Category: food

Unfairly or not, Japanese people seem to have a reputation for being shy, especially when it comes to new social situations and meeting foreigners. I can’t tell you how many times people have commented, when they know I’ve lived in Japan, on how the country’s inhabitants are supposed to be quiet, polite, reserved, unassuming, introverted, etc. etc. This isn’t a stereotype that’s limited to outsider opinion, either – Japanese people have likewise told me this plenty of times. Continue reading “Life in Japan: Random Acts of Kindness” →

By now, plenty of people are familiar with at least the names of certain odd-sounding, yet still reasonably common Japanese foods such as natto (fermented soybeans), fugu (pufferfish), or yuba (tofu skin). Today, I thought it might be interesting to go a step further with a post detailing some lesser-known foods in Japan – some specific to certain regions, others popular right across the country, but all of them still consumed in today’s society. Continue reading “Weird or Wonderful?: Japanese Foods” →