Japan has many places to dine. Japanese food is generally what you will find. It shouldn’t be to hard to find something palatable. Western food is also commonly found in Japan; however, prepare to pay a steep amount to dine at McDonald’s if that’s what you crave.

Common dishes prepared in Japan consist of a bowl of rice (gohan), a bowl of miso shiru soup (based on soybeans, and a good source of protein), one or more kinds of vegetables, plus a portion (usually small) of fish or meat. You can also find other popular, less expensive dishes such as dishes based on noodles, either soba (greyish; buckwheat), ramen (yellow) or udon (thick white, wheat).

Other specialty dishes may include: Sashimi (raw fish), sushi (rice wrapped in seaweed with some sort of vegetable or raw fish included), yakitori (kebabs of poultry and vegetables grilled over a charcoal fire and frequently basted with a special sauce during the process) and kabayaki (eel grilled over a charcoal fire and basted with a special sauce, usually served on rice). You may want to master the skill of chopsticks before you travel to Japan, as most restaurants or wherever you may be HAVING a meal will offer only chopsticks as utensils. You may request a fork if you absolutely need one.

Once you catch on to the knack of chopsticks, however, it’s very easy to eat your meal. Popular drinks while dining include: Green tea, sake (rice wine), beer and wine. Nonalcoholic beverages are also available everywhere. Beer is a very popular drink in Japan. Famous beers include Kirin, Sapporo, Suntory and Asahi. It is common among businessmen to drink an overabundant amount in the bars after a hard day’s work.