When not snowboarding in Japan, what will you eat?

Hopefully, you like sushi and sashimi. They're kind of a litmus test for Americans coming over. Something to try in the sushi bars is Aburi Salmon. This is salmon on the top of rice. However, the salmon is cooked on one side and raw on the other...giving you the best of both worlds. Cooking causes the sugars to crystalize, making the salmon sweet. The raw side has the depth of taste and buttery-ness of great sashimi. Never had this offered to me in the states but it's common here.

Another great thing to eat is inarizushi. Normally, this has no meat or fish and is rice wrapped in a tofu-skin. It's sweet and popular with kids and Americans.

Noodles, particularly soba and udon, are essential and make the snowboarding experience so much better. We've got a nice story on this coming in a week or two - with a cutout menu you can use almost anywhere.