Eating in Japan

Love the food I've eaten since entering Japan although I'm not always sure what it is:) I'm eating a lot of sushi, sashimi, and tofu; think I'm ok on protein intake but not sure about calcium. I look for grocery stores wherever I go but they are uncommon in smaller towns; many people in urban areas (was similar in Korea) seem to shop at convenience stores for their daily meals. I was told this by a Japanese woman I took language lessons from this past summer and it appears to be true. Fresco is one grocery store chain and in cities like Kyoto one can find grocery stores in shopping malls and department stores.

Yogurt is uncommon and I have yet to see Greek yogurt. In the USA I used to go through a quart of Greek yogurt every other day so this is an adjustment; I'm drinking more milk instead but don't know whether it is low fat:) also, the word organic is rare (in English) on food labels.

Food is expensive and their is an 8 percent tax on food; at least in Kyoto. I eat a lot of fruit and can't get used to the price of grapes; green seedless grapes cost about 9 cents each!

One can buy tofu in any form imaginable and sushi is common, even in convenience stores.  Vending machines are everywhere and sell mostly drinks, including beer.

I prefer grocery shopping to eating out and am eating my way through the diversity of food items I find. Generally, avoiding meat is fairly simple even when I can't read the labels.