Destination: Japan
Eat & Drink Akita - Hokkaido & Northern Honshu Hakodate - Hokkaido & Northern Honshu Hirosaki - Hokkaido & Northern Honshu Kanazawa - Hokkaido & Northern Honshu Otaru - Hokkaido & Northern Honshu Sapporo - Hokkaido & Northern Honshu Sendai - Hokkaido & Northern Honshu Matsumoto - Central Honshu Nagano - Central Honshu Nagoya - Central Honshu Takayama - Central Honshu Tokyo - Central Honshu Yokohama - Central Honshu Hagi - Western Honshu & Shikoku Hiroshima - Western Honshu & Shikoku Kobe - Western Honshu & Shikoku Kyoto - Western Honshu & Shikoku Matsue - Western Honshu & Shikoku Matsuyama - Western Honshu & Shikoku Nara - Western Honshu & Shikoku Osaka - Western Honshu & Shikoku Beppu - Kyushu & the Southern Islands Fukuoka - Kyushu & the Southern Islands Kagoshima - Kyushu & the Southern Islands Kumamoto - Kyushu & the Southern Islands Miyazaki - Kyushu & the Southern Islands Naha (Okinawa) - Kyushu & the Southern Islands Nagasaki - Kyushu & the Southern Islands	Prices Prices are approximate and are exclusive of drinks but inclusive of service. You may occasionally find that you will be refused entry to certain restaurants. Such cases are rarely examples of discrimination, more a fear of not being able to cope with foreigners' demands. Best Guest If invited to a meal in Japan, it is the host's job to order on your behalf, and in a restaurant it's easier and more respectful to allow the host to choose what you will eat. When the meal arrives, diners usually murmur the Japanese equivalent of bon appetit, which is itadakimasu. It means 'I will receive'. Follow the Sign Types of restaurant can be distinguished by various signs. A shabu-shabu or sukiyaki restaurant will display a drawing of a cow, a fugu restaurant a dangling blowfish, and a yakitori , oden (a dish of tofu, seaweed, fish cakes and similar ingredients boiled in fish stock) or izakaya (similar to a Western pub) establishments a red lantern. Others will have curtains with the type of restaurant indicated in Japanese. Tofu Tofu (soya bean curd) is not only nutritious but infinitely versatile - it can be boiled, fried, baked or eaten fresh. Tofu is made by soaking soya beans, extracting the 'milk' and then curdling it; it is sold on the day of production. The best tofu is said to come from Kyoto. Cheers! The Japanese word for drinking each other's health is kanpai, the literal meaning of which is 'to an empty cup' or 'bottoms up'. An empty cup or glass signals to the host that you want more to drink. If you have had a surfeit, leave your glass full. Foreign Options Korean (yakinuku-ya) restaurants are also popular throughout Japan. They feature marinated meat and vegetables which are grilled at the table and then dipped into a spicy sauce. The meat served is usually beef, which is either rousu (lean cut) or karubi (ribs). Chopsticks Chopsticks are easier to manipulate than you might think. Hold the thick end of the sticks like a pen, with the lower stick resting in the cleft between thumb and finger and against the fourth finger. Hold the upper stick with the thumb and first two fingers. When picking up food, keep the lower stick still and manipulate the upper one. Seasonings and Condiments Japanese cuisine uses surprisingly few seasonings, relying instead on the natural flavour, freshness and appearance of the ingredients. Apart from soy sauce (shoyu), the most common flavourings are: miso (fermented soy-bean paste), goma (toasted and crushed sesame seeds mixed with salt), mirin (sweet, fortified wine, similar to sherry); ginger root; toga-rashi (a blend of several spices, including pepper); and wasabi (hot horse-radish mustard).	COUNTRY Japan   Viewing   Top Ten   What To See   Where To ...     Eat & Drink     Stay     Shop     Take The Kids     Be Entertained     What's On When   Practical Matters REGION CITIES MAPS World Europe TRAVEL BOOK Book Info Order Online