Avocado rolls and other unusual offerings that once would have been inconceivable to the Japanese have now become standard fare at sushi restaurants throughout the world.
Similar examples abound in culinary and other realms in Japan.
These days, not only restaurateurs but companies in all industries are finding that combining two seemingly incongruous items into a single product has the power to lure customers. A Fragrant French Dessert One Tokyo shop specializing in crepes, a popular dessert in Japan, recently came out with offerings made using the highly aromatic fermented soybeans known as natto. While the original French crepes are generally filled with fruit sauce and heavy cream, the Tokyo shop hit on the wild idea of trying out natto combinations instead. Natto is an extraordinarily nutritious food, rich in vegetable protein, and it has been shown to promote blood circulation by preventing clotting. Unfortunately, it gives off a pungent odor that puts off most foreigners and more than a few Japanese.