Two Weeks of Eating in Japan, Chapter 6.

We touched upon breakfast last time out. We tried two traditional kaiseki-style breakfasts in the onsen hotel and the temple in Koyasan.  Seeing as the Japanese stay true to their staples, whatever the time of day, these meals featured many of the foods found on their dinner menus, but with a little more fruit and general sweetness. Traditional though it was, I am sure most citizens – especially those on the move in Tokyo and the like – don’t have time to enjoy an extravagant smorgasbord of delicacies every morning.

Truth be told, I am still trying to work out what a normal breakfast in Japan looks like. Everyone seems to go their own way, but I guess the same could be said of the U.K., where the traditional fry up isn’t eaten by everyone in the country every day, otherwise everyone would be dead.

During our two weeks in Japan, we enjoyed various breakfasts. It’s common practice to grab a coffee and pastry from one of the many Starbucks, as it is to dive into a 7-Eleven or Lawson and get a pre-packed sandwich. I also loved the possibilities of both hot and cold cans of coffee, of varying brands, from vending machines for less than a pound a pop. 

The hotel breakfasts were amazing. They were invariably a mix between western bites like egg and bacon, and Japanese staples like sashimi, miso soup, pickles, and rice, as well as more universal titbits like fruits, yoghurts, great coffee and various breads.  This meant that you could grab what you like, or, like The European and I did create your own bastardised version of a breakfast kaiseki that, weren’t the locals here so polite, would have them chasing us down the tree-lined avenues with pitchforks.  Everything we tried in the hotel was passably tasty and whereas every such breakfast restaurant offered a noisy and chaotic experience, they were cheaper than back home, coming in at around £fifteen per person.

One thing that stood out wherever we went was the bread. Whether it was toast, breakfast sandwiches like the ‘Fully Loaded’ at Streamer Coffee Company in Osaka, the bread was soft and of high quality. Other baked goods like pastries were commonly home made and created with love and care.  Accompanying your choice of baked loveliness were coffees of intense taste and quality beans, adorned with creative latte art where applicable. 

Truth be told, I don’t think the Japanese go in for breakfast much.  Like other meals, it’s taken for morning sustenance where needed, often on the go.  Whenever and wherever you have though, it’s memorable and executed respectfully and effortlessly like so much else here.   And before 9am in a busy city when the caffeine hasn’t yet kicked in, that’s all anyone can really hope for.