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Japan is famous for its culinary culture and traditions -- it is a foodies paradise. Being an island nation, delicious seafood is abundant and popular, with various fish, crabs, clams, oyster, seaweed, etc., being regularly prepared and served at restaurants and on home dining tables. In modern Japan, especially as it opened to the West and foreigners started living in-country, meals which used beef, pork, and lamb, became increasingly popular. Meat was expensive, so it tended to be served in small portions, or thinly sliced. There are restaurants and small eateries which specialize in meat dishes, and the one at which we will take a closer look is called 焼肉屋 (YAKI NIKU YA). YAKI means fried or roasted, and NIKU means meat, and YA means restaurant or store. So, basically YAKI NIKU is Japanese style barbecue, and there are many of these types of restaurants, both big and small, located in Yokosuka City and all over Japan. The way it works is that a small charcoal or gas-powered grill is built into the middle of the table where customers sit. The menu will show various kinds of meat, which are sliced into thin bite-sized pieces, and brought to the table on plates, and then its up to the customer to cook the meat on the grill and eat. Savory soy sauce and sesame flavored dips are provided to flavor the meet, along with garlic, kimchee, salads, rice, and other side order items. Many YAKI NIKU YA also offer 90 minute or 1 hour time-limit TABE-HODAI, or all you can eat and drink specials. Menus at the larger restaurants have lots of pictures and often have English labels, therefore are easy to use. So, if you find yourself craving for meat, be sure to try out one of the many Japanese barbecue restaurants in Yokosuka. We hope you will enjoy the experience.

written by Goodfield