, heavier breading, more casual.
Tonkatsu Sando - Rosu (ロースカツサンド)
Along the top edge of a rosu cutlet runs a ribbon of pork fat, and the whole loin sando is built to keep it in play. The rosu sando bastes itself where the lean hire fillet version cannot.