"Japanese Cuisine Is Overrated"…A British Resident in Japan Hits Hard

"Always Close to 'Art'
But Too Many Constraints Beyond 'Taste'"

Japan is known for having a strong pride in its own cuisine. Amid this, a foreign resident living in Japan has drawn attention by delivering a harsh critique of Japanese food.

On the 20th, the Japanese online media Curie Japan translated and published a column written by a British person who has lived in Japan for over 20 years, originally contributed to the British weekly magazine The Spectator, regarding Japanese cuisine.

[Photo by Pixabay]

The title of the column is "Hard to Swallow... Unfair Overhype of Japanese Cuisine," containing the candid impressions of a foreigner on Japanese food.

According to the translated column, Philip Patrick, a lecturer at the University of Tokyo and a contributor to the English-language newspaper The Japan Times, said, "During my 23 years living in Japan, I have eaten all kinds of Japanese food, from street food to kaiseki (traditional multi-course meals)," and added, "The conclusion I have reached is that Japanese cuisine is overrated."

Patrick continued, "Japanese food is almost never imperfect in presentation and can be at its best. However, there are also cases where it tastes bad or is nothing special," and pointed out, "The problem is that a significant part of why Japanese people find their cuisine appealing is not actually related to the 'taste'."

He then evaluated that while British cuisine had a past when it was tasteless and merely 'survival fuel,' Japanese cuisine has always been considered a certain level of 'art.'

He praised high-end Japanese cuisine as comparable to Wagner’s Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art), especially noting that the sensory experience includes everything from colors, carefully selected dishes, chopsticks, dining tables, tatami rooms, to the sound of flowing streams.

Japanese Cuisine Focused on Formality, Missing the Taste

Patrick pointed out that there are too many restrictions in Japanese cuisine other than 'taste'.
[Photo by Pixabay]

However, Patrick pointed out that there are too many constraints on Japanese cuisine beyond just 'taste.' He also shared an anecdote involving a gourmet friend.

Patrick said, "A friend whose hobby is touring famous Japanese ramen shops was quietly scolded by the shop owner to be quiet while talking with a friend at one shop," and added, "On the wall the owner pointed to with his hand, there was a sign that said 'No Talking'."

He then relayed his friend's comment that "Japanese cuisine tends to be excessively obsessed with nutrition, traditional ingredient combinations, origin, and seasonality."

Patrick said, "There is a strict rule to leave no bite behind and to fill only up to 80% of fullness. This stubbornness is admirable in its own way," but also admitted, "Sometimes it makes me wish I could just eat purely for the joy of eating."

He went on, "The mysterious atmosphere of traditional ryotei (high-end Japanese restaurants) is attractive yet intimidating, giving guests the illusion of participating in an ancient traditional ritual," and added, "This leaves no room for me to think about why I have to sit in an uncomfortable posture for hours eating these unpalatable dishes that come out in small portions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.