Eating Alone
WhenI came back to Japan a few years ago, I became extremely addicted to beef bowls at a famous beef bowl restaurant. The food was made quickly, the price affordable, and the menu had a plethora of choices. There was no place like this in California. However, I was not the only one “hooked.” I had a few other foreign coworkers, who were just as addicted as I was. We loved this place so much that we decided to have a “beef bowl night” at least once a month. It was great male bonding time! (There were no female coworkers with us!)
After discovering this fast food restaurant, I remember going there at least 3 times a week for about 6 months. Although I usually went alone, I realized that I would never feel uncomfortable doing this. Back home, I would never have gone to a fast food restaurant and eaten there by myself. If I had to eat alone, I would’ve cooked at home or orderedtake out and brought it home. I would always feel uncomfortable about eating alone so I never did it.
Actually, I had conversations about this topic with my friendsduring college a few years ago and I realized that many people felt very self-conscious about eating alone in public. Perhaps there is an unspoken cultural rule that if we were eating alone in public, we think that other people may assume that we have no friends. On the other hand, people, especially men, in Tokyo do not seem to be self-conscious at all when they eat alone nor is it strange to see someone else eating alone. I really love the freedom of going to my favorite ramen or beef bowl restaurant alone without having to feel self conscious. Tonkotsu Ramen and beef bowls with one raw egg in them are my favorite!
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