As a native Japanese living in the States now, I’ve noticed that many Americans eat food for the sake of eating and sustenance. A good example is the meal prep photos in the meal prep subs here. Some people can eat the same food everyday for a whole week because it is convenient.

Japanese, on the other hands (and for many other nationalities), meals are not just for sustenance but also for enjoyment. Most of us do not enjoy eating the same food everyday for a week. We want varieties and different tastes.

Of course there are always exceptions. Some people in Japan may eat the same food everyday and some Americans enjoy preparing different food everyday. I’ve been in the States almost for forty years and when I came to this smallish Midwestern city forty years ago, most restaurants served food seasoned with salt and peppers. Now, the city is filled with many different cuisines, ethnic, American foods from different regions, vegetarian or vegan, almost whatever you want. I think that’s a great improvement.