On Fri, 3 Sep 2004, M. Warner Losh wrote:

> In general, I'd avoid western food in Japan, unless you don't expect
> it to be "just like mom used to make." Most western food resturants
> have made concessions in their food to appeal to the Japanese palette.

It's my opinion that there are actually three kinds of food in Japan.

    Washoku (和食)

    "Japanese food." Sushi, sashimi, ramen (actually Chinese), tempura
    (actually Portuguese), well, you get the idea.

    Yoshoku (洋食)

    The literal translation is "western food," but in fact, you will
    never find any of this outside of Japan. Curry rice, spaghetti with
    code roe, cream sauce and seaweed, pizza with squid and mayonnaise
    topping, etc.

    Real western food (the Japanese have no word for this).

    It exists in Japan, but is no common.

Warner is quite right, a "Denny's" in Japan is like nothing you've ever
experienced. It may be worth a trip just in itself. I have to admit, I
just about fell over the first time I saw chopsticks labeled "Denny's."
(In the U.S. and Canada, the most Japanese thing you'll ever see at a
Denny's is a terriyaki burger. Nobody who goes to Denny's would even
know how to use chopsticks.)

> I'd also recommend trying a ramen-ya or a soba-ya (the 'mom and pop'
> style shops tend to be better than the chain stores).

Very good for food, but not so good for a group going out to party.
Thus, my suggestion of an izakaya-type place. Yakiniku is great by me.

cjs
-- 
Curt Sampson  <cjs@cynic.net>   +81 90 7737 2974   http://www.NetBSD.org
     Make up enjoying your city life...produced by BIC CAMERA