One of Japan’s most beloved soul foods, Tamago Kake Gohan (raw egg on rice), often shortened to TKG, features a raw egg cracked over warm rice. In Japan, we eat raw (or half-cooked) eggs in many dishes—a concept that sounds unbelievable to people in most other countries.
When I first moved to Germany, I didn’t realize how risky eating raw eggs could be. I prepared chicken meatballs and used a raw egg yolk for dipping, thinking it would be fine. My British husband usually enjoys everything I cook, but this time he refused to dip his meatball in the raw egg. To him, it was clearly dangerous—but to me, it felt completely normal. （I’m glad that I listened to him and didn’t eat raw egg york…!)
So… why do we Japanese people eat raw eggs? In this article, I’ll take you through the history, safety measures, and delicious ways we enjoy raw eggs in Japan—plus a few personal tips from my own experience.
Why We Eat Raw Eggs in Japan
First of all: eggs in Japan are extremely safe and almost never carry salmonella.
Second: raw eggs are actually delicious when eaten the right way!
In many countries, people avoid raw eggs because the shells might carry salmonella, a harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. This bacteria is usually killed by cooking the egg for at least one minute at 75°C (167°F) or above. That’s why most people around the world eat only cooked eggs.
But in Japan, we don’t have to worry about that. Thanks to strict hygiene and food safety controls, eggs sold here are salmonella-free and totally safe to eat raw. In fact, some countries like Singapore and Hong Kong import Japanese eggs specifically because they’re safe for raw consumption.
Raw eggs in Japan have a rich flavor, a subtle sweetness, and a smooth, melty texture. The yolk is often used as a topping for rice—it’s a perfect match!
Hygiene Controls
Strict hygiene measures are implemented at poultry farms during production. These include:
• disinfecting vehicles
• changing work clothes and shoes
• hand disinfection
• preventing wild animals from entering with bird netting
• careful management of feed to avoid contamination by wild animals
Inspection System at the GP Center
Eggs produced on poultry farms undergo further safety checks at the Grading and Packing (GP) Center. Here, eggs are washed to remove surface dirt, sterilized with ultraviolet light, checked by specialized machines for cracks, and tested for Salmonella contamination.
In addition to machine inspections, multiple stages of manual inspection are performed to ensure no unsuitable eggs are shipped out.
As you can see, an enormous amount of effort goes into keeping eggs safe in Japan.
Japanese dedication to delicious food is truly impressive—we even figured out how to safely prepare poisonous puffer fish! (→ link to your puffer fish post)
Thanks to this process, raw eggs in Japan are considered safe even by international standards. Interestingly, the UK has also adopted similar practices. Eggs marked with the British Lion stamp are now considered safe to eat soft or even raw—even for children and the elderly.
Small Culture Shock
Now that I live in England, I’ve noticed that almost all eggs have the Lion stamp.
However, they are often sold with dirt or even feathers still attached. It was a real culture shock for me to see eggs in such a condition.
A Little History
While Japanese food has a long and deep history, eating raw eggs is actually quite recent.
Chickens were first brought to Japan from the Korean Peninsula around 100 BC. However, because of Buddhist influence, eating meat and animal products (including eggs) was discouraged for centuries.
Honestly… I don’t think I could have lived in those times.
It wasn’t until the Edo period (1603–1868) that eggs became more common in everyday life. This era, known for its isolationist policies (sakoku), saw the development of many unique cultural practices—including food traditions.
At the time, egg sellers would walk around the city calling out “tama-ago, tama-ago” (meaning “eggs!”). Because eggs were highly nutritious and still quite rare, they were often used more like medicine than food.
How We Eat Raw Eggs in Japan
Tamago Kake Gohan (TKG)
This is one of the easiest Japanese dishes you can make. If you can find eggs that are safe to eat raw in your country, all you need is rice and soy sauce. The name literally means “egg on rice.” You crack a raw egg over warm rice and add a splash of soy sauce. There’s even special soy sauce made just for TKG!
Although Japan has one of the oldest food cultures in the world, TKG is actually a fairly modern invention. These days, you can even find TKG specialty restaurants known for their freshly cooked rice, premium eggs, and a wide range of toppings and sauces.
There’s even a TKG restaurant inside Haneda Airport—maybe you can try it before you head home!
Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki is a luxurious hot pot dish where beef and vegetables are dipped in raw egg before eating. Some people might think it’s a waste to dip delicious beef in egg, but we believe it adds extra richness and a smooth texture.
This dish is considered quite a treat, and almost everyone loves it… except for my father.
For some reason, he doesn’t like sukiyaki, so I barely ate it growing up. I should have eaten more before I moved away…!
Nitamago (Soft-Boiled Eggs)
Not quite raw, but marinated soft-boiled eggs with gooey yolks are a favorite topping for ramen. Marinated in soy sauce and sugar, they’re delicious on their own, but they also go perfectly with any type of ramen.
I’m a huge ramen lover, so I’m forever grateful to the person who first decided to put eggs in ramen!
The Benefits
In my opinion, raw or soft-boiled eggs taste far better than hard-boiled ones.
I personally love half-boiled eggs—and I’m grateful I can enjoy them here without worrying about food poisoning. A rich, thick yolk goes well with nearly anything: crispy toast, warm rice, or thin slices of beef with sweet soy sauce.
Hygiene control is important not only for people like me who enjoy raw eggs, but also for pregnant women. They are usually advised to cook eggs thoroughly to avoid food poisoning, since it can cause serious harm to the baby.
But if the eggs are safe enough to eat raw, then eating them cooked gives them an extra layer of reassurance.
It also helps avoid situations like a crawling baby touching dirty eggs at home, putting their fingers in their mouth, and accidentally getting sick. You never know what can happen!
How to Make TKG in Your Country
I’ll teach you how to make one of the easiest Japanese dishes—TKG (Tamago Kake Gohan)—even if you’re outside Japan.
1) Buy the ingredients
You’ll need rice, an egg that is safe to eat raw, and soy sauce.
If you can’t find eggs that are safe to eat raw, you unfortunately won’t be able to make TKG. Availability varies by country, so please check how eggs are handled where you live.
There are many types of rice, such as jasmine, japonica, and basmati. I recommend using japonica rice because it’s soft and moist, which makes it perfect for TKG. If you can’t find japonica rice, sushi rice is usually easier to find and works well too.
Next is soy sauce. You can usually find it in the Asian section of your supermarket. There are many kinds of soy sauce, and even though they may look similar, their flavor can be very different. I lived in China before, and Chinese soy sauce tends to be a bit stronger and spicier than Japanese soy sauce.
My rule is simple: use Chinese soy sauce for Chinese dishes, and Japanese soy sauce for Japanese dishes.
For TKG, I recommend buying Kikkoman—one of the major Japanese brands.
2) Cook the rice
Prepare japonica rice(450g), water, and a pot.
(I’m going to use jasmine rice instead of japonica because jasmine rice is cheaper.)
Wash the rice and drain the water. Repeat 4–5 times. Soak the rice in clean water for about 30 minutes. Drain again, then put the rice into a pot and add 650 ml of water. Level the surface, then heat over medium (level 4) until it starts boiling, which should take about 10 minutes.
Once it boils, reduce the heat to level 3 and cook for 5 minutes. Then turn it down to level 2 and cook for 3 minutes. Finally, lower it to level 1 and cook for 8 minutes.
Never use heat higher than medium, as rice burns easily—and cleaning a burnt pot is no fun.
When the rice is done, fluff it gently with a rice paddle (or a silicone spatula if you don’t have one). Fluffing helps excess moisture evaporate, giving the rice a glossy finish and better texture.
3) Put it in a bowl!
Spoon the freshly cooked rice gently into your favorite bowl. The rice should be soft and fluffy.
Make a small indentation on top so you can place the egg easily.
Some people like to add toppings such as sesame seeds, cod roe, and tuna-mayonnaise.
Outside Japan, seaweed is usually easy to find and works very well too.
The combinations are endless—you might even unlock a whole new world of raw egg deliciousness!
Conclusion
How was it? Eating raw eggs is one example of how strong Japanese dedication to delicious food can be.
It might be unbelievable to eat raw eggs in your country, but in Japan, you’ll find them everywhere—at restaurants, at home, and even in simple dishes like TKG.
If you visit Japan, don’t hesitate to try raw eggs at least once!
I hope you enjoyed my article. See you next time!