If i travel to Japan this summer, can i eat rice...and rice ONLY??

Question

Im a very picky eater, and not a big fan of seafood. So, im having a lot of trouble deciding on if i can go and just eat rice or other simple foods. Anyone know if that is bad etiquette?

i am a very picky eater. i was just wondering if it would be rude not to eat the sushi or squid or other seafood dishes while im there? i want a cultural experience, but i dont want a bad food experience. how can i avoid getting something i will absolutely hate? i wouldnt want to be rude and gag in front of my hostess either =] help??? and im not trying to be prejudice about the rice thing, i understand that japanese serve more than rice.

Answer 1

Don't worry about having to live on rice if you are not a big seafood fan. There are soooo many food choices out there, from fast food to pasta to pizza to steak (steakhouses are very popular in Japan.) Life in Japan is all about convenience, the train being the most convenient means of mass transportation so, there are numerous restaurants at train stations. At the larger ones, the food courts are usually found on the upper floors and the smaller ones will have little vendors and small restaurants to eat at.

Don't worry about offending anyone by refusing to eat something "fishy" so to say... A very polite way to tell the person offering that you don't eat that food, just say "TA-BE-RA-RE-MA-SEN". Just practice saying it until the word just rolls off your tongue smoothly and you will be able to communicate your feelings without offending anyone.

Bottom line, eating out in Japan is top notch. The quality of food in most restaurants is very high, the staff are very polite in most places and don't be afraid to try something new on your trip.

Answer 2

If you are going to be eating in someones house the mother will probably slave away in the kitchen all day and possibly invest in some rather expensive ingredients. It would be very rude to refuse the food cooked for you and would you could seriously hurt some feelings. So you should definitely tell them well in advance of any dietary restrictions you have. They will bend over backwards to accommodate your food needs and probably wonder to each other after you leave "what does she eat?!?!"
It will be easy to eat large cities as mentioned before.
Hamburgers and hot dogs are quite popular, I see them everywhere and in some things you would never think to put them in.
I also think the seafood here tastes different than in the United States, it is usually very fresh and mild in both smell and flavor.
I recommend the squid (ika) or octopus (tako), neither are fishy tasting and are quite sweet and chewy.
A dish that I personally enjoy is okonomiyaki, it's like a cabbage pancake with what ever you want inside.
Bottom line, don't be rude, tell your hosts what exactly you can't eat, don't wear the toilet slippers out of the toilet room, and take a gift (bring some unique or unusual food from the U.S. like boiled peanuts or raspberry salad dressing.)

Answer 3

Hi there Rach.

When I was younger, my restaurant experiences in Japan were'nt so great because a) i hated seafood (cooked or raw) and b) I was generally a pretty fussy eater...

However, there were always ways around it...!!

Japan is known for it's range of delicious traditional food - including Teriyaki chicken, Okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) and Yakiniku (BBQ beef)..

I suppose it can be seen as bad etiquette for not at least trying new food, then, it depends on the people you're with / the situation.. If you can, give a little try of new foods... :)

You'll go mad eating just rice, not to mention the health risk...

Trust me, you'll find things you enjoy eating in Japan... There's always bakeries and western chain foods like KFC, McDonalds etc (if it comes to that!)

Also, one thing some people often misunderstand, is that Japan, (unlike China) is a very hygiene-orientated country... So don't worry about meat products --- the Japanese are pretty fussy about where their meat comes from...

Have a great trip.

B.

Answer 4

it depends on where you go, if its a house, you probably should tell the host that you are allergic to seafood to be on the safe side, if its a restaurant, you can order anything you like with a minimum of fuss, for the most part however Japanese food is not spicy at all, and I didn't eat a bit of sushi when I was over there.

In the food department, Japanese food usually is very simply prepared of very high quality, I was even impressed with McDonald's food over there the 3 times I ate it. I stayed a month and tried many different foods, I really loved the gyuudon which is beef and a little bit of vegetables on top of white rice, served with miso soup and green tea, very simple, not spicy at all, but extremely good tasting and healthy, and a steal at about 500 yen. Mos Burger won me over too with the teriyaki burger, the combo for that was french fries, with onion rings, a burger with teriyaki, mayo and a bunch of super fresh lettuce, again simple, but extremely good tasting. Even the food at the combinis was good, I have no idea most of the time what I was eating, but it was very good and very cheap, the yakitori at 7-11 was a definite win for me since I went by the 7-11 on the way back to the apartment every time I came from the station a steal for 105 yen a stick.

When I met up with Wish Club, we went to several parties where they did a communal cooking type setup, they bring out a little propane grill and cook right on the table, yakisoba, nabe, and many other great meals cooked right on the table, very basic, but again, very good.

Answer 5

I know what you mean. I myself an a liberal vegetarian so I am a pick eater too.

