Boi 2 - Last Entry

Heyo it’s ya boi, boi2 aka Nicha, back again for the last blog of my Japan trip. As my trip is coming to a close, many things are running through my mind. The memories, the experiences, the things I’ve learned; out of all these new experiences, one of the most prevalent is the food in Japan. In my honest opinion, Japanese food can almost be treated as a delicacy, due to their process and presentation; always with allure and precision. 

I consider myself very lucky to get to experience different cities in Japan and see for myself, the difference in their foods. I am currently located in Osaka, but has been traveling around the area ever since the program ended; namely in Kyoto, Nara and Osaka area. Since my topic is bento, I will be focusing mainly on that for my blog. In my previous blogs, I’ve only written about the bentos in Tokyo, but now I will highlight some contrasting details I see in the bentos in these different cities. 

Although bento is still widely available in the Osaka area (basically everywhere in Japan), there are some differing details I see in the bentos from city to city; in Tokyo, a variety of bentos can be seen, but the most common topping on rice is meat, mainly katsu. But here in Osaka, I feel like the most common topping is tempura, and a variety of those at that, from shrimp to vegetables. Probably because of the abundance of seafood available here in the area. When I went to Kyoto, the most frequent topping I’ve seen is probably fish. But to be fair, I did not really see any food places in Kyoto, if any, they are udon or soba places. Another detail I noticed that was different was that in Tokyo, bentos can mostly be found sold just as is, it’s own separate dish, and to go. Maybe it’s because life in Tokyo is very busy and fast paced, so everything needs to adapt to the same lifestyle. But in the Kyoto-Osaka area, they are sold in sets, as in a sit-down food, with soup and a side to go with it.                                       

Being in Japan has opened my eyes to a whole new side to food I didn't know existed before. In my opinion, Japanese food does not contain a lot of strong taste, but rather, they focus on the depth of flavors instead, as what Japanese people called 'umami'. And one of the most common way to eat a meal in Japan is in the form of a bento; I feel like this is a very smart way to do so, because not only do you get a variety of foods along with their distinct flavors, but you also get a healthy balance in each meal. 

Anyway, this experience has taught me a lot, not just food wise, but I got the experience of a lifetime, and I am so grateful I got to be a part of this group to Japan. Japanese food is something undeniably unique, and I can't wait until the next time I get to try authentic Japanese food again. I will definitely come back again.