<p>If anyone has any advice, information or suggestions for a 16 year-old boy traveling with a musical group in Japan this Spring, I would appreciate if you would share. Particularly with regard to food and advice for international travel for a child who has never traveled alone or been abroad before. The child is a very picky eater, preferring things like beef, chicken, potatoes and very American food. He will be staying with a host family for part of the trip and we have to provide information for his food preferences and dislikes. We are not at all sure what kinds of food are common in a private home in Japan. Thank you!</p>
<p>Western-style food, particularly in private homes, is an anomaly in Japan, assuming that the homestay is with a Japanese family. Being an island nation, seafood is the prevalent protein, although beef is widely consumed. Rice, not potatoes, is the predominant carb.</p>
<p>That said, while your son may like the ingredients, he might have issues with how the food is prepared. Hopefully the host family is understanding, because from a cultural point of view, it would be considered rude not to eat what is offered. Obviously if he has allergies/dietary restrictions, the family should accommodate those, but being picky is usually not accepted as a valid excuse. Personally, I would suggest that your son tries the food, but not ask what it is beforehand :)</p>
<p>Outside the home, he will have options. Assuming he is in a fairly large city, US fast food options exist. He would also be well served to pack foods like peanut butter and protein bars to stave off the hunger.</p>
<p>The group leader may have some additional suggestions, since I’m sure that they’ve come across the issue before</p>
<p>Being a “picky eater” is a cultural concept that really doesn’t exist in Japan, at least not with young adults. However, the idea of a foreigner who doesn’t like Japanese food is pretty familiar in big cities. It’s entirely possible that if you say that he wants beef, chicken, and potatoes, his host family will go to considerable trouble and expense to provide him with Western food at every meal. That’s why I wouldn’t do it. There will be sticky white rice at every meal. No one will starve eating that. Practice eating a few Japanese essentials like rice, miso soup, and grilled fish, and he will be all right. It’s good to get in the habit of politely trying things now.</p>
<p>Hanna, that’s excellent advice. Part of what I was looking for was a list of things he should try now. I don’t think he would be wild about seafood, but I am confident that any preparation of beef would be great with him. He does like Chinese and Thai food, as well as “Japanese light” food such as Teriyaki. He is also very polite, so if he give him instructions ahead of time (like not wearing shoes indoors), I think he will do his very best to make sure that he behaves accordingly.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Young adults or moreso, kids under the age of 20.* Basically, the expectation is that younger folks, especially children eat what’s put before them and those who complain do tend to be judged negatively in many areas of Japanese society. This is especially the case with older generations who remembered deprivations from the latter part of WWII and economic hardships from the late 40’s till the '60s. </p>
<p>It is more unfortunate that as a foreigner, especially a non-Japanese/Asian looking foreigner the negative judgment over being a picky eater may be stronger among some in the older/more xenophobic crowd as it plays into some Japanese “gaijin”** stereotypes of expatriates/tourists. </p>
<p>Fortunately, the hosting family is very UNLIKELY to be of this type and more tolerant of mistakes in manners/etiquette…but it’s best to err on the side of not being viewed as picky, especially if one happens to be a young adult or moreso, a child under 20. </p>
<p>There are plenty of places in the NYC area to have your S sample Japanese food ahead of time. Granted, the prices can be on the high side at times, but there are some good deals like half-price sushi after 6 pm in some places. </p>
<p>Also, one interesting etiquette tip I read and had confirmed by several Japanese friends:</p>
<p>Never leave one’s chopsticks sticking out of a bowl full of rice. That’s something that’s only to be done at funerals as an offering to the deceased as far as I understand. </p>
<ul>
<li>20 is the age when there’s an official ceremony to note the transition from childhood to adulthood.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>** It is a Japanese term for foreigner which has taken on such negative prejudicial connotations in more progressive/younger generation circles that it’s not a term that is used in polite company. </p>
<p>Definitely rice and miso soup. If he’s willing to try some simple sushi, like cucumber roll, that’s also a good place to start. The big complicated sushi rolls are an American thing you won’t find in Japan. Do you know what town he will be in for the home stay?</p>
<p>Google “japanese breakfast” since that is the meal he’s most likely to eat at home. Natto (fermented soybeans) are for experts. Most Westerners who love Japanese food, including me, cannot bear natto. Everything else is pretty simple: soup, fish, salad, rice, eggs, sometimes vegetables boiled in soy sauce.</p>
<p>Seafood of every kind is very common. If he can eat fried shrimp, those are everywhere. Lunch/dinner dishes that are easy for Westerners to enjoy would include tonkatsu (breaded, fried pork loin), domburi (a bowl of rice with stir-fried meat, onions, and sauce on top), ramen/udon (noodles in broth), and yakiniku (which is basically the Japanese version of Korean BBQ beef). Asking for these might be easier on the family than asking for burgers, etc.</p>
<p>People who interact with Westerners regularly may expect him to be scared of raw fish or unable to use chopsticks. If he makes the effort beyond what they expect, even if it’s clumsy, people are likely to shower him with praise and amazement. Ditto if he manages a few words of Japanese.</p>
<p>thank you so much! This is fantastic information. I think he is less picky than he thinks he is because he does like ethnic food. He is anxious about raw fish, though. He has a lot of allergies and is aware that some people with allergies are allergic to seafood.</p>
<p>If the allergies are to food, get it specified to group leader and translated into japanese for the homestay family so those foods can be avoided, especially if they are seafood. </p>
