If you are not a foodie, you would be irritated by Japanese variety shows whose sole mission in life seems to be taking closeups of people tucking food into their mouths with real or contrived delight. It’s food porn personified.

And every Japanese person interviewed seems to be a food critic. And their comment goes beyond the mundane “oh it’s delicious” no-brainer remark. They discuss things like harmony and balance and textures, singing profuse praises of the dish they are devouring.

This trip, I finally had an inkling of the factors that influenced the Japanese to love their food so passionately. It’s fostered in them from a young age.

For example, you would think that a train museum has nothing related to do with food. But the Railway Museum in Saitama has a gourmet section in which children learn about train bento sets. They also get valuable hands-on practice in regard to making their preferred bento set. Through this exercise, they naturally acquire food vocabulary and consider the food combinations that appeal to them.

Similarly, for the Anpanman Children’s Museum, children get to play at a mock kitchen and fiddle around with fake fires. I’m sure many of them relish the chance to play the role of a chef. My children certainly enjoyed themselves much. When they form such favourable impressions of cooking at a young age, they are more likely to learn how to cook various dishes when they grow up.

Bright colourful visuals help children to acquire food-related vocabulary.