Food: Finding Western-style Food in Japan

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Finding Western-style Food in Japan
Sunday, September 25, 2005

There are lots of reasons to visit Japan. It has a rich cultural history that dates back thousands of years, it has many architecturally significant castles and temples, and it has many scenic mountainous landscapes. In addition, it has some of the most delicious food in the world, particularly if you love fish and other seafood. That being said, however, Westerners who find themselves staying or living in Japan for an extended period of time might start longing for some good old home cookin'. If this happens to you, it might be helpful to read on in order to discover where and how you can get Western-style food in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Of course, if you live in a major metropolitan area such as Tokyo or Osaka, there will be plenty of restaurants and pubs offering international cuisine. However, if you end up in some of the outlying areas, you'll be facing more of a challenge. Nevertheless, it can be done. Your first option is McDonald's. That might not be what you want to hear, but trust me, once you've been dining on seaweed and sushi for a few months, you'll start craving burgers and fries. At any rate, McDonald's is practically everywhere in Japan, so you'll almost certainly be within reasonable driving distance of one. I lived in a mid-sized town and was within a 10-minute walk of not one, but two McDonald's. With a car, I had access to at least a dozen more.

Another way to get food that you're used to from home is to go to an Italian restaurant. In Japan, they don't have American restaurants per se. But they do have more Italian restaurants than I can count. These places usually don't serve really great Italian food. Instead, the dishes usually have distinctly Japanese attributes. For example, you can get a variety of side dishes featuring rice. Still, these restaurants are good for different types of pasta, and the spaghetti almost always comes with the meat and tomato sauce that Westerners would expect. In addition, the Italian restaurants in Japan always have pizza on the menu. I'm sure I don't have to tell you why that's a good thing!

If you prefer cooking to going out, there's a great service in Japan that allows you to order grocery items that you would typically find in the U.S., Britain, or Australia. It's called the Foreign Buyer's Club, and you'll be able to buy almost anything from them. For example, many people buy Thanksgiving turkeys, Halloween candy, and Christmas treats from them. You can also purchase things like cereal, barbecue sauce, and cake mix. The only drawback to using the Foreign Buyer's Club is that you have to buy a majority of the items in bulk. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be able to get through a case of cereal in a reasonable amount of time!

So if you have the opportunity to go to Japan, don't let concerns about food stop you. No matter what your taste, you're sure to be able to get something to your liking.

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