Foods You Won’t See in Japan

Sandwiches

I’ve spoken about the various kinds of sandwiches, or lack thereof, in Japan, but it’s only when you come home, and find yourself eating fresh turkey with fig spread, spicy mustard, spinach, and Swiss cheese on soft sourdough bread that one truly learns to appreciate options. Sandwich options. Japan has next to none, and of those, 90% have mayonnaise included. Here are some of the choices available to you, in my order of preference:

Subway (サブウェイ)

http://www.subway.co.jp/index.html

Pros
– Fresh bread
– Mayonnaise not included
– Options, options, options!

Cons
– Only iceberg lettuce, fewer vegetable choices
– Cheese costs extra
– Expensive: about 800 yen for a sandwich, drink, and cookie

Doutor (ドトール)

Picture courtesy of nobuojp

http://www.doutor.co.jp/index.html

Pros
– Not ready-made
– Good quality meat and bread

Cons
– Only about three different sandwiches available
– VERY spicy mustard (maybe a pro)

Bakeries (パンや)

Picture courtesy of
Dotted Line Girl

Pros
– Sandwich bread is less than 2 inches thick

Cons
– Ready-made, sometimes soggy

Convenience Stores (コンビニ)

Picture courtesy of PFC

Pros
– Cheap and fast

Cons
– Always has mayonnaise
– Bad quality: flimsy bread, lousy meat