Your Guide to Meiji

Views Across Borders

1. Which popular foods from your native country cannot be found in Japan?

Spicy Huo-guo (hot-pot)

China

 

There are restaurants serving Sichuan cuisine in Japan, but I hardly see this dish.

Ranshu ramen (noodles)

China

 

This is boiled hand-stretched noodles in a beef broth. It is a dish eaten by ordinary people and has long been popular in China.

Japchae (Noodle dish)

Korea

 

There are many restaurants serving Korean dishes in Japan, but authentic Korean is the best!

Sundae

Korea

 

Also called a Korean style sausage, this is pig’s intestine stuffed with pork blood, vegetables and meat.

Kimchi refrigerator

Korea

 

It’s not a food, but is so popular in Korea that every household has one.

Samgyeopsal

Korea

 

This is grilled “three-layer” pork (i.e., layered meat on fat). It is hard to find this kind of meat in Japan.

Lu wei

Taiwan

 

This is a dish of stewed mushrooms and vegetables, served in a herbal soup.

Chou doufu (fermented 'stinky' tofu)

Taiwan

 

This is a processed food made with tofu. It’s mainly a street food sold at stalls as a light snack.

2. What is your favorite Japanese product not found in your native country?

O-hagi (sweet bean cake)

China

 

It is tasty and makes a great snack.

Otohime (Toilet flushing sound device)

China

 

It is a device that creates a flushing sound to cover up unwanted noises of ablution. When I first saw it I had no idea what it was.

Digital photo printing vending machines

China

 

I can develop my photographs anytime by myself, which is really convenient.

PASMO

Korea

 

This is a smart card that can be used on trains and buses and as electronic money when shopping.

Bathroom heaters/dryers

Korea

 

These are really convenient because you can dry your laundry indoors on rainy days.

Erasable ballpoint pens

Korea

 

It is really helpful when writing documents such as CVs as I can just erase mistakes.

Kotatsu (low tables, covered with a blanket and with a small heater inside)

Korea

 

It’s so warm that once I get in it, I don’t want to get out.

Melon bread

Korea

 

This is a bun baked with sweet cookie dough on bread dough. There are so many kinds of bakery products in Japan and they are so tasty—I think they are the best in the world.

Induction-heating cookers

Korea

 

They are really safe and easy to use.

3. What can you most proud of about your native country?

History

China

 

Chinese history is so long that even Chinese people can’t learn it all!

Cuisine

China

 

Chinese is considered one of the world’s “big three” cuisines. Seasonings and cooking methods differ from region to region, so it’s full of variety.

Land area

China

 

It’s the third largest country in the world.

Hangul (the Korean alphabet)

Korea

 

I think it is the world’s most unique and scientific writing system.

The Red Devils

Korea

 

This is the official supporters club of the South Korean national soccer team. The passion and energy of the group on match days is unbelievable!

Passionate people!

Korea

 

Korean people are passionate about everything and are really emotionally expressive. Sometimes I think Japanese people are quiet and reserved in comparison.

Electrical appliances

Korea

 

There are many high quality electrical appliances made by LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics, and exports in these are booming.

Cosmetics

Korea

 

There are many low-priced but high-quality cosmetics.

Night markets

Taiwan

 

They sell everything from food to clothes and stay open late into the night.

Page Top