Inbound tourism is booming. Foreigners coming to Japan keep asking "Why Japan?" "Why should the paying customer grill the yakiniku?" We tracked down the "WHY of foreigners?" that even Japanese people don't know. ■Why do customers cook it themselves? An American living in Japan: "When I went to a yakiniku restaurant, they told me to 'grill the meat myself.' Why should I cook it myself when I'm paying for it?" Indeed, there are quite a few restaurants in Japan where customers cook for themselves, such as yakiniku and okonomiyaki. So, first of all, we watched the simple questions that foreign tourists first have when they go to these restaurants. At the okonomiyaki restaurant "Tsuru Jiro" in Asakusa, more than 20 groups of foreign tourists visit the restaurant every day. The foreign customers are curious about okonomiyaki, which they've never seen before! American tourists: "(Q. Are you nervous?) A little bit. It's a bit of a pressure." A group of Americans trying okonomiyaki for the first time. Staff member: "The most important moment is when you flip it over." American tourist: "(Q: I heard that if you're a couple, you both flip it over together.) Yes!! Perfect! Thank you." A moment of tension suddenly occurred for the American couple... They flipped it over in perfect unison, and it was a success! It was their first time trying okonomiyaki, and they were thrilled! However, there were also comments like this... American tourist: "It just looks like melted soup to me." Monjayaki seems strange to foreign customers. The crunchy burnt parts are the best part, but... Colombian tourist: "Can you eat this?" Staff member: "The burnt parts are really tasty." At first, the Colombian couple looked skeptical, but after one bite they raved, saying, "Delicious! Amazing!!" And so, this is the WHY of the day. Why do customers cook okonomiyaki and monjayaki themselves? The roots of the two dishes are said to be a type of cheap snack from the Edo period called "mojiyaki." According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the name comes from the idea of ​​pouring flour dissolved in water onto a hot plate and having children write letters and pictures to teach them. Later, it became popular as a snack that children themselves would make at sweet shops. Asakusa Tsurujiro Director Hamada Keiji: "The most important thing is the 'dashi' and the 'ingredients.' As long as the ingredients are all mixed together on the hot plate, it's OK. The rule is, 'whatever you like.'" Furthermore, because the flavors of both monjayaki and okonomiyaki are concentrated in the dashi and ingredients, they do not require advanced cooking techniques, and customers have come to cook them themselves. Americans also have this to say about this surprising fact. A tourist from America: "I never thought people would learn to read with sweets. It's interesting." ■ "Yakiniku sauce" is what inspired customers to grill their own meatSo what about yakiniku? We went to Yakiniku Like Shibuya Udagawacho, where the majority of customers are foreign. The secret to its popularity is apparently the solo yakiniku style. A Spanish couple visiting for the first time asked, "I have a question. Where are the chopsticks?" Indeed, there were no chopsticks anywhere on the table. To make the table more spacious, the chopsticks and hand towels are in the drawers on the seats. In addition, the trays with the food on them fit perfectly into the recesses on the table. A tourist from Canada said, "It's perfect that the trays slide out. Very smart and very unique." They offer six types of sauce, saying, "We want you to enjoy the taste however you like." However, some foreigners even put curry roux on the yakiniku, which is not included in the sauce. A tourist from Spain said, "Why are there so many sauces? In Europe, there's only mayonnaise on the table." In fact, it was this sauce that started the trend of "customers grilling the meat themselves." Shokudoen in Osaka City is said to be "one of the originators of modern yakiniku restaurants." It was founded about 80 years ago by a founder from Pyongyang. According to Shokudoen, yakiniku, which originally had its roots in the Korean peninsula, was a style of grilling meat that had been rubbed with sauce in the kitchen and then served to customers as is. However... Shokudoen Managing Director Furukawa Masahide said, "When meat is grilled over an open flame, it gets very hot. Customers told us it was hard to eat. We asked for some ideas." So the restaurant invented the dipping sauce. Furukawa said, "I heard that it was the first in Japan to have this invented." Customers were very impressed with the sauce, saying that it allowed them to cool down hot, freshly grilled meat and also to season it to their liking. At that moment, the custom of "customers grilling their own meat" was born, according to Shokudoen. The reputation of the sauce spread in an instant, and