Not like the rest of the world.
I went to Tokyo to eat for a week. I came back full, both literally and figuratively as I was given the grand tour of the art AND science of how the Japanese prepare, eat and digest their meals.
As it was my first time in Japan, my stock knowledge of Japanese food culture was limited to an amalgamation of whatever I found in commercial restaurants to the “Japanese experience†of Little Tokyo. Hearing anecdotes from friends who have since made the great trek to Japan since the relaxation of VISA requirements, I was excited to sojourn into the land of push-button ramen, melt-in-your-mouth tuna, tofu served in many ways, omurice, and chicken sashimi.