Empty Plates

Why I Almost Never Write about Food in Japan

“Nothing tastes as good as fasting feels...”

— Donny Kimball

As I write this, I am thousands of meters up in the sky on a Japan Airlines flight back from Boston. Seeing as I’ve been visiting family for the past few weeks and haven’t had a chance to travel anywhere new, I wanted to take a second to address why I almost never write about food. Lately, I’ve been rather inundated with requests to author articles about intriguing restaurants and local cooking experiences. I mean, given that Japan is nothing short of a gastronomic paradise, this really shouldn’t be all too surprising. Alas, while many of these opportunities do indeed look interesting, I’ve had to regrettably turn them all down. Why you ask? Well, put most succinctly, I am basically the complete and utter opposite of a foodie.

Hold on a minute you must be saying. Who the hell DOESN’T like delicious food? Well, as it turns out, a fair amount of people! Shocking as it may seem, there are actually hordes of folks who view eating as little more than a regular nuisance that one must endure. While I can’t comment on others comprising this odd cohort, I personally have just never sampled any fare that compares to the pleasure I derive from doing #DonnyThings. Don’t get me wrong…