Eating in Japan is eating a mixture of traditional and Japanese-tinted western-style food. Rice is a dominant staple in a Japanese person’s diet, as well as a variety of noodles such as udon or soba. A usual dinner at home would always have a bowl of rice, with vegetables such as spinach, radish, or pickles on the side. Dried seaweed (“nori”), could be used to wrap the rice in a roll, or eaten alone. Tofu, made from soybean, might be served, in one of its many forms -- cold, hot, in a soup, alone, dry, or perhaps as a sweet.

On special occasions one might go out to eat at a sushi restaurant. There one could have a huge selection of food: sushi, raw fish and rice, made from many different kinds of fish; sashimi, which is raw fish without the rice; teppan, fish boiled in soy sauce; or eels.   The meal would come exquisitely presented to appeal to both the eyes and the stomach, as food is considered in "tastes and above all in presentation [to] reflect the character and culture of the Japanese." *

For lunch one may head to a fast-food restaurant. McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken stores are everywhere, though tailored to fit Japanese tastes. At McDonald’s it’s possible to order a burger with sushi on the side, or with a healthy cup of miso soup. The local pizzeria could whip up a cheese pizza with the works – it’s often good to recognize that one could also get okonomiyaki, a sort of Japanese pancake with vegetables, meat, shrimp, and other things baked inside.

In a place where the weather can get uncomfortably hot, drinks abound everywhere. It’s a veritable paradise for caffeine addicts – provided that one doesn’t mind tiny cans and expensive prices. All the same, vending machines can be found on every corner, with stocks of Coca-cola, Pocari Sweat, and different brands of tea waiting refreshingly within. Popular too are the kissaten, or coffee shops, where one can have a astounding experience dealing with perfect waiters, soothing music and chairs, and amazing coffee. They’ve become so popular that “Kissaten e ikimasen ka?” “Shall we go for coffee?” has become the standard pick-up line for Japanese men everywhere. Business men often find themselves at company parties where European beer and sake is always served. Made of rice, sake is a famously powerful alcoholic beverage with cultural ties bound to it. It has been established that when drinking, one must always pour sake for others, never for oneself, but to empty a bottle only in one’s own glass.

Other types of food:

    Gyoza: Japanese dumplings, usually fried. Originally from China.

    Natto: Fermented soy beans with a very strong and distinct smell. Considered an acquired taste by many.

    Sukiyaki: Thin cuts of beef, vegetables, and often tofu cooked together. Can be dipped in raw egg for flavor.

    Tenpura: Fish, vegetables, prawn, and other such things deep fried in a special Tenpura batter.

    Yakitori: Grilled chicken skewered with sticks.

*from Cultures of the World: Japan by Rex Shelley
copyright 1992, Marshall Cavendish Corporation
New York, NY