Japanese people and food

So, before I came to Japan, I thought I was in for a treat. Finally a country who worked along my line of thought! Slim populace, health conscious and with one of the longest lifespans in the world. I thought I would be in for salads, fish and all sorts of lovely goodies that I would actually be able to eat!

Boy, was I wrong.

Welcome to Japan, home of 'pan'. Bakeries and curry houses on every corner, every type of food deep fried and of course, a distinct lack of being able to order salad anywhere. Even the fish dishes came with copious amounts of rice, sauce and fried vegetables. There was absolutely no where I could go and nothing I could eat! 

Restaurant after restaurant I visited and yet, I couldn't ever have 'just a salad' or 'sauce on the side' or anything like that. Anything remotely green was so covered in mayonnaise that it lost all of it's original colour! All the portions were so huge that I began to wonder, how on earth do Japanese people stay as slim as they do?!

Admittedly, working at a high school, I had some clues. The children and the teachers do a lot of exercise. The existence of bukatsu or 'club' means that every day after school is spent participating in the sport you agree to join in with. Teachers are not excluded from this. Some only watch from the sidelines but some are active trainers to their clubs, a feat I'm fairly certain most teachers in England wouldn't be able to accomplish. 

The second clue was bicycles. In my town especially, people bike everywhere. To and from school and work, to the conbini, even in a suit. The children at my school walked 23kms for ensoku, which is like a physical challenge, and they still cycled home afterwards. It doesn't matter who you are or how old you are, the ability to cycle everywhere, and not fear getting knocked off, must have some  effect. Cars here are always mindful of pedestrians and bikes. Without fail, they always look first and slow down. I've never felt unsafe on a bike in Japan, and I'm sure that freedom has a hand in their slim forms.

Lunch box size is another thing - the average lunch box for adults is much smaller than any I've seen. Portion sizes in restaurants are so much larger than what people bring in for lunch. Perhaps they are used to eating much less than the average Westerner is, especially in one portion. With continual small portions there is no issue with them snacking.

Metabolism. With all the rice that Japanese people eat, and it being sweet, sticky rice, they must have a fast metabolism. I don't know how else they can consume so many high gi carbohydrates and stay so thin and healthy.

All of these factors play a part. The Japanese lifestyle is unendurably hectic, with very little personal time, so the time they have to think about food is very little. However, I think the most important thing to consider is the whole Japanese -attitude- towards meals. They learn from day one that they can't start eating until everyone is ready and has said 'itadakimasu'. They only eat when they are hungry and are able to stop when they are full. They are constantly surrounded by sweet things and are able to hoard any chocolate and eat it square by square when the mood takes them. There is no rush. Food is always carefully prepared and beautifully displayed. 

And given just how much availability there is, their self restraint is admirable.

I have learned a lot from these eating habits. I'm not going to lie, being able to cook without tasting what I'm preparing or eat just one square of chocolate from a chocolate bar is truly liberating. I think their constant having snacks in the near vicinity tests their mental strength when they're young, until they are old enough to ignore snacks entirely until they actually want them.

If I can take these tips back to the UK, maybe it'll make my life a whole lot easier looking forward.