Eating
Contents |
Manners
Manners in Japan can be a mine field difficult to navigate with specific conventions associated with specific parts of the meal.
During a meal
Expressions - It is customary to say itadakimasu (lit. "I receive") before starting to eat a meal, and gochisosama deshita (lit. "It was a feast") to the host after the meal.
Towels - Before eating, you will receive a damp towel. This is for cleaning of the hands prior to eating and not after. It is rude to use them to wash the face or any part of the body other than the hands.
Bowls - The rice or the soup is eaten by picking the relevant bowl up with the left hand and using chopsticks with the right, or vice-versa if you are left handed. Traditionally, everyone holds chopsticks in their right hand and the bowl in their left – this avoids running into each others' arm when sitting close together – and this is safest in formal situations, but left-handed eating is more acceptable today. Bowls of soup, noodle soup, donburi or ochazuke may be lifted to the mouth but not white rice.
Soy sauce Soy sauce is not usually poured over most foods at the table; a dipping dish is usually provided. Soy sauce is, however, meant to be poured directly onto tofu and grated daikon dishes. In particular, soy sauce should never be poured onto rice or soup. Noodles are slurped.
Communal dish When taking food from a communal dish, unless they are family or very close friends, turn the chopsticks around to grab the food; it is considered more sanitary. Better, have a separate set of chopsticks for the communal dish. If sharing with someone else, move it directly from one plate to another. Never pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another, as this recalls passing bones during a funeral.
Eat what is given It is customary to eat rice to the last grain. Being a fussy eater is frowned upon, and it is not customary to ask for special requests. It is considered ungrateful to make these requests especially in circumstances where you are being hosted, as in a business dinner environment. Good manners dictate that you respect the selections of the host.
Drinking Even in informal situations, drinking alcohol starts with a toast (kanpai) when everyone is ready. Convention states that you wait for everyone to have a drink before drinking yours, similar to western manners regarding beginning eating. It is not customary to pour oneself a drink; but rather, people are expected to keep each others drinks topped up. When someone moves to pour your drink you should hold your glass with both hands (one on the bottom of the glass) and thank them.
Chopsticks
Do not dig around in dishes for choice bits of food. Eat from the top and choose what is to be eaten before reaching with chopsticks (don't hover around or poke looking for special ingredients).
Never stab or pierce any food with chopsticks.
Never stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice (or anything else, for that matter, but rice especially because the act is part of a funeral rite)
Don't move dishes around with chopsticks.
Don't lick or suck the ends of chopsticks.
Don't let food drop off ends of chopsticks.
Don't shove food into your mouth with chopsticks. Soup bowls, but no other dishes or bowls are brought to the mouth in Japan.
Never touch food in a common dish with the pointed (eating) end of chopsticks. Use the blunt end to transfer food from a common dish to your own plate or bowl (never your mouth).
Never use chopsticks to transfer something to someone else's chopsticks or someone else's plate or bowl.
Place pointed ends of the chopsticks on a chopstick rest when chopsticks are not being used.
Super Markets (スーパーマーケット)
Supermarkets are fairly standard from country to country and the layout and style of Japanese supermarkets does not differ greatly from western style. The major differences being the level of fresh produce most noticably fresh fish, when purchasing fish it is possible to ask the counter staff to gut or fillet it for you. Supermarkets sell fresh fruit and veg, meat, fish, tofu, bread seafood, dried and canned foods, snacks, dairy products, frozen food (although much less than in western supermarkets), pickles, beverages both alcoholic and non alcoholic, cleaning materials, toiletries etc.
Depending on where you are from originally you may find some of the prices higher than you are used to and the portions smaller however the quality of the produce is usually very high and the presentation can be second to none.
Major supermarket chains include Daiei, Jusco, Aeon Ltd, and Ito Yokado. Most supermarkets in Japan are on the ground or basement floors of general merchandise stores. As well as general supermarket fair there is usually a section for bento (freshly made ready meals). Most close at 11pm with a lot of food being discounted in the evening as consumers are very concerned over the freshness of produce in Japan, usually shopping day to day rather than week to week as in some western cultures.
