Oishii!

There are few things I enjoy more than eating well and traveling around the world. But Japan has never been near the top of my list of places to go to, not because of any particular aversion, but merely because many other places have a more immediate hook or allure - the beauty of New Zealand, a particular historical sight like Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the food in Thailand, or even perhaps whales in South Africa (Mcgillicudy will appreciate that). And while I expect that food in Japan would be wonderful, never have I realized that the Japanese have an "obsession" with food, as this Washington Post article tells us.

An excerpt:

Almost every town of any significant size in Japan boasts well-stocked "food souvenir" shops at airports and train stations where visitors snap up regional specialties. Thousands of food pilgrims regularly flock to the countryside in search of seasonal dishes. Japanese travel agencies call food one of the main engines of international travel. Kinki Nippon Tourist, a leading travel agency, peddles scores of popular food-themed escapes, including sweets tours of Taiwan and afternoon-tea trips to Hong Kong.


As well, the Japanese enjoy food television even more than Americans like their Food Network! Well, I guess they did bring us Iron Chef!

Oishii! (Japanese for delicious)