Well, most people probably already now that you can get nearly everything here, but only a few know how good and even cheap the stuff is!
But let's start at the beginning: The shops.
Most shops don't open until 11.00 am (some at 10.00, some at 1.00 pm) but accordingly they don't close until 8.00 pm or 10.00 pm either. And I mean real stores, ones which carry electronics, garment etc.
Super Markets open up in the morning and are open till 9.00 pm or sometimes 11.45 pm. And then there's the Konbini (from English convenient). Those things are open 24 hours a day, nearly 365 days a year and offer a wide range of products, primarily of course food and beverages but also a variety of things you find in a drug store.
What's irritating in the beginning is the scream that welcomes you when you enter a shop. As soon as a store clerk sees a customer or one steps into the store he says "いらっしゃいませ" irasshaimase to the customer, which is kind of a real heartful "Welcome" in a very polite (grammar) form and by saying I mean that sometimes they downright scream it at you, so that you notice it no matter what.
Helmut told me that in Tokyo it's not that common anymore to say it in a real hearty but here in the Kansai region it's everyday's practice (mannerless, impolite Tokyo people, hrm).
Since we're already talking about sentences from store clerks: If you're buying something and are about to pay, the vendor doesn't only tell you what it costs (it's displayed on the machine anyway), but they also tell you how much money you've given him. e.g. "It's 365 Yen *give money*; 1000 Yen, 635 Yen change." Although it gets worse with this: They ask you if you need an additional bag, if you want chopsticks, if you want special food already warmed up in the microwave of the shop, if you have a point card etc. Actually very nice, but these are studied set phrases and they mumble it in such a speed so that you understand exactly nothing at all.
What's nice in my opinion is the fact, that they address you not simply with "Sir" or "Thou" (edit: In German we use a polite form not a simple "you" when talking to strangers, it can be compared to French and their use of "Vous"), on the contrary, in Japan it's considered to be impolite to address someone with "Sir" or "Thou" (anata) if you know the name or the social status of that person. Therefore the name you by the status you're adopting at the given moment, which means in stores you are the Okyakusama; the "Highly worshipped customer".
And now something for people, who like good things to be cheap (which includes me). Starting around 7.00 pm the super markets are starting to gradually decrease the prices for things they don't want to sell anymore the next day, primarily fish and meat (which, of course, is the Fish that came in on that day, so it's fresh). And not later than 8.30 pm you can get all these things for half price.
A big piece of raw salmon for 2 Euro? Give it to me! A bowl of octopus for 1.50 Euro? Absolutely! and so on.
The best thing though? Nearly everything is ready to be eaten on the spot.
So, here's my tip: If you ever happen to be in Japan, want it cheap and don't mind to eat a little bit later in the evening (edit: In middle Europe the main dish is lunch) storm the next super market!
And now for the actual title of this entry -- food:
Maybe now some people may finally don't bother me anymore: Mochi (Sweets variant)
My dinner yesterday: Fried squid arm ("Ika", on the right), Fried octopus tentacle ("Tako", on the left) and Baby-Squids
My dinner today: Ebi (shrimps) and a big octopus tentacle, unbelievable good.
And if there are any prejudices versus cephalopods; in Korea sometimes those things are eaten alive and then the tentacles are still picking around your face while eating. (Anyone who has seen the Korean film "Oldboy" knows what I mean, although in reality they're doing it in a more elegant way)
Interesting (and funny) facts/opinions about Japan:
Japanese people eat many things (above all noodle dishes) not only really fast but also boiling hot, because their opinion is that the dishes taste best that way. To manage doing this, they suck in air while eating to not burn themselves, which results in a very loud slurping. In Austria this would be considered as extremely impolite and very bad eating manners but here even business people in restaurants use this technique.
The Western person waits until his soup has cooled down or blows on it und is smiled compassionate at.
The interesting fact is that in earlier times it was courteous in Middle and Western Europe too to pleasuable slurp your soup. Even Knigge (edit: A famous German expert on manners) disadvised people from blowing onto the soup on your spoon, rather wait a little bit before starting to eat.
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