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Hi, I’m back with part two, which confusingly starts with number 3 on the list…
3. SOOOOOO many places to eat and drink.
For many people, wherever they go in the world, food and drink form a pretty important part of their holiday; they certainly do for me! Japan’s dense population means perhaps more restaurants in any given area than anywhere else on earth. Wherever you look in Japan there are places to eat, especially in the cities; at ground level, way up high in skyscrapers, down below in the underground stations and shopping malls. I reckon you would find it hard to be more than a minute’s walk from a bar/restaurant/cafe anywhere in Tokyo, with the possible exception of the middle of the Imperial Palace grounds. But seeing as how these are off limits if you tried this your next meal would probably be prison food – I bet the Japanese even do THAT well! (Did you see the naked gaijin swimming in the palace moat?) What I love about eating out in Japan is not only the sheer variety of things to eat, but also the fact that (in contrast to what many people’s impression of Japanese food) many of these places are simple, casual and relaxing. Some of my favourite eating experiences in Japan have been at ‘restaurants’ that are smaller than the kitchen of many restaurants back home and some of them not much bigger than a decent sized cupboard! Another great thing is that a lot of Japanese cuisine is not intended to be a full meal, more like something to snack on whilst enjoying drinks. This means that eating out in Japan is not confined to the 3 standard mealtimes! There is no better way to top off an afternoon of sightseeing in the heat of summer than with an ice-cold beer and a few sticks of chicken or pieces of sushi. Yes holidays are about sightseeing, but they are also about enjoying yourself, kicking back and relaxing. I reckon Japan provides more refreshment options than any other country – would you agree?