Local supermarkets do have variety of imported products, but if you are looking for something special, going to "international supermarket's might be better. Kinokuniya , National Azabu , National Den-En , or Seijo-Ishi are leading brands in this area. If you want to stock up on home comforts then you can even buy in bulk from Japan Costco.
Restaurants
Conveyer Belt Sushi' - Kaiten Zushi
Sushi travels around the restaurant on a conveyer belt. This is a great way to eat sushi because you know what you're getting. There will usually be colour-coded plates, each color representing a different price of sushi. Average prices range from ¥100 to ¥600 per plate. Expect to pay ¥1,000-2,500 per person.
More upmarket than Kaiten Zushi and more expensive but the sushi is usually higher quality. You can order sushi by the plate (usually two pieces per order) or buy a sampler set Mori-awase. Average prices range from ¥300 to ¥800 per plate. Expect to pay ¥2,000 + per person, sushi can be expensive so forewarned is forearmed!
Hailing from Korea it is also sometimes referred to as korean barbeque. Each table has a grill and customers cook their own food. Plates of meat (all types) and vegetables are available as well as korean pickle speciality Kim Chi, rice and usually some other options. Cost of meat in Japan especially beef can be expensive so Yakiniku can be expensive. A lot of restaurants do have offers and discount days etc so be sure to choose the right time to visit.
Okonomiyaki is usually describled to foreign people as a japanese style pancake. The colour and shape are similar but that is pretty much where the similarity ends. Again cooked at the table on a hot plate ingredients vary depending on your tastes, cabbage is usually included as well as meats of fish of your choice. Mochi (japanese rice cakes) and cheese are also options with many stores offering crazy mixes begging to be tried! When cooked at the table there are a number of toppings to be added if you choose. Sweet brown sauce is staple as is mayonnaise. Seaweed and shavings of fish are also usually available. You can also usually get other foods as well, basically anything cooked in the same style is often an option for example yakisoba (noodles), monjayaki (similar in style to okonomiyaki except it doesnt solidify the same way and is usally eaten using small metal spatulas), teppanyaki (food cooked on a hot plate) etc.
Takoyaki literally means octopus grill. They are little round balls of dough filled with octopus, and are considered one of Osaka/Kansai's representative food. In addition to takoyaki restaurants, you can usually find takoyaki stands all over the place in the summer months, especially at festivals.
Family Restaurants (ファミリーレストラン)
There are a number of family restaurant chains in Japan, some are regional and some nationwide. Western style family restaurants have made it to japan - one example of which is the american chain Denny's. Cheap and cheerful Japanese family restaurants are often open until very late or are 24 hours. Food is basic but edible and most offer a drink bar service for free refillable drinks. Alcohol is also available in some chains. Some prominant family restaurant brands include:
Saizeriya - Italian style.
Royal Host
Skylark
Jonathans
Cocos
Denny's.
Izakaya
Izakaya style dining is common place after work and usually affordable although more upmarket Izakaya will set you back. For those not familiar with Japanese the larger chains usually offer a pictoral menyu or menu with english translation for example Doma Doma.
Izakaya food is usually more substantial than tapas or mezze. Many items are designed to be shared.
Yakitori - grilled chicken skewers
Kushiyaki - grilled meat or vegetable skewers
Sashimi - slices of raw fish
Karaage - bite-sized fried chicken
Edamame - boiled and salted soybean pods
Tofu
Hiyayakko - chilled silken tofu with toppings
Agedashi tofu - deep fried tofu in broth
Tsukemono - pickles
Rice dishes such as ochazuke and noodle dishes such as yakisoba are sometimes eaten at the end to round off a drinking session. (For the most part, the Japanese do not eat rice or noodles (shushoku - "staple food") at the same time as they drink alcohol, since sake, brewed from rice, traditionally takes the place of rice in a meal.)
