EATING

The food in Japan usually has rice. You can avoid fish. They do great chicken and pork cutlets. There are 3 main kinds of noodles. Soba, a buckwheat noodle, Udon, a large wheat noodle, and Ramen -many varieties of the basic noodle. These often come in soup. Stir fried is my preferred. Curry is a big hit here in Japan. It is in a gravy, and usually served over rice.

Most restaurants or stores have a window with pictures of the food they serve. I have had to take the waiter out and point at the food. But, you get what you see.

My husband won't let me forget when I bought yakitori. The chicken on a stick looked so good, I ordered the beef kabobs beside it! Oops! Hello? It is a chicken stand! Those turned out to be chicken livers!!!

Same with ice cream. My husband thought he was ordering mint (light green). It was green tea.

So, occasionally the point and get method turns out to be a bust, but you learn and move on! You will eat, there are many fun places.

For a guide on eating, go to: www.cfay.navy.mil/ffsc/maps/EathingInJapan.pdf