I don't understand white ppl acting japanese.?

Question

I am Japanese, grew up in Japan and moved to America after I graduated college. I work at Japanese restaurant and I see white ppl trying to be japanese. But they are very weird and sometimes funny:)

1. They pour soy sauce on the white rice.

: in japan, that action is very rare. That is almost considered to be "too poor and have nothing to eat". In japan, soy sauce is just like salts. And we eat race itself and eat other foods to balance the taste. But white ppl always put something on it!

Butter, gravy and soy sauce.. And they always act as if they are enjoying the Japanese culture..

2.They only order salmon, tuna and eel

Threre are some who order many kinds but many white ppl only order salmon, tuna and eel! (after eating these they say" one california roll please") That was very interesting for me because I always try something new and fresh if i have to pay for sushi.When I was in japan, i only had salmon in kindergarten because my parents thought paying for that was waste

Answer 1

You want a sophisticated view?  Stop being so hypercritical of others.  You are being unsophisticated by picking apart what others are eating and doing, and imagining it is somehow directed at Japanese culture in general.  You are being insulting and condescending by saying Americans are "very weird and sometimes funny" and "I only had salmon in kindergarten".  People eat differently in different countries.  America has many citizens of Japanese descent that are sophisticated, intelligent, modest, and honorable.  I hope someday you may meet one of them.

Answer 2

Born and raised in the islands - majority of the people put shoyu on their rice, or furikake.  It's a seasoning.

As for fish - we don't eat much salmon (except lomi salmon) but we eat ahi and aku ... and most fish is eaten sashimi style or as poke (raw fish with shoyu and limu - seaweed).

We don't do it to be like anyone - it's how we grew up.

Blessings

Answer 3

I wouldn't say that's acting so much as a matter of personal choice.

When it comes to the white rice: I'd agree with the reason that you stated, they just want to put something on it so it's not as plain.  Me, I prefer brown rice, it has more texture than white rice.  But I'm glad to know that I'm not that unusual in that I eschew soy sauce.

When ordering out, people don't like to experiment.  If they went out and have to pay money for something that they don't like, it would feel like a waste of money, as opposed with going for something that is a surefire hit.  It depends on the person and how adventurous they are.  Then again, you don't know their dietary history, for them eel could be trying something new.

In America, many people will take an ethnic food and adapt it to their taste.  We're Indian, but we Indianize Chinese and Mexican food at home all the time, after being taught the correct way to make it by someone from that culture.  You want to be a little adventurous with your cuisine, but not too much.

Answer 4

I don't think they are "trying to be Japanese." They are just making an honest attempt to enjoy japanese food...but are afraid to experiment and perhaps don't have a sophistated palate or are "playing it safe." Many people would not even go into your restaurant...

But from your perspective it probably seems weird or funny.

Answer 5

You eat American food and don't like all of it I'm sure. It is no different just because a person likes food from a country they certainly don't have to like it all. I certainly don't like all Indian food but I like some....Greek, Italian etc. What difference does it make anyway some people like cheese on their broccoli some people like maple syrup on their sausage and some people like soy sauce on their sticky rice. You should be happy people are at least TRYING your country's traditional food in whatever capacity they are willing. Especially if your tips depend on it;) My dad eats sushi and he NEVER tries anything new, he loves the spicy tuna and that is good enough for me.

Answer 6

They probably put soy sauce on their rice because Chinese food were introduced to them first and satisfied their taste buds. Japanese food weren't so popular then until people realized that we should be eating more healthier but different food. And since some sushi's aren't so flavorful, we add a little love to it.

I am Filipino by the way and don't like Japanese food. I cook mostly Italian & American food and a little of Filipino dishes.

Answer 7

How is anyone trying to ACT Japanese do they come into your restaurant dressed in Kimonos with white faces or maybe dressed like samurai warrior or sumo wrestler. So far from what I read in your post nobody is acting anything but hungry for the food they want to eat the way they want to eat it.

Now ask yourself the real question why did you move out of your country with a college degree to become a waiter.....Maybe that should have been the question you asked and hoped for answers

Answer 8

Different strokes for different folks.  I do know lots of people find plain Japanese rice bland (which is what the Japanese people like about the rice, it doesn't compete with the rest of the food for notice, it's just a carb and a filler).  As children, mom would put just a little "shoyu" on our rice so we'd eat it--but we were kids.  I have friends who need gravy on everything--even things like Mexican burritos which to me are already full of flavor without a gravy--but that's just the way they like it.  I figure, as long as they don't do it to my food, I'm cool.

Salmon and tuna are well-known fish and many people like the taste.  Eel, not everyone likes eel but those that do (I'm one of 'em) LOVE it.  But I know "white" folks who eat almost any sushi--for some of them it's a challenge to their manliness (and, yes, they all seem to be male) to dare themselves to eat some of the sushi available.  They don't particularly do it out of love of the taste.  Again, people will eat what they like.

I personally do not understand this recent fad for sushi rolls will lots of different fish all wrapped together, with avocado, shredded carrots, other stuff, then covered or drizzled with some very spicy sauce.  I don't find these sushis very good since you can't taste the individual fish--it all just mushes into a muddy taste.  I prefer one fish sushi, maybe with a little tobiko on the outside for crunch factor.  And, NO SAUCE!  If the rice hasn't been made correctly to support the fish, a sauce won't alleviate the problem.

When you eat at Japanese restaurants in the U.S., think of it as a study of people.  It wasn't that long ago that almost no one would eat sushi ("ugh, raw fish?  You're going to eat raw fish???") so at least people are stretching their palates.  I know folks in some other ethnic groups who still won't eat any asian foods at all.  At least your "white ppl" are adventurous to try Japanese food and find out they like it.

Answer 9

As others have pointed out, the patrons of your restaurant are not actually trying to "act" Japanese, they are trying to enjoy Japanese food in the way it is presented to them in American restaurants.  If they have not ever been to Japan, how could they possibly know the food is less than authentic?  

What surprises me more than your question though, is that, despite living in America, you dont seem to have noticed that Western food in Japan is equally less than authentic.  Could you, for example, tell me why Japanese people put mayonnaise on everything from broccoli to green beans to pizza to baked potatoes  etc.  Most Western people use mayonnaise only in such dishes as potato salad and tuna salad. Globbing mayo on green vegetables and pizza is as unauthentic as shoyu on white rice isnt it?

  How about other so-called youshoku dishes I have eaten in Japan: tonkatsu, curry rice, macaroni gratin, hamburg steak, croquette, etc.  I have never eaten these dishes before coming to Japan, yet most Japanese consider them youshoku (Western food) just because the origins of the dishes are.  

   Changing dishes to suit local tastes is not exclusive to America and the Japanese are just, if not more so, guilty of the same thing.

Answer 10

I put soy sauce on my rice... but I'm not trying to "act" Japanese... that's just the way I like it?!?!  I think most Japanese food is gross, that's why I spice up the rice by putting something on it... rice is one of the few Japanese things I do like.

Answer 11

I don't think that they are acting Japanese. I know I like soy sauce on my rice. I also like it plain, depending on. What's the big deal? People eat what they think is good. Soy sauce was made for rice any other thing you want to put it on.  And for Sushi not to many people are daring enough to try exoctic raw fish or seafood so they stick with what is comfortable to them. Lot's of us like Salmon.