[steven]

I hope you don't mind MMM, but I'd like to elaborate on your post... of course based on my experience and what I've been told. While this might scare off some potential visitors... I think this needs to be said.

It's funny because last night I realized that there is a lot of food that seems extremely low quality in Japan. For example, "family restaurants", have a lot of that cookie-cutter-microwave it-and put it on a plate-food. Of course there are a lot of other "budget" restaurants that have been around for the last few years as well. I'm sure the quality has dropped significantly since you lived here. I don't know if you heard about it, but recently there has been a lot of food poisoning problems ending in death in certain areas of Japan lately. These cases often occur at these "budget" type restaurants. A lot of this cheaper food is worse than its American counterpart in my opinion-- especially the meat. It comes over seasoned and poorly cooked. I suspect that the vegetables included in such meals come frozen from over seas. I suspect the same about a lot of the fish and meat.

Maybe it's different in the cities, but I think variety is also lacking. I find that all family restaurants have pretty much the same food. Obviously it's not the melting pot of America, so I think I might have high standards as far as "variety" goes.

About portions-- I think I can agree with you. It might not always be enough for me, but I think I just like to eat a lot. I think another feature of popular Japanese restaurants is that you can kind of "order as you go"... in other words, you don't always order one thing and call it a night, you get small portions of many things. I'm not just talking about izakaya style dining either, this seems to be the case of more and more restaurants that pop up in the country side as well.

I agree that the appreciation of a meal is present as well. I know they are taught about appreciating this basically from birth. I might be drawing a weird similarity, but I think that Japanese and Native Americans are similar in that they don't waste certain parts of meat. However, I'm not so certain that this can be attributed to the "lack" of a "doggy bag". I know places that indeed do allow for "doggy bags", including some respected high-end restaurants/onsens. I've heard it's more of a legal and health issue. Like if someone takes something home and it spoils, but they still eat it... then the restaurant might be held accountable. So obviously things like sashimi or food with raw eggs or other hazardous things are a legal risk.

Even still though, a couple of famous sushi places in my area allow for "doggy bags". I think it's also important to note that there are two kinds of Japanese "doggy bags". First of all, there is a kind of "western" kind. That is to say the customer didn't finish everything but wishes to take it home. That is uncommon, but it does happen. I've also been turned down and seen people be turned down when that kind of "doggy bag" is requested. The other kind of "doggy bag" is more like "take out" after you've eaten. In other words, you have finished eating, but you wish to take home a "doggy bag" (read: omiyage) for the wife. That kind of "doggy bag" is more accepted from what I've seen.

So I don't think it's a matter of everyone finishing everything they eat therefore there is no need for a doggy bag. I think it's more that it's kind of against the rules (although I can think of many many examples of "rule breakers" in this case).

Keep in mind this is just my experience. I do believe that things have changed though. Even within the amount of time I've lived here I feel like I've felt a quality drop.

So for visitors-- I would avoid family restaurants as well as 100 yen sushi/yakiniku shops... don't be afraid to try more local places. That's where Japan's quality shines.