View Survival:Food
Kitchens
Due to a lack of space, most kitchens in Japan contain the minimum of cooking facilities (unless you’re on an ‘ex-pat’ package where Western-style accommodation is provided). Two gas rings and a small grill are what most people have available, so some creativity may be required. Rice cookers, ‘water-heaters’ and microwaves are fairly cheap and widely available.
Food shopping
In Japan people tend to shop every few days due to limited kitchen storage space. Fresh fruit, vegetable, fish, and meat shops can easily be found within walking distance of your home. Imported food tends to be more expensive in Japan, and is available in several specialised shops and supermarkets, and from mail-order stores as well.
Eating out
It may be that in your home country, buying ingredients at a supermarket and cooking at home is usually much cheaper than eating out, but in Japan eating out can be only a fraction more expensive than eating at home. Many Western women find themselves eating out here much more frequently than they might have at home. Busy schedules or jobs in several different locations often make eating out a necessity.
There are many kinds of restaurants in Japan, and in the cities you can find almost any kind of food or style of restaurant you like. Service in restaurants is usually excellent and you don’t need to tip. Often on display outside Japanese restaurants are plastic models of menu items. If you’re having trouble ordering, then don’t be shy; gesture for the staff to follow you outside and simply point to what you want.
Vegetarians beware: vegetarianism is not popular nor fully understood by most restaurants in Japan, so despite the fact that the staff may confidently tell you that your dish contains no meat, be prepared to see bits of bacon lying on top of it.