I've been asked by my company to go to Yokohama, Japan for my FIRST EVER Int'l trip. I am a hopeless American... my diet is burgers, pizza, and spaghetti. I do not eat seafood. Am I going to starve to death? Will I run into problems in customs if I should pack some food with me?

Thanks!!

Nah...you will do just fine. You can still get ramen of different varities at the local ramen shops, there is a Shakeys Pizza at Yokohama Station, and other non-fish type food.

Will be interesting to hear what others have to say.

Enjoy Yokohama

Bonjour dje,

I don't think you'll starve, between the ubiquitous McD, Domino pizza parlours, MrDonuts, and Starbucks now lining the streets ... ;-)

Furthermore, you'll discover that the Japanese don't only eat fish and seafood, that ramen (noodles) are quite palatable and not all that exotic tasting, as are "Donburi" (bowl of rice topped with eggs and chicken - oyako -, shredded beef - gyudon-, tonkatsu - breaded pork cutlet -), tonkatsu (don't order "kaki", it means oyster) and quite a lot of other stuff.

Good luck, happy travelling, and bon appétit !

You might, it just depends on how long your trip is. It also depends on whether or not you eat rice.

If you don't eat rice, then you should pack a suitcase full of spaghetti an put a Meat Lover's in your carry-on.

On a business trip, you will probably be staying in a hotel that caters to foreign guests. Almost certainly, the hotel will have one or more 'Western' restaurant where you'll find familiar foods. Maybe not quite a steak and fries, but at least something you'll enjoy. If you do order steak or other meat in a restaurant, you should be aware that the Japanese often serve the meat considerably less well-done than you might be used to, but you can certainly try to ask to have it cooked to your preference.

Try to have breakfast in your hotel. A Japanese breakfast is quite different from an American breakfast, and you'll have a much easier time finding an American-style breakfast at the hotel.

Also, if you eat fruits and vegetables, you'll find that the quality and appearance is far superior to what you're familiar with in the states.

Above all, please try to be patient and understanding when things don't happen as you expect (and this WILL happen). The Japanese culture is an extremely polite one, but communication can sometimes be challenging.

p.s.: This would also be an excellent opportunity for you to consider taking a tiny step toward expanding your food choices. You can try things and no one will be the wiser; and if you order room service, you'll have a chance to either enjoy or make all the faces you want.

No problem, McDonalds everywhere. Lots of Italian food joints too, though you wont find greasy pizza easily!

I live in Yokohama. You will probably get a chance to eat some really great Japanese food while you are here, but when you need a fix, go to the Landmark Tower. It's the tallest building in Japan, you can't miss it (you may even stay in the hotel there). Get ready for this...they have Hard Rock Cafe, Sizzler, Chandler's Crabhouse, Starbucks, McD's and within a stones throw there's a TGIFriday's. That ought to satisfy your fix! Please give authentic food a try, though. You might like teppanyaki (grilled at your table), yakitori (grilled meat on a stick), or shabu-shabu, where you cook your own meat and veggies in broth which is heated right in the center of your table. All hotels will have a western style breakfast, so eat a full meal early and be adventurous later!! But you definitely won't starve, I promise

Ok, so in case you don't starve, here are some suggestions:
- go to the Yokohama HRC for a shirt, not food
- go to a Yokohama Bay Stars baseball game
- see what the spaghetti looks like before you order it
- if the only English on the package says "Donut", don't buy it unless there is a picture of apples or cherries or something. It might be filled with mustard.
- there are bottles of different brands of "sweat", and people with tell you it's not what it sounds like, but my advice is just to buy the bottle labelled "water" or get a Coke Lite
- if it's labelled "water" and doesn't exactly look like water, then it's not water.
- wait for a sunny day to take the boat tour of the bay

A thought just came to me as far as food goes. If you go into any Japanese Department Store, you will find a huge supermarket underneath with all kinds of food, Japanese as well as Western foods. You could buy some that is all ready cooked or baked and just bring it back to your hotel room.
My husband and I do this a lot when traveling. We simply cannot stand to eat out all the time, so even when in Europe or elsewhere, we look for a supermarket and have a picnic in our hotel room. Myszka in Tokyo

I don't think you'll have any problem getting food you want to eat. The problem is going to be that you will likely be taken out for meals as part of your business, and you may not have a choice about what is ordered. It would be terribly rude not to eat an expensive meal that your host considers an extravagant delight. You may want to invent an allergy to seafood so you have a graceful excuse.

Me, I'm salivating just thinking about all that fabulous raw fish. Mmmm, I love it!!