back from japan and overwhelmed

[msfi]

I returned from my first trip to Japan this morning which came at the end of a month long holiday through Europe and Canada. As much as I adored Japan, I found dining to be frustrating, especially in the Gion district of Kyoto . The guidebook I had was useless (Lonely Planet) and I didn't know enough Japanese to recognise any kind of restaurant that didn't have the Hiragana for Soba, Sushi or Ramen written outside and I have some special dietary requirements so I didn't feel comfortable just heading into any restaurant and choosing food at random!

What's the best way to prepare for dining in Japan? How do I learn more about the different types of restaurants, and the customs in each? Is there a restaurant or food guide online that helps with food-specific Kanji? I am attempting to learn Japanese, but it is going very slowly and a quick reference would be a good backup.

Apart from these difficulties, I did end up managing to eat some very good food, even more so when I went out to dinner with some local friends who took all the hassle out by ordering for us!

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Special dining requirements and Japan is a bad combination, even if you can speak the language.

I have a few vegetarian friends who are quite proficient at the language who still struggle.

 

[MeAndroo]

Wow, I found the lonley planet guide to be really useful, but that was the Tokyo version. It pointed out a ton of stuff I never would have found out about, and I loved it. I guess it doesn't help much with reading Japanese though. Whenever I couldn't read the Japanese, I used to just point at the plastic food outside. You get over the embarassment real quick when you're hungry. Staying there long enough will force you to learn names of food that you can recognize based on sight. As far as trying to figure out specifics for each restaurant, region, etc., that's much tougher. I know more than a few people who went there trying to observe veganism, and they were able to bust it, so I'm sure you can handle your dietary requirements. Just be sure for people to look at you a little funny if you don't like fish, or won't eat soup because they use a fish base...things like that.

 

[Ewok85]

All my vegetarian firends just ate whatever. Its too much of a hassel to pick vegetarian meals (or non-wheat, etc etc) as they tend to not exist in Japan.

 

[budd]

"Whenever I couldn't read the Japanese, I used to just point at the plastic food outside."
i completely agree with this.

 

[Fantt]

Did you have any positive experiences in Japan? Please tell us some of the cool stuff you saw or did.

 

[msfi]

Ah dietary requirements - I should have written allergies (but I also don't eat beef). Earlier on the trip in Italy I ordered a Porcini mushroom risotto that seemed innocuous by the description (I speak Italian) but when it came, the mushrooms had been in walnut oil or something and I had a terrible reaction. So even though I know Italian it didn't help!!

I know that there are not many nuts in Japanese food but I still have to be careful especially with desserts (I bought a cake that I discovered had almond slivers on top).

Almost everywhere I went didn't have plastic food!! A couple of places had pictures, but many just had a written menu. Only time I did the plastic food pointing thing was in Ebisu.

Positive experiences - I love the trains I caught lots of Shinkhansen and rode around the Yamanote line in Tokyo a lot. So efficient. Pachinko! Oh my god the noise!

I went to an Irish pub, of all places, in Shinjuku which was really fun. My stays in ryokans in Tokyo and Kyoto were fantastic. Kyoto was beautiful.

Best night was when I went to karaoke in Nagoya with a few friends, lots of beer and sake and bad singing

Didn't get to see many of the sights on this trip but I'm planning on going back in 2 years for a couple of weeks.

 

[Fantt]

Wow - that sounded like a heck of a trip! I can't wait till I get to go myself. Hopefully in a couple of years.

 

[Mike Cash]

Did you have any positive experiences in Japan? Please tell us some of the cool stuff you saw or did.

I saw a taxi driver use the mechanism that swings the rear passenger-side door open today. Too bad he didn't look in his rear view mirror before he did it. He knocked a guy on a scooter *** over teakettle.

 

[rakuten]

Hmm...special dining requirements are a difficult topic if it's about eating in Japan (and if you don't speak the language). You'll definitely need good friends there to help you out.

Have a look at this site:
Tokyo Vegetarian Guide: vegietokyo.com

Restaurants and more here:
Tokyo Vegetarian Guide: Vegetarian-friendly Restaurant Guide

Don't know whether the pages are up-to-date. Usually you buy one of the weekly food guides, magazines (only in Japanese) with the latest recommendations where to go for wine and dine ;-) These places change even faster than the myriads of not so well known J-Pop stars and comedians. The competition is extremely high, another reason why eating out is cheap.

Best is recommendation from friends, another option is folllowing your nose...looking for hiragana oder katakana writing you might recognize could indeed turn out to be nothing but a frustrating, hungry waste of time.

Almost everywhere I went didn't have plastic food!!

