Guide to Japan food?

I'm going to visit Japan, and walk its streets alone, No companions at all except my camera. I do not want to stick to tourist attractions, and intend to go to small villages by simply getting off a train on a random station. My knowleadge of Nihongo is quite poor, and I cannot speak it freely. And I doubt many peolple in Japan can talk English, not mentioning Russian.

I hope I can survive in Japan by myself, but only if I can have a meal sometimes. :) I never was in Japan before, so I don't know almost anything about its food. And I do not want to eat Western-style food (I can do it at home any time, but this is Nippon, isn't it?).

Is there any quick guides to Japan cuisine for dummies? Just basic concepts and kanji? Onigiri, kome, ebi, ramen, udon, etc? Just to be able to tell a waiter what I want?

Try www.justhungry.com/ a Japanese food blog written by an expat-Japanese woman.

Going to
http://www.justhungry.com/japanese
will get you a listing of everything she's written about Japanese food.

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

stevenjv,

Food description on Japan-Guide web site is useful, but there are no kanji. I will not be able to recognize food description in Nihongo menu without learning appropriate kanji in advance.

Sorry my answer was incomplete. The way you'd like to experience your trip is similar to what I did on my first trip but without learning kanji. Just learning some basic Japanese was a tall order for me, I had a friend fluent in the language teach me basics, maybe you will be quicker to pick it up than I was. But I never went hungry. Many restaurants have plastic displays in the windows where you can point to what you want (with kanji description). Restaurant menus sometimes have pictures of what's served, some have vending machines where you get a ticket and hand it to the waiter or cook, restaurants in rail stations are numerous and used to foreign visitors and many places will serve only one kind of food like sushi or donburi making it easier to make a choice.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2040.html

Learning basic words, salutations and phrases and how to ask questions will get you a long way not only for eating but any encounter. Perhaps someone else can point to a link to more specifically answer the kanji question but I would say not to worry too much about it - just bring an appetite!

Was sorting through some books today and found the Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook I took with me on my first trip and there is an entire section devoted to food. Kanji is included. The latest edition is the 4th.

Steven,

Thank you for mentioning the great book. I've found it, and it will really help. Otsukaresamadeshita, and domo arigato godzaimasu!

I know some simple words and sentences. I hope I can greet and thank a person in a polite way, but I'm still a baka gaijin who is far from real understanding of Japan ways. I hope the Japanese will forgive my stupidity. ^_^

http://www.engmenu.com