I guess it is a matter of cultural taste acquirement. Japanese find liquorice repulsive, when in Holland it is a common type of candy. I am planning on trying natto at least once; there seem to be some shops in Amsterdam where they sell it.

i think it's something like...
natto is more eaten in northern japan....
so most people in southern japan have a distaste for it >.>'''
like californians eating chitlins x]

You know, I spent 1.5 years in Osaka, and not once did anyone say they disliked Natto.

They either said they liked it, or they kept quiet :p

I would try it if ever offered.

Recently some crazy person tried to convince me that tempeh at my local health food store was the same thing as natto. They can look vaguely similar in a package, but don't make the mistake of believing they are anything at all alike in taste. :(

I didn't know the Japanese disliked licorice. But like many foods, it depends on the source. I detest american licorice (the fake, flavored stuff) and I am not too fond of several other kinds. But I have had real liquorice laces from Greece that I would give almost anything to have again, and some from Amsterdam that a local German deli imports that I can't stop eating once the package is opened. Its small licorice tubes filled with soft creamy liquorice and then lightly dusted with salt. They also make it with a sugar dust, but its too sweet for me.