Several days into your internship in Japan, you’ve explored various styles of Japanese cuisine including anything from ramen, yakiniku, sushi and tonkatsu to convenience store rice balls. It’s around that time when you start getting a little homesick. After having having my fill of the sweet teriyaki flavors and dashi broth, I end up craving western food: something salty and crispy. It may seem counterintuitive to an immersive tourist experience but checking out the chains from your home country is definitely an interesting experience. Aside from gawking at the prices for some of the staples, It’s exciting to try your comfort foods in a foreign country.

A few examples;

Starbucks, McDonalds, Baskin Robbins (31 Flavors), BurgerKing, and KFC.

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But behold--!

Surprise! All sizes are shrinked!

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What I also noticed is the following:

Cafe beverages are pricier. Expect to spend at least $2 on a drink.

New Fountain Drinks- Fanta Grape, Melon Soda, CreamSodas (Gabunomi)

Popcorn chicken at KFC is a limited-time item.

The crispy crown-shaped Burger King tenders that long-timeAmerican fans love do not exist. Neither do chicken fries sadly.

There also no dessert drinks at 31.

Tokyo, being a diverse economic and culture center, is also an ideal place to try out international restaurants.

So when you're homesick or miss the taste from back home, make sure to visit a few of these fast food places. They taste even better in Japan!

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