<p>Talk to your doctor if there’s any chance of a seafood allergy. Do an allergy test. Different kinds of seafood flavorings may be used to make lots of broths, sauces, etc.</p>
<p>If he likes rare beef, then oddly enough, tuna sushi may be a good place to start. (If he likes everything well done, this might not help.) When you’re trying raw fish for the first time, spend some money and go to a good place. You want high quality fresh stuff. </p>
<p>Also, there’s lots of other kinds of Asian food in Japan. If he likes Chinese and Thai, those are widely available, as well as Korean and Indian restaurants. They may not be exactly like the restaurants he’s used to, but he’ll recognize many dishes. </p>
<p>When dining out, restaurants of all cuisines usually have plastic models of the food on display, so you can point to what you want.</p>
<p>Hanna, thank you. He likes Chinese, Thai and Korean BBQ a lot. He also enjoys some Indian food. You have been enormously helpful.</p>
<p>Gifts are a part of the Japanese culture- they don’t have to be expensive- just meaningful. Expect that the host family will give your son a gift, and he should bring something for them. Something that represents your country and culture would be appreciated- a picture book of your hometown, any local art piece like a small painting or print, small piece of pottery (wrapped well so it doesn’t break). Also, send him with pictures of your family so he can tell his host family about you. </p>
<p>As to food, portions are small, and meat is expensive. They do have Mc Donald’s there, but it is costly. Still, I would send him with spending money to get something when he is out if he is hungry. </p>
<p>I’d also recommend he try eel if he’s not allergic. Unadon:</p>
<p><a href=“Unadon - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unadon</a></p>
<p>is delicious if someone’s inclined towards salty/savory dishes. </p>
<p>There are a lot of interesting snacks to try as well. One friend recently got me a small bag of green tea flavored kit-kats popular in Japan. </p>
<p>Here’s an article on where to find them in NYC: <a href=“Where To Score Japanese Green Tea Kit Kats - Gothamist”>http://gothamist.com/2013/02/08/where_to_score_japanese_green_tea_k.php</a></p>
<p>Oh, and he should practice drinking green tea without sugar. It is offered everywhere. With the exception of tea-ceremony tea, it’s usually quite weak, and it’s not hard to get used to it.</p>
<p>And do you know where he’ll be geographically? Japan is SUPER into local specialties. If he can look up in advance what the special dishes are, and work on those, he’ll get mega points for knowing/liking them.</p>
<p>Hanna, he is going to be based in Inuyama. Your advice is stellar. I think he would be fine with anything as long as he had some sense of familiarity.</p>
<p>Wow, I don’t know anything about the food there, but if this site is to be believed, he got off easy on the local specialties in Aichi Prefecture. I mean, fried chicken wings? </p>
<p><a href=“The Famous Foods Of Every Japanese Prefecture”>The Famous Foods Of Every Japanese Prefecture;
<p>Now how cool is that! Thank you Hanna.</p>
<p>If he eats Chinese and Korean I think he’ll probably be fine. Generally sushi is served at fancy banquets or sushi restaurants. He’s unlikely to get much in private homes. There’s usually a vegetable sushi choice and my kid likes spicy tuna rolls. I took a kid to Japan who didn’t even like soy sauce, but even he managed to eat tempura, some chicken things and lots and lots of rice. Tonkatsu (breaded pork chops) are something he might want to order. Taking him to a Japanese restaurant here and trying a bunch of stuff is a good idea. If he likes Korean BBQ he’ll probably like the Japanese versions. I think Japanese breakfast is the hardest for westerners - mostly because it doesn’t seem like breakfast food - not because it isn’t good! I actually think natto tastes pretty good, but it looks so disgusting it’s hard to get past that. <a href=“Nattō - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nattō</a></p>
<p>That gift you bring doesn’t have to be fancy - but it should be nicely wrapped.</p>
<p>When I lived in Japan I started out by eating a lot of curry. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Heh, sounds somewhat like durian. </p>
<p>Smells and to some…looks disgusting. However, while YMMV, I actually loved it when I tried it for the first time. Granted, I haven’t had the fresh version which I heard is far more pungent than the frozen varieties common in Asian supermarkets in the US. </p>
<p>I am a very fussy eater and was nervous before a trip to Japan earlier this year. I thought it was going to be sushi everywhere all the time (I don’t eat sushi). I was very surprised by the variety of Japanese food, and that most of it was very edible. We ate out, but there were many options – and they weren’t all teriyaki chicken. Lots of versions of grilled beef and chicken. </p>
<p>There’s actually a lot of noodles in Japan; we ate noodles on several occasions. One restaurant had soba noodles that came with a bowl of a “dipping sauce” which was a beef or chicken concoction. Another night was a kabob place, where you ordered skewers of chicken or beef or meatballs or veggies that were grilled. </p>
<p>And then there is Okonomi-Yaki, which is the Japanese version of pizza. It’s like a pancake with lots of options for fillings. Very yummy, and it’s fun to watch them make. We also ate lunch in a place that only served wontons. Crepes are big in Tokyo. </p>
<p>Japanese-style breakfasts are probably the most foreign meal, so hopefully his hosts can figure out another option. The scariest thing is looking at food in supermarkets, because the labels are in Japanese and the food doesn’t look familiar. Bento boxes are big for lunch – we often had no idea what we were getting. </p>
<p>Another observation – they serve food in courses using very small plates and bowls. And forks and spoons are hard to find.</p>
<p>Many restaurants don’t have English menus, but you can point to plastic models in the window, or photos in the menu. </p>
<p>Oh, and I’ll second the Kit Kats. They come in many flavors, but are hard to find. In fact, there are piles of gift boxes of candy in all tourist locations – and the candy is very very different than what we have in the US. </p>
<p>Just remembering all the meals is making my mouth water. </p>