Recently we see so many foreign tourists on the streets of Tokyo. Many people are saying that Japan is experiencing “over-tourism.”
As a regular citizen, I do not mind that, as long as the traffic is not too bad and as long as the tourists follow the local regulations and clean garbage after themselves, don’t cross the street on red light, and follow other basic Japanese standards.
I actually think it is a good thing that so many foreign visitors choose Japan as their travel destination recently, because hopefully it will benefit Japanese economy, which had suffered dramatically during COVID.
One negative side for me personally though is that many of my favorite restaurants are overcrowded with foreign tourists. Foreigners who have been staying in Japan for long time, all know how delicious and healthy Japanese food is. Also we know that we can get real Japanese food only in Japan. Some people might disagree, but I think it is true, especially due to the particular quality of water here, which affects the taste of vegetables, rice, green tea and even coffee. And of course, we thought that it is a kind of special secret that only “foreigners in Japan” know. However, recently, as Japanese food is becoming extremely popular all over the world and it feels like the whole world is coming to Japan as an endless tourism wave, Japanese food in Japan is no longer a secret.
So which Japanese food is the most popular among foreign tourists?
I checked some websites and online surveys, and found out that for many people, the food that they wanted to try before coming to Japan is not neceserily the one that they found the most delicious. Which again kind supports my theory that real Japanese food has been a secret for the crowds, but just coming out into the world. So which foods were newly discovered by the tourists?
Unsurprisingly, the number one place for “food I would like to try in Japan” is taken by sushi with more than 50 percent of respondents. And again many people found it really delicious, but not everyone put it to the top of their “dishes I think are the most delicious in Japan” list. In comparison, sashimi was named as one of the top newly discovered delicacies.
Second place of “food I would like to try in Japan” is shared by ramen and tempura. But for the “most delicious” ones