Intro to Japanese food

I will be going to Japan for 6 months. The others I am going will are what they call foodies and like all kinds of food especially Japanese. I am more excited about the other aspects of going to Japan. Honestly I have never tried Japanese food before. They keep saying I am in for a rude awakening. I am not picky, I just do not know what to expect other than all the answers I received on Yahoo saying "Sushi! Ramen! Sushi!"

What are typical meals for someone on a modest budget who enjoys cooking for themselves. What are typical foods available and cost effective? I am hoping people who currently live in Japan could tell me what THEY actually make for themselves. Very curious.

Before getting together with my lady that loves to cook, I usually made ramen, curry rice, soups and also many fish dishes other than sushi. I also like to make gyoza.

Well, as many people notice, those are not real "traditional" Japanese meals, but still very popular in modern day Japan.

I made much western food also. I think people don't prepare traditional Japanese food that much at home anymore.

Check this out:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e620.html

For home cooking, a good example of traditional food would be rice, grilled fish, and a couple of side dishes. Side dishes might be stewed vegetables, salad or tofu.

As mentioned above, there is a lot of variety though, and particularly families with younger children will often make curry, spaghetti, hamburg steak, etc.

Thank you all. I keep hearing how many people eat out, but I will be on a fairly modest budget and will want to cook for myself if it is cheaper.

Cooking rice, curry, and soups sounds nice. Not too difficult.

kodama, I read Western food is more expensive, no?

Yes, generally western foodstuffs are more expensive in Japan compared to Europe. One can see the difference in for example the price of beef, cheese and pasta.

Stick with the more Asian ingredients and you'll save a pretty penny. Japan is an expensive country only if you continue with the western cuisine and living habits.

I quite like making Mabodofu myself. But I can recommend these places for (mostly) simple recipes in English:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/cooking/english/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAHD9N9xqXk

If you are cooking for yourself, then it's not really Japanese food.

As long as you can get cheap ingredients, you can cook as much western food as you like.

SO I don't really understand the question. Or were you asking about cheap Japanese food, and whether it's cheaper than cooking for yourself?

6 months is a long time. Bring tons of dry foods like taco mix, mac & cheese, and even cereals/outmeal. You'll miss them.

You can buy taco mix, cereals(incl oatmeal). You can get cheese, but it's a bit expensive for the more exotic varieties.

Having lived in Japan I can say you're in for a smorgasbord of culimary delights - provided you like seafood! Don't worry about things you'll miss since you're only gone for 6 months - you'll be back before you know it. The one thing I really missed in Japan and was hard to get where I was (in a rural country town) was cheese. If you're in a big or medium sized city it shouldn't be a problem, but expect to pay a little more.
One thing I did love about Japan was that booze was WAY cheaper than it is here in Canada - so buying nice alcohol and not resorting to the cheap stuff was standard.

Forgot to mention - If you're looking for foreign food you can find at the japanese supermarkets try finding a Yamaya (loquor store chain) or Jupiter supermarket - they were my go-to for foreign stuff i couldn't find anywhere else (cheese, north american snacks, taco supplies, etc.)

Even in the few years I've been here, I've noticed that more western style ingredients have been showing up in my supermarket (Though sadly the bagel trend didn't seem to catch on and is still a novelty).

You'll be able to cook many western style dishes for yourself though some may need a bit of modification if you can't find quite the right ingredient.

As for Japanese dishes, well some of the most popular dishes aren't that traditional (or Japanese) especially for ones made at home.

Some things I've made at home are curry and rice, omurice, mabodofu, tonkatsu, miso soup, croquettes, okonomiyaki, yakisoba and things like nabe and sukiyaki.

Tofu based dishes are popular as are noodle dishes be them Japanese, Chines or Italian.

You can certainly save money by making your own foods but eating out can be a good way to experiences dishes that you don't know how or seem too complicated to make at home. And a lot of Japanese cuisine can be eaten at restaurants for very affordable prices, especially if you get a lunch set. I think after being in Japan for a couple of weeks you'll have a better understanding of what's popular to eat, what's available at your local stores and what you'll feel up to making.

Good luck and happy eating!