There's a stereotype that says the Japanese possess a refined palate. The French are said to possess it, too, but have you seen a French movie lately? All they eat is spaghetti.
In Japan's case, the stereotype is mostly self-generated, and the rapid rise of fast food has done nothing to counter it. Last week, a reporter for the online OhMy News service wrote about how he eats more meals consisting of hamburgers than meals consisting of rice, and at the moment his favorite food is McDonald's limited-edition Mega Teriyaki Burger — two meat patties slathered in teriyaki sauce and stuck in a bun.
Recently he was enjoying one when his companion said, "What if I told you that what you are eating is pork?" The reporter sniffed, "I think I know the difference between pork and beef." He called McDonald's public-relations department, which informed him that the Mega Teriyaki is indeed 100 percent pork, just like the sausage served with the McDonald's breakfast. It says so right there on the MacDonald's Web site.