Eating in Japan

Japan in Your Pocket #3

by Japan Travel Bureau

Eating in Japan reveals the mysteries of Japanese cuisine, including etiquette and different styles of restaurant.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Food, Travel

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving it 5-stars, so there. Sure, it's not Middlemarch, but if I kept to that standard then there'd never be a 5-star children's picture book, or biography, or art book. But this surpassed my expectations throughout, and given its dainty size, it's remarkable how much more educational this was than the several normal-sized books I've read on the same topic.

They were clear—and thoroughly illustrated—and consise and precise. No wasted image, no wasted words. They managed to cover such varied topics as ingredients, seasonings, regional specialities, cooking methods, seasonality, even some recipes, all in a book that looks slightly smaller than Pat the Bunny, but contains almost 200 pages, chock-full of information.

I now want to seek out others in the series, and hope they live up to the high standard of this one.

Note: I have written a novel (not yet published), so now I will suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. In my subjective opinion, the stars suggest:

(5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = actually disappointing, and 1* = hated it. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)

[tatterpunk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, very beautiful and comprehensive, but a little less "readable" than the Inn & Travel volume, as it's basically an encyclopedic, illustrated breakdown of Japanese cuisine. Ironically I'm sure it was an absolute godsend to those in the '80s and '90s encountering Japan's food for the first time. However, 35 years and a massive soft power campaign later... this is fun, and there's some insight to be had, but I already know the majority of what this book is trying to tell me. (As least, whatever I can actually retain without the book in my hand.) I actually wish I'd had it when I was younger. I think I'll keep it, just for being perfect at what it does, though.

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute little book is such an eye-opening read, even for a long-time fan of Japanese food. From dining out options, to daily dishes and sweets, you will get a comprehensive picture of how much passion and delicacy that Japanese put into their eating.

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great illustrated guide especially helpful for foreigners living in Japan.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book but the name of dishes made me headache. 1/5 of each paragraph are in Japanese as they are ingredient / sauce / dish name.

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eating in Japan is one of a series of pocket guidebooks aimed at English-speaking travelers to Japan. A little stiff, a little awkward, they nevertheless give a lot of useful information in a small package.

This is my favorite book in the series. If you wish to travel to Japan, it were better if you knew what food to expect and how to ask for it or for alternatives. These days it's more common to be able to find Japanese food in the US, but back in the 'eighties when this book was published Japanese food was pretty hard to find, and the unexpected differences in cuisine and attitudes and what was considered normal could be startling.

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never get hungry looking at this book, but it's really cute. But more important it introduces all the famous dishes in Japan - so one can study up the names and food items before landing at Narita. A must plane read type of book.

[Mandy]

it's the cutest book...tiny but quite informative about japanese food. i'm wondering if i can use it to crib notes for cooking mama! :)

[Niki Ganong · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a super-cute illustrated guide to Japanese food. Small and helpful in addition to being kawaii!