FAST FOOD, JAPANESE STYLE

Even the most ugly and hurried of meals is a little more enjoyable than its North American counterpart

Walk into most Japanese convenience stores, and you’ll be hardpressed to find something that doesn’t look like it could be on a menu at a sit- down restaurant. From cherry blossom pastries to fresh octopus, chirashi bowls, tsukuzenni vegetable boxes and salads that actually look edible, the menu offerings at the average konbini – the Japanese name for convenience store – put our corner stores to shame.

Konbinis are everywhere in Japan, sandwiched between standing sushi bars and ramenyas also offering quick bites to people on the go. At many of these eateries, items are typically under 1000 Japanese Yen, the equivalent of about 12 Canadian dollars. In Tokyo you can find a bento with lean protein like chicken or fish, lightly battered vegetable tempura and fresh salad for less than 600 yen almost anywhere.

But not all fast food needs to be healthy, and Japan knows this well. The country’s culinary culture thrives on novelty, meaning that you can find monstrosities like pizzas stuffed with mini hotdogs and cheeseburgers with up to eight patties piled high. The importance of novelty can even be found in the simplest of to-go fare like pastries, which often come with drawn- on happy faces, and chicken nuggets that come in a container made to look like they are exploding out of a chicken’s head at Lawson, one of the country’s biggest konbini chains. Lawson nuggets are a national treasure prized by both David Chang and Anthony Bourdain.

Japanese konbinis also feature a rotation of seasonal products. At Lawson you can find a proliferation of sakura-flavoured items in spring, and cheese curry chiizukaremn buns and shogayu ginger tea in winter. Other products like Lipton’s instant matcha latte and green apple tea appear occasionally before dis- appearing again for undisclosed amounts of time.

“I do look forward to favourite ephemeral flavours,” says Dr. Nancy Snow, Pax Mundi Professor at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. “Part of their appeal is that they are here and gone, just like the sakura blossoms. Japan prides itself on its four seasons, which isn’t unique, but what is special is how much the country embraces the movement of time in not just festivals but even to the everyday level of what flavours of tea, chocolate or potato chip will be on offer at certain times of the year.”

Different konbinis offer different seasonal products. Yet the sheer amount of konbinis creates intense competition between stores. The re- sult is that product selections are vast and service is often shockingly helpful. Vending machines are also everywhere in Japan. In Tokyo you are hard-pressed to find a street corner without a vending machine dispensing hot and cold coffee, green tea, milk tea, water, vitamin C tonics and even hot soup.

Despite the prevalence of fast food, obesity rates are extremely low. Only 3.5 per cent of people are considered medically obese in Japan, surpassing the international standard for obesity with a body mass index (BMI) over 30. In Canada 54 per cent of people are obese, according to a 2014 Statistics Canada report.

Despite Japan’s successes in its fast food endeavours, it’s hard to see how these ideas could be implemented at home. The idea of seasonal convenience store menus, celebrity chef approved chicken nuggets and inviting convenience store seating areas sounds nice in theory, but we already have cafes and restaurants. Fast food doesn’t need to be a hybrid farm- to- table experience. It is supposed to be fast and largely inconsequential.

This is where our views differ from the Japanese, and where we might stand to learn something. There is an immense amount of respect for ingredients and food in Japan, and it has trickled down to the country’s fast food offerings, rendering no meal inconsequential. “Itadakimasu,” which translates to “I humbly receive” is said before eat- ing. It is considered wasteful not to finish your plate, especially if it consists of meat and fish, as something gave up its life for your meal. Cooks train for an average of 10 years before they are allowed to even touch meat or fish in traditional Japanese kitchens. Establishments serving Tajima beef know the name of the cow that the beef came from and tell you this information table-side if you ask.

Food matters in Japan, where the assumption is usually that you can spare the 15 minutes it takes to enjoy a bento at the place of ordering, not on the street or in your car. Because of this, many konbinis offer seating areas where customers can eat and drink at their leisure. These areas are helpful, since it’s considered rude to eat or drink in many public spaces, including the subway.

The result is that even the most scarfed- down, ugly and hurried of meals are a little more enjoyable. But the prevailing ideology is not idealistic. It simply acknowledges that daily life usually requires a visit to the konbini more than it does to a five-star restaurant, accommodating those who need to fill their stomachs to the highest degree. The approach is pragmatic. And while we might not care enough to implement it at home, we should still be jealous of the results.

‘ THEY ARE HERE AND GONE, JUST LIKE THE SAKURA BLOSSOMS’