I wouldn't recommend eating ONLY rice, mainly because of health reasons. There are wonderful vegetable dishes here that you can eat. If you like noodles, there are a number of Ramen shops, or Udon and Soba shops you can eat at. There are also many family restaurants that are western style so nothing lost there.

At a restaurant, it would not be bad etiquette for you to eat only one or two dishes and leave the rest. I mean you are paying for it so they really don't care. I leave stuff all the time at restaurants.

Eating as someones house is a different case. It would be considered quite rude if you did not eat what was offered to you. If you notify your host before hand to tell them your dietary needs it would be okay. Before I go to eat at someones house, I make sure they know that I don't eat certain things for religious reasons, and they are happy to work around that.

Enjoy your trip!

Answer 6

They have most of the restaurants there that they have in America so it shouldn't be a problem. They have lots of American fast food restaurants. But if you are eating at someones house, just eat the food that they prepare, even if you don't like it. And if you insist on being a picky eater while you are in Japan, you will miss out on a lot! You will not get to experience Japan if you don't try anything new! I have found Japanese food to be delicious! Don't shun food just because it is different!

Answer 7

If you're going there on a trip and are just a tourist, sure, eat whatever you want...BTW, there is a lot of different types of foods there, including American Fast Food and American Junk Food. In my opinion, though, that would be extremely boring...go to Japan to eat chips...ugh. There are so many different food possibilities to try...you might just like something.

If, however, you are going there and are going to be staying with a Japanese person or family as your host, it would be considered bad etiquette to simply refuse everything and only eat rice.

The Japanese people are pretty nice and understanding of foreigners and somewhat expect them to cringe at the idea of raw fish, but would be less understanding if you did not even try the variety of different dishes to include: noodles, different other soups, vegetables, and meats (they have some of the best steak in the world).

Besides, I can't imagine how boring it would be to just eat rice...don't be afraid to try something because you don't know it or it 'looks strange'...if you try it and don't like it, then you know and won't eat it again...but if you try it and LIKE it, then you've just expanded your food horizons and will appear to be more wise and worldly and not a narrow-minded fool.

Here's a few things to try in Japan: Tempura, Tan-Tan-Men Soup, Yakisoba, Kobe Beef, or go to some of the Yakiniku restaurants or even Yakitori or try some of the unique noodle dishes made with pork, chicken or just veggies, or Miso soups.

FYI as an example: Yakitori is chicken on a stick, cooked over an open flame, usually basted with a soy sauce or sweet soy/honey sauce...doesn't that sound good?

Answer 8

If you are eating as a guest in someone's home and you refuse all of their food except for the rice, they will probably not say anything, but you will definitely offend them. As a foreigner, they will probably prepare foods that they think you will like, so it would sadden them to see that you do not appreciate their cooking.

If you really hate seafood, perhaps you should tell people that you are allergic. The Japanese will not be offended if you refuse to eat something you are allergic to. Even if you are lying, it is much more polite.

However, I would recommend trying everything at least once. Many foods, including seafood, are prepared differently and taste different in Japan than in other places, like America. If you try a bite and do not like it, then simply don't take any more. Japanese people understand that their food is different and that many foreigners do not like certain Japanese dishes, so it's okay to say that you don't like certain foods, but you shouldn't refuse too many things. That is impolite and inconvenient for the person trying to cook.

Answer 9

If you eat only rice you may develop beri-beri. Japan is a nation where people died of starvation within living memory, so they eat what's put in front of them. I guess you could always go to Denny's, KFC, Mac, etc. MosBurger sells world-class burgers, fries and shakes. Why don't you just learn to eat like an adult, instead of a fussy kid?

My father used to be a RCN naval officer and the first time his ship called on Hong Kong and Yokohama he wouldn't eat the local food. The ship's cook told him there was no way he was cooking while alongside in Hong Kong, officer or no officer. So my father stayed onboard ate and canned beans, etc. He gradually expanded his horizons as he matured and now he laughs when recalls being stupid enough to be eating beans and molasses alone in the wardroom while the rest of the crew went ashore for some of the best food in the world.

Answer 10

♡You may eat whatever you like! (^_-)-☆
BUT!....there are so many delicious foods here in Japan you'd be missing out if you did! You'd get tired of rice really fast though and as mentioned, it may not be healthy.
～While eating out, you can eat whatever you like and leave what you don't, it's no problem.
In someone's home, if you are a guest, it may be rude to just eat the rice. I'm sure they will try to prepare a wonderful meal for you and may feel bad if you 'just ate rice'. You can always let your hosts know that you don't eat seafood or...too. I'm sure they'll understand!(*^o^*)
-Eating out is easy! There are tons of Italian, Chinese,... and fast food places everywhere! Dominos, Pizza Hut, McD, KFC.
I suggest you try a little of everything while in Japan, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!\(^∇^)/