My study abroad trip to Japan was full of new and unfamiliar experiences. One of the most important lessons that I learned from this trip was to openly embrace these different opportunities! Of course, there are many differences between the United States and Japan. It took some time to adjust to traveling internationally, and being surrounded by a new language and culture. After I began to adapt to the new environment, I was excited to immerse myself and try new things.
One of the highlights of having new experiences in Japan is trying all of the new kinds of food! I was very excited to try foods such as ramen and sushi, but I also wanted to try cuisine that I can’t normally get in the United States. Because of this, I tried to have as many culinary specialities as I could throughout my trip. We learned about a variety of regions that have speciality foods, so I was eager to try them!
The first speciality that I was able to try was takoyaki in Osaka. Takoyaki is a small, ball-shaped food with savory batter and octopus filling. We had a very limited amount of time in Osaka – we didn’t even leave the station! – but takoyaki was one of the foods I was most interested in trying. So, we made a quick stop at the food court in between our rides on the Shinkansen. When I tried takoyaki for the first time, I split an order with a couple of friends. It ended up being one of my favorite foods from my entire Japan trip! The takoyaki was delicious – savory and comforting! It was also my first time trying octopus, and there was a small piece in each ball of takoyaki. It was a bit different than other seafood I’ve tried, but I still loved it. Overall, the takoyaki was so good that I had it again in Osaka on the way back to Tokyo!
The next speciality food I tried was okonomiyaki in Hiroshima. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake with a variety of toppings. It is especially popular in Osaka and Hiroshima, but my group tried the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. I decided to order seafood okonomiyaki, so it included a small pancake, soba noodles, seafood, cabbage, and more! I also topped my meal with plenty of mayonnaise. The okonomiyaki was fantastic – it was a great introduction to Hiroshima’s cuisine, and a wonderful meal to share with friends!
I was also able to try Shin-Shin ramen during our stay in Fukuoka. Our professor highly recommended having ramen in this city, so we had to give it a try! My friends and I ordered tonkatsu (pork-based) ramen. I was really looking forward to this meal because tonkatsu is my favorite kind of ramen. It was definitely worth trying, too – I think Shin-Shin was the best ramen I’ve ever had!
The final culinary specialty I was able to try was beef tongue in Sendai. I was a little nervous to try this meal because I don’t normally love beef, but it exceeded my expectations! It was such a fun meal, especially because I ate it with a bunch of friends and our professor! The beef tongue had a different texture compared to other beef I’ve tried, and it was much more rich. I prefer the taste of beef tongue over steak now, so I’ll need to try it again in the future!
While I tried to be as adventurous as I could with my meals in Japan, there are still some Japanese specialties I have yet to try. For instance, horse meat and pufferfish are unique meals that I didn’t get the chance to try during my trip. Fortunately, this just gives me another reason to visit Japan again! Overall, I’m more than satisfied with all the food I tried during my trip. I highly encourage anyone visiting Japan to be open to trying new cuisine – it might end up being the best meal you’ve ever had!