A Trip to Japan with an American Guy

I’m going to travel to Japan on business at the end of January. The purpose of this trip is to get technical training at our headquarters in Tokyo. In order to efficiently support our U.S. customers, our engineers in San Jose sometimes travel to Japan for training sessions. This time, I am taking a young American engineer with me for the software training.

For this engineer, it will be his first time to go abroad. He is excited about going to Japan. I’m also excited because I will be able to show him authentic Japanese cuisine. He was born and raised in Hawaii. Since there are a lot of Japanese immigrants in Hawaii, he is familiar with Japanese culture and food. However, authentic Japanese cuisine is pretty different from what he thinks. He likes “Teriyaki Chicken,” “Sushi Rolls,” and “Saimin,” but we don’t really eat these in Japan.

We will stay in the center of Tokyo for a week. I’m thinking of taking him to authentic Japanese restaurants the first 3 days. The rest of the week, I’ll take him to American restaurants and Hawaiian restaurants. In Tokyo, we have TGI Fridays, Hooters, Outback Steakhouse and L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. I’m sure he will find these funny, especially because of the ambience.

I recently watched a YouTube video from when Hooters opened its first store in Tokyo in 2010.

In the U.S, people often talk to waiters or waitresses at restaurants. People especially talk to waitresses at Hooters and often join in singing or dancing with the waitresses. As you can see in the YouTube footage, the Japanese people just take pictures and stay seated during the dance show at Hooters. What’s more, some people aren’t even watching their dancing! The atmosphere is kind of like a funeral. I would say it will probably be interesting for my American colleague to watch the Japanese customers at Hooters Tokyo. Japanese people don’t talk to waiters or waitresses unless they have an order or complaint.

Moreover, my colleague will notice that the customers at Hooters Tokyo are different from those at Hooters in the U.S. Of course in the U.S, Hooters is thought as a place for men. However, Hooters Tokyo is one of the most famous restaurants for dating. According a news article, Hooters Tokyo was Hooters top selling restaurant in 2011. I guess that they were able to appropriately evoke a part of American culture that Japanese people like. Some my friends went there on dates. All of them said that they enjoyed the American atmosphere of the restaurant.

In my case, I’m a typical Japanese guy. Dancing and singing are not my things. So my colleague will probably laugh at me, too!