Tokyo Times

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Food and Drink

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Japan Unwrapped #8: Food for thought

Dear Tokyo Times

I’m lucky enough to have been offered a job in Japan, but along with the financial and family considerations of uprooting to Tokyo, being a vegetarian I also have a dietary dilemma. Will it be possible to eat out without any real trouble, or will a meat-free diet mean I’ll be mostly eating at home?

Thanks

Rod, Exeter

Well Rod, if you are reluctant to constantly have to pick out small pieces of meat from meals then you may indeed have some trouble, as descriptions of dishes that make no mention of containing meat, quite often do. And to make matters worse, the rigorous interrogation of restaurant staff may gain little insight into the true ingredients. Possibly resulting in an innocent order of this meat-free ‘green’ salad for example.

Japanese food

In fact, for a country that at one time ate next to no animals, the concept of vegetarianism is nowadays strangely unfathomable. So much so that a simple request of “Does this contain meat?” is often met with a puzzled expression and the comically inaccurate response of “No, only a little”

An especially vague answer that could mean just a few pieces of pork or alternatively a vast bowl of beef.

Japanese food

That said Rod, it is possible to regularly eat out, but for all the frustration you will inevitably face, adding at least chicken and fish to your diet would make your time in Tokyo far more fulfilling.

At least that’s what I opted to do.

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Japanese juice

Japanese soft drinks change at an alarming rate, with new beverages appearing on a disturbingly regular basis. An especially irritating practice when one comes across a drink that is particularly pleasant – only to find it gone the following week.

Yet as far as so-called sports drinks are concerned, the old stalwarts of Aquarius and the perennially popular Pocari Sweat are thirst-quenching constants.

This longevity then is perhaps what prompted one drinks maker to market a similar product for pooches, allowing dogs that have being doing a bit of exercise to relax and recharge.

Japanese drink

Or alternatively it’s a product aimed at those with a penchant for pet perspiration.

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Pokemon, and on, and on…

Hot on the heels of the Hello Kitty empire, the people behind Pokemon appear bent on peddling an absolute plethora of products bearing pictures of Pikachu and his moneymaking pals.

And with the Japanese toy market now absolutely teeming with such stuff, food would appear to be the next target.

pokemon japan

Cosmetics and condoms are coming soon.

Apparently.

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Japanese food-related failure

Whilst Japan may lead the world in the fields of manga and maid cafes, the country’s quest for a sporting superstar has sadly remained illusive. Admittedly Japanese baseball and soccer players have made sizeable splashes in America and Europe respectively, but the nation has yet to produce a global star with the talent of Tiger Woods or the phenomenal fame of footballer David Beckham.

However the desperate search appeared to finally be over, as after six consecutive wins at the much renowned Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi looked set to become one of the greatest athletes to have graced the world stage by bagging an unprecedented seventh title at this year’s event. An achievement that sadly was wasn’t meant to be, as Kobayashi fell at the final hurdle and came a close second to American Joey Chestnut. The six-time winner even suffering the ignominy of a ‘reversal’ towards the end of the competition.

Japanese eating champion takeru kobayashi

A feat that, if successful, would have surely resulted in the 29-year-old being given a hero’s welcome on his return to Japan. And along with sponsorship offers aplenty, there was also a much-anticipated audience planned at the Imperial Palace, with many people speculating that Kobayashi was to be awarded accordingly with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.

But perhaps predictably the dream would appear to be over, and the search begins all over again…

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Japanese food fun

The mind-boggling effort that some Japanese mothers put into their child’s lunchbox (or bento) is fairly well documented, with the likes of rice and random vegetables used to recreate various creatures and compositions.

An art form that has at last been given the recognition it so rightly deserves, as Tokyo proudly hosted the inaugural Character Bento competition on Friday. The eventual winner being ‘Rainy days are fun too!’, which by all accounts got the nod due to its nutritional balance and seasonal timeliness. It being rainy season and all that.

Japanese bento

A closely fought contest that saw fellow finalist Miki Matsuzaka’s meat and melon-based Mona Lisa came a close second.

Apparently.

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Larger Japanese ladies?

The traditional Japanese diet of fish, vegetables, tofu and the like has consistently kept Japanese ladies at the top of the world’s longevity league table, but whilst a gradual change to more western style meals may well reduce these lengthy life spans, it would appear to be having the opposite effect on the nation’s burgeoning breast sizes.

A newly coined look called ‘bon-kyu-bon’ (big-small-big) attests to the size of this phenomena, with Japanese manufacturers now producing bras with less padding for those ladies who aren’t exactly lacking; however for women not quite so well-endowed, help would appear to be at hand with these curve-inducing cookies.

Japanese boob inducing biscuits

A similar product for men, tentatively titled ‘bulging briefs biscuits’, is rumoured to be ready for release early next year, although some commentators are claiming it may come sooner than expected.

(click image for colossal-sized cookies)