Rice, Noodle, Fish (6 page)

Subtlety is king.

Japan is a society of deep-seated traditions and formalities that can puzzle the outsider, but getting it right can really make a difference for you and your hosts. Some basics to remember: Personal contact is mostly avoided in Japan, so mind your body and be prepared to bow rather than shake hands (a gentle bow for friends and family, a deeper dip from the waist for business relations or people of importance). Be punctual; tardiness isn't tolerated. And in general, avoid anything to cause undue attention to yourself or those around you; though you'll never blend in, Japanese value subtlety over aggressive individuality.

Buy your ticket to freedom.

Purchased outside the country (through a travel agency or at international airports), a Japan Rail Pass allows for unlimited travel for up to three weeks on all but a few special trains in Japan. Not only will it save you money and time (a pass costs around $300 for unlimited travel in a week and doesn't require reservations on most trains) but it also turns the country into a traveler's buffet, allowing you to improvise your daily destinations based on your various appetites for culture, climate, and regional cuisine. Go anywhere and everywhere, just never board a train without a bento box and a beverage (more on that subject on The Beauty of Bento in chapter 7).

Smaller is better.

It doesn't matter what you're eating: eel, sushi, noodles, sweets, cocktails. Small establishments are where
shokunin
do their work. It may be intimidating to walk into a six-seat bar, but this is where you will find the good stuff—a place where the chef and the staff (most likely husband and wife) are unwaveringly dedicated to their craft. The most exclusive places require an invitation or a Japanese guest to accompany you, but the country is bursting with warm, intimate establishments dying for a chance to blow your mind.

Don't ask; just do.

Hoping to wander a secret section of the fish market? Want to change seats on a train? Ask and you will invariably be defeated by a series of extended deliberations and bureaucratic consultations—a reflection of the highly structured reality of daily life in Japan. As long as it's not offensive and not illegal, you're better off doing first and feigning innocence later. It might not be the most elegant alibi, but nobody expects gaijin to know what they're doing in Japan.

 

(Matt Goulding)

MENRUI

noodles

SOBA

Japan's most elegant noodle, made from ground buckwheat.

UDON

Thick white noodles, served hot or cold.

SOMEN

Thin wheat noodles, normally served cold for dipping.

RAMEN

Made with wheat flour and alkaline salt to help retain its chew in hot broth (see more on The Ramen Matrix in chapter 4).

(Matt Goulding)

AGEMONO

fried

TEMPURA

Seafood and vegetables battered in flour, egg, and water (see more in Deep Fried in chapter 5).

KARAAGE

Bite-sized pieces of fried chicken, shrimp, or fish. Classic drinking food.

KATSU

Pork, chicken, or beef cutlets breaded in panko bread crumbs and fried crisp.

KOROKKE

Crispy breaded croquettes made from mashed potato or mincemeat.

(Matt Goulding)

NABEMONO

stews

SHABU-SHABU

Tableside hot pot of beef, vegetables, and tofu cooked in dashi.

ODEN

Meat, egg, fish cake, and a variety of vegetables slow-simmered in dashi.

SUKIYAKI

Meat and vegetables cooked in soy-spiked dashi and dipped in raw egg yolk.

MOTSUNABE

A popular
nabe
of stewed beef offal and cabbage cooked in dashi.