The food in Japan

[steven]

Originally Posted by WingsToDiscovery

But it's your last sentence that scares me and makes me glad I chose the answer that I did, because it means I'm one of the few people here that doesn't let this "utopia" of a country keep me whipped like it does to so many of you. You can't tell me my opinion is any worse than these pre-pubescent teens who post that they want to renounce their citizenship and fly over to a country they've never stepped foot on.

I get what you're saying, but I think it's a bit contradictory because while you're bashing a younger group of people for their lack of experience you youself seem to refuse to eat a lot of differnt kinds of foods. While I can understand it when people don't like a few things in particular, disliking whole categories of food is a childish characteristic that I'd put along the same lines as the people you're bashing.

Pretty much all food takes some getting used to. You might enjoy Japan more if you just keep trying some of the food a bit more. Before I came here there were a lot of things I didn't like or at least thought I didn't like... a lot of it I got over and have come to really enjoy it.

Have you heard of the "Yummy Phase" before?

[Nyororin]

"Food"

There is great, good, fair, plain, bad, and gross.
It`s food. There are countless dishes, countless variations - it would be impossible to say "Japanese food" and have it be limited to a specific category. There is going to be stuff that you love, stuff that you hate, and all shades in between... Just like any other cuisine.

This is kind of like the "What`s life like in ...?" question. There really is no answer, as it`s entirely down to the individual.

[WingsToDiscovery]

Originally Posted by steven

I get what you're saying, but I think it's a bit contradictory because while you're bashing a younger group of people for their lack of experience you youself seem to refuse to eat a lot of differnt kinds of foods. While I can understand it when people don't like a few things in particular, disliking whole categories of food is a childish characteristic that I'd put along the same lines as the people you're bashing.

Pretty much all food takes some getting used to. You might enjoy Japan more if you just keep trying some of the food a bit more. Before I came here there were a lot of things I didn't like or at least thought I didn't like... a lot of it I got over and have come to really enjoy it.

Have you heard of the "Yummy Phase" before?

At the same time, it's not like I've expressed my specific dietary needs in this thread. While I did say I'm a picky eater, I've never gone into specifics as to why I eat the way I do. Would I still be immature if I told you I have quite a few food allergies, and I happen to live in a country where I can't really read food labels and can't fully express my needs at restaurants (but I'm not blaming the country for this)?
And on top of that, I do feel like I have the right to express that there are still quite a few foods that I don't like anyway, even the same foods I can get back home.

[MMM]

This is a thread made by a signature spammer. He's been banned. It's not worth getting too upset over.

[GoNative]

Originally Posted by masaegu

LMAO You and GoNative try so hard to make this country look bad when the rest of the civilized world knows better. Why are you here anyway?

I've lived here 7 years and absolutely love it. I just don't pretend that everything about Japan is like some perfect utopian wonderland. Wankers like you seem to believe you have to absolutely love everything about a country to want to live there? It's seems fine to bag out countries like the US and point out that it's not all rosy but to do the same about Japan appears to be unacceptable? Do you even live in Japan masaegu? This is a great country to live in but it's not all good. Why do people find this such a hard concept to accept?

Some of us just attempt to point out the reality of living here. That it is not a utopian society where everything is just one amazingly great experience after another. Japan like any country has its issues. I guess some of you just don't want to hear this...

[steven]

Wings, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to call people with certain allergies childish because they don't eat certain foods (especially the person can't read food labels in the country in which they reside).

Just to give an example of my own experience- after about a year and a half of living in Japan I developed an allergy to shrimp. If I eat shrimp I get an itchy rash on my skin. I've had a coworker say some crazy things when he saw me passing my lunch's shrimp off to another co-worker. After I told him I was allergic he was a bit embarassed but I understood. So I can understand situations where people don't eat food because of allergies.

And I understand that there may be foods that you just simply don't like (whether they are Japan specific or not). I think that is seen as childish in Japan though (and to an extent in America as well).

So saying stuff like
"I'm one of the few people here that doesn't let this "utopia" of a country keep me whipped like it does to so many of you. You can't tell me my opinion is any worse than these pre-pubescent teens who post that they want to renounce their citizenship and fly over to a country they've never stepped foot on."
seems a bit excessive considering the position in which you had put yourself by labelling Japanese food (and to a larger extent all food) as "gross".

I get what you're trying to say though. You are entitled to your opinion. I don't really like Natto, Amazake, or Wine... but if someone insists or it's included in a meal provided to me I'll just bite the bullet and eat or drink it.

I'll agree with Nyororin that just like any other type of food there is some good stuff, some bad stuff, and a whole lot of stuff that is... "alright" (for lack of a better word).

Wings, I've met a lot of people who were (and some still are) in that "yummy phase". I'm talking about people who order a hamburger with buns, meat, and ketchup only (I've met multiple people like that). My friends and I were immature enough to bug the hell out of one of our buddies who was like that until he graduated to actually eating vegetables on his burger with cheese and all that stuff. He was thankful that we opened him up to a whole new world. If you're not eating certain food because of health or religious reasons or something like that then I think people will understand... but if you try certain foods enough times you might learn to enjoy them and literally enter a whole new world.

It doesn't have to be a cold turkey/head first kind of experience... you can always ease your way into it before diving in. There's a huge social aspect to eating food... I'd say that goes especially for Japan. So I'd make the argument that you'd enjoy your stay here if you were to "チャレンジ" more food.

EDIT: Spam is another food I don't care for... but I'll eat it sometimes (like spam musubi).