What's on the Menu at Wendy's Japan – and You Won't Find a Frosty

While I'm not one for fast food, given the choice I'd have to say Wendy's is my favorite. I actually saw one open in Yokohama right before I left Japan, but I didn't get a chance to try it. Little did I know, the menu is totally different! My go-to has always been chicken nuggets and frosties, but to my surprise you can't even get a frosty in Japan! Wendy's Japan features a more upscale menu than its American counterpart, called "Wendy's First Kitchen". While there may not be any frosties, there's plenty of other delicious looking food to make up for it!

Burgers

A typical Wendy's burger in America looks something like this:

Average Wendy's burger

Pretty average, right? Meanwhile, in Japan, you'll find more sophisticated looking fare.

Crispy pork burger

Roppongi cheese-bacon-egg burger

Veggie Pops at Mister Donut Japan, and Frighteningly Delicious Halloween Donuts

Mister Donut's "veggie pops" blend strawberries, apples, and pineapple with carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, and spinach for a healthy treat.

The Japanese people are generally known as being very healthy, given their diet, level of activity, and impressive concentration of centenarians. However they still love to indulge in karaage (fried chicken), ramen, and tempura, too. In this day and age we are faced with a plethora of both healthy and "comfort food" options at stores and restaurants, but why not put two and two together? Mister Donut did just that, creating "veggie pops", petite-sized, brightly colored donuts with tofu cream filling. It's an effort to feel "healthy" while snacking on fried balls of dough, because if you think you're eating carrots and spinach, it must be healthy no matter how much oil and sugar is in it, right? They're also tiny (hence the name "pops"), which also makes you feel healthier, so win-win!

Three pops available in red, orange, and green.

Entertainment at Haneda International Airport

Under Haneda's nihonbashi in Edo Market.

Recently I flew from Tokyo to Los Angeles through a different way than I normally do – Haneda International Airport. I’ve always gone to Narita, begrudging the long distance to get there, as it’s basically in the middle of nowhere. I was surprised that Haneda has an international terminal, and found it a wonderful change! While I’m not saying Narita is terrible, Haneda is bursting with entertainment to occupy you while you wait for your flight! Plan a visit for your next travel plans to check out all the great amenities it has to offer.

Restaurants

Katsudon set.

What it's like to get your education in Japan

My class of sixth grade Japanese students.

In my three years of experience teaching K-12 in Japan, I learned more about the Japanese education system and school life than I could ever have from any book. Just as my homestay at a high school in Kobe, Japan taught me, there are plenty of similarities between school in the U.S. vs Japan, but plenty of things that are different, too. Although it was never my intention to become a teacher, it’s the most popular method to live and work in Japan, and it was an eye-opening experience that taught me a lot about Japanese people and their culture and beliefs than if I had had a regular job.