ALFRED BALITZER Special to The Japan Times The town of Kanab, population 4,500, is located on a two-lane highway between Zion National Park and Lake Powell in southern Utah. The country is filled with breathtaking scenery -- tall, lonesome bluffs, massive rock formations the color of copper, natural stone bridges -- one through which you could fly a 747 -- and the largest lake in the western United States. It is also a place where I discovered a bit of Japan.
Traveling down the highway after a long drive, I stopped at a local eatery that advertised sandwiches and frozen yogurt. To my amazement, on the menu, prominently displayed on the restaurant wall, was a selection of Japanese foods, including miso soup, sushi, tempura, "gyouza" and "oyakodon." Experiencing a sense of wonder at how this bit of Asian fare had penetrated a small corner of rural America, I approached a young lady working behind the counter, pointed to the wall menu, and inquired in a somewhat excited voice, "do many people order this?"
In terms reminiscent of a Harvard MBA, she spoke to me about the "bottom line." "We've got it on the menu," she said matter of fact, "because people order it." I learned from her that the items were placed on the menu because of the frequent Japanese tourists passing through the area -- but also because "Americans order it just as much." Not wasting a minute more, I placed my own order. Forgoing the sandwich and a frozen yogurt, I just had to try the miso soup and sushi.