Gyudon Shops
A knowledge of eating chains means that you can find a basic place to eat almost anywhere you go. Dining on your own isn't against etiquette in Japan - provided that you do it in the right place. One of the best places for this is what you might call gyudon (meat over rice) shops. The cheap and filling beef bowl is the basic dish on their menu, however there are reasonably priced and delicious alternatives. There are three main chains:
Yoshinoya : Most famous of the genre; considered by Japanese to be the superior choice. However, it's marginally more expensive, and has a limited menu. Look for black writing on an orange sign (the name is usually in Japanese and English).
Matsu-ya : Good for the beginner, as it uses a ticket machine rather than direct ordering (hint: first button is about eat-in or take-out). The menu is broader than Yoshinoya's, with bowls of salad for 100 yen. No English sign - look for blue writing on a yellow sign.
Suki-ya : Basic gyudon restaurant, very cheap. Pictorial menu ordering system makes it easy. Look for yellow writing on a red sign.
Coffee Shops
Mr. Donut: In Japan, Mister Donut is owned by Duskin Co., Ltd. Mister Donut is the largest Donut franchise chain in Japan. Many Mister Donut stores in Japan house Yamucha sub-stores that serve a small variety of dim sum. These sub-stores are usually advertised with the phrase "San Francisco Chinatown," reinforcing the chain's American image even while selling Chinese food.
Doutor: The largest chain in Japan with subsiduaries offering different coffee options, included in the doutor brand are Excelsior Cafe, Cafe Mauka Meadows, Le Cafe Doutorand Cafe Colorado. Food is available at a reasonable price and service is generally good.
Starbucks: American coffee chain. Remains popular with the expat crowd as they offer non dairy alternatives with greater frequency.
Vegetarians
The Japanese Vegetarian Society (JPVS) provides information on vegetarians in Japan and JPVS events, such as lectures and cooking classes. This site is a great resource for information links, recipes, and restaurants. It is in English and Japanese.
Convenience Stores (コンビニ)
Main article: Convenience Stores
The Japanese are obsessed with convenience, so what better place to do their shopping than a convenience store? The Japanese love affair with the convenience store (or, konbini コンビニ) shows in the sheer quantity of them you see all across the country. Much like vending machines, these small stores seem to sprout up everywhere, from crowded urban nooks and crannies to the most random countryside landscape. Wherever you are in Japan, convenience is never far away.
There are over 40,000 convenience stores in Japan, and that number is constantly growing. Plus, there are a lot of players in the convenience game, meaning lots of competition and innovation, making these stores truly convenient.
Most konbini are open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Often, your nearest convenience store is going to be your only (certainly most convenient) destination for the essentials. From snacks, fresh pastries, pre-made lunches, stationary and small sized toiletries to movie rentals and even action figures, konbini have it all. You can even pay your various utility bills at konbini. Look for brightly lit signs and an even brighter, flourescent-lit interior; you'll know you're in a konbini when you see the group of people perusing the magazine rack in front.
In most situations, it's almost impossible to not find a convenience store. Most of the time, you'll be eagerly searching for a way around them. If you find yourself lost, however, they are a reliable place to ask for directions and perhaps even feel a bit reassured by their familiarity.
Fast Food
Along with the ever present McDonald's which can be found everywhere, KFC are also popular in Japan with Burger King making a comeback recently with new stores opening. Dominoes and Pizza Hut are also here. Japan also has their own fast food chains including:
Mos Burger: Mountain Ocean Sky burger - It is now the second-largest fast-food franchise in Japan after McDonald's. Speciality is the Rice burger which comes in different varieties which is good for vegetarians but be careful, not all rice burgers are suitable for vegetarians.
Lotteria: Lotteria is considered to be a follower of McDonald's. Both sell similar burgers, such as hamburgers, cheese burgers, teriyaki burgers, and so on. Their Shrimp burger is popular and is an original burger of Lotteria, first made in 1977.
First-Kitchen: Its first shop in Tokyo (Japan) was opened in September, 1979. Japanese people often shorten the name to Fakkin or simply FK Efukei. It is best known for its different flavoured potato chips.
Freshness Burger: A little more expensive as they do not offer sets like almost all other fast food chains, they give the air of the healthier fast food alternative with fries coming as wedges and all food served in baskets.
Cooking
See also
Some content adapted from Wikipedia.org.