Where did you go man? That's almost impossible, except if you stayed for a few days only.
I can't give you any good hints if you plan to go back in 2 years time because as I said, these things change way too fast. Better ask shortly before going again.

What's the best way to prepare for dining in Japan? How do I learn more about the different types of restaurants, and the customs in each? Is there a restaurant or food guide online that helps with food-specific Kanji? I am attempting to learn Japanese, but it is going very slowly and a quick reference would be a good backup.

Get a Japanese girlfriend! ;-)

 

[msfi]

Where did you go man? That's almost impossible, except if you stayed for a few days only.

hmm... in Tokyo... Ikebukuro, Akihabara, Shinjuku, Ebisu. Kyoto, Nagoya. Granted, I could have found plastic food at every restaurant... if I only ate in department stores. But that would have been kind of boring! First meal I had in Japan was Ramen at one of those places you order from a vending machine in Ikebukuro. No pictures, I just guessed at the words and luckily got something I wanted and that I could eat!

Get a Japanese girlfriend!

LOL! I'm a married woman! I saw quite a few American boys walking around with japanese girlfriends and some manga or another in hand in Kyoto. I was aumsed.

 

[King of Tokyo]

I saw a taxi driver use the mechanism that swings the rear passenger-side door open today. Too bad he didn't look in his rear view mirror before he did it. He knocked a guy on a scooter *** over teakettle.

Haha.. Another reason to carry a video camera. You never know when events due to incompetence will strike.

 

[Maciamo]

I returned from my first trip to Japan this morning which came at the end of a month long holiday through Europe and Canada. As much as I adored Japan, I found dining to be frustrating, especially in the Gion district of Kyoto. The guidebook I had was useless (Lonely Planet) and I didn't know enough Japanese to recognise any kind of restaurant that didn't have the Hiragana for Soba, Sushi or Ramen written outside and I have some special dietary requirements so I didn't feel comfortable just heading into any restaurant and choosing food at random!

Gion is one of the least foreigner-friendly area in the whole of Japan. It is so exclusive that even the Japanese find it difficult to enter a restaurant there. often there are no price written at all, and the bill comes as a suprise in multiple of 10,000yen. But how could you have tried more than once to eat in Gion ?

For easily accessible places (esp. in Tokyo), you should have a look at our concise restaurant guide. Have you tried chains like Tenya (tempura), Cappriciosa (Italian), Otoya (modern Japanese) or izakayas like Shirokiya (白木屋) or Watami (和民) ?

 

[msfi]

Maciamo - your Gion observations make me feel much better!

I did find a soba place in the end after an *hour* of futile wandering. Thank goodness the restaurant stated the obvious and had a sign for そば out the front. No English menu, but photos which sufficed, I pointed at a photo of cold soba noodles which was great. Soba mmm.

I'll check out the chains next time! I don't think I saw any on my trip, but then again I didn't know what to look for.

I guess one other thing that did help a bit is that Sydney has a *lot* of Japanese restaurants so at least I'm familiar with the cuisine. Unlike Munich... I'd only eaten a German meal once before so the only thing I knew what to look for was Rosti LOL.

 

[Mike Cash]

Haha.. Another reason to carry a video camera. You never know when events due to incompetence will strike.

I do carry a digital camera. During daylight hours it is always powered up and is within easy reach.

 

[rakuten]

LOL! I'm a married woman! I saw quite a few American boys walking around with japanese girlfriends and some manga or another in hand in Kyoto. I was aumsed.

Very sorry for mistaking you twice for a man! :sorry:
Yes yes amusing, manga/textbook in the left hand and Japanese girl on the right hand.

Friends of mine used the Lonely Planet for Japan and they were quite unsatisfied with the guidebook. On the other hand, they loved their Lonely Planet for Australia, which seems to be quite good and popular...

Unlike Munich... I'd only eaten a German meal once before so the only thing I knew what to look for was Rosti LOL.

Well well, sorry to disappoint you again, but "Rosti" is not a German but a traditional Swiss dish. Traditional clothing/food from Bavaria (Germany) is often thought to be part of Swiss tradition, although they are quite different. But even pros mix that up. In "Charlie's Angels 2000" (the remake with Diaz, Liu & Barrymore) is a scene where the angels dress up in typical Bavarian clothes. If you turn on the audio commentary, the director speaks of a "Swiss Miss" Yodel-scene...

A traditional Bavarian meal would be "Schweinshaxe mit Sauerkraut" (knuckle of pork with sauerkraut).
Looks like you're not very lucky when choosing local dishes.
My new advice: get a Japanese boyfriend who also happens to be a cook.
Husband of msfi, please don't read this.