In Japan, the main language is Japanese! English can be common in a big city like Tokyo, but it is much easier to get around and experience Japan if you learn a little of the language!
The currency of Japan is called yen! You may be surprised when you see how much Japanese things cost, not because things are expensive, but simply because people in Japan count their money differently.
1,000 yen sounds like a lot of money, but it's only actually worth about ten dollars!
In Japan, a bottle of water costs about 100-150 yen, which is equal to about $1.00 to $1.50 U.S. dollars!
It's not a meal, but I love my sweets and desserts, so I will cheat a little and count this as a "meal."
I visited my local Whole Foods to treat myself to checkerboard cookies, and they were amazing! Checkerboard cookies are popular in Japan and you can see them in many anime series, too.
Fun history fact: the checkerboard cookie is originally a German cookie eaten at the holidays. In the Meiji era of Japan (1868-1912), Japan opened their borders to the world. People from all over the world were able to visit and sell things to Japan.