other yakiniku restaurants introduced it one after another. After that, yakiniku sauce for home use appeared on the dining table, and the custom of grilling your own meat took root due to the popularity of the sauce. This new common sense that even Japanese people were unaware of was also new to foreign customers... A tourist from Spain said, "It's so interesting. No matter what Japanese food you eat, there's always a story behind it." ■Why is pizza in Japan different from Italian pizza? Next up is "Italian food in Japan." A tourist from Italy said, "(Q. Do you know doria?) No. I've never heard of it." A tourist from Italy said, "(Q. Ketchup sauce (for pasta)) No!" "Hey! That made him mad!" There was another WHY for the Italian who was confused because "neither doria nor Neapolitan are Italian food." It was pizza. When we asked Edoardo, an Italian living in Japan, he gave us the following answer... Edoardo and his party said, "(Q. What do you think of Japanese pizza?) Japanese pizza is no good. No pizza." "It has a lot of toppings." When you think of Italian pizza baked in a high-temperature oven, you think of the crispy outside and chewy inside dough, and the ingredients are very simple. So, first of all, we carried out the following test. How would an Italian person react if they tried pizza that is popular in Japan? The showdown will take place at Domino's Pizza, Japan's largest pizza chain in terms of both number of stores and sales. Oyama Yukie, product development manager at Domino's Pizza, says, "We're trying to make something that suits the Japanese palate. We're really looking forward to it." The menu items they will be tasting are two pizzas that are extremely popular in Japan. First up is the "Tropical," which is full of pineapple. However, as soon as they see the pizza, they reject it with their whole bodies! Eduardo and his party say, "We're going home now." It seems that the combination of pineapple and pizza is taboo for Italians. They try it hesitantly, but... Eduardo and his party say, "It's too sweet." "Why do you do this? Why Japanese people!?" Oyama, "(Q. What do you think, honestly?) Well... I guess so..." Eduardo and his party say, "Sorry." Nevertheless, it's a very popular taste with Japanese people! Please forgive us... Next is the "Charcoal Grilled Beef." This pizza is the development manager's top pick, with the rich flavor of beef and the aroma of charcoal filling your mouth. The group leaned forward to enjoy the aroma. How does it taste? Edoardo and his group: "Delicious! The spinach and meat together is great. A good combination." "It has a smoky aroma." "(Q: What if you sold this dish in Italy?) Young people would eat it." Italians give it their stamp of approval! Manager Oyama: "I don't think you'd put something like this on pizza in Italy, so (the high rating) is quite surprising." There was some tension on the scene for a while, but in the end they hugged each other and made up! ? ■Is "Tabasco" on pizza only in Japan? There are various theories, but it is said that "pizza" was born in Italy, but it was transformed into "pizza" by immigrants who went to America and was brought to Japan after the war." The pioneer of pizza in Japan is "Nicholas Pizza House," founded in 1954. The sign at the entrance clearly says "American style." Italian-American Nicholas opened a restaurant in Roppongi. Since the company's founding, they have been particular about pizzas made in New York with plenty of Gouda cheese on top. Tabasco, a classic pizza seasoning, is an essential ingredient. Nicholas Pizza House Yokohama Bashamichi Branch "Tabasco is definitely the best (for pizza)." However, when Italians are tasting the pizzas... Edoardo and his party: "We don't use Tabasco in Italy." "No, no, on pizza." "(Q. Do Italians not use Tabasco on pizza?) We definitely don't. I've never seen it." Tabasco was born about 150 years ago in Louisiana, USA. According to the descendants of the founder, "It was originally made for an unexpected purpose." Christian Brown, descendant of the founder of McIlhenny Pizza House: "My great-great-great-grandfather made Tabasco. He made it as a sauce for oysters, which were his favorite food. I heard that it started being used on pizza in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s." It's surprising that it was originally made as a sauce for raw oysters. It was actually the legendary Antonio Inoki, known for his "burning fighting spirit," who popularized Tabasco in Japan. Inoki, who also ran a trading company as a businessman, acquired the only sales rights for Tabasco in Japan at the time. Inoki himself promoted it extensively, and its popularity in Japan soared. It has become an essential seasoning for many dishes, including pizza and pasta. When we traced the WHY of Italians, we arrived at the truth: their "burning fighting spirit"! [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp