Japan’s peculiar pizzas

Japan is known for its food. People from across the world visit the Land of the Rising Sun to eat everything from the delectable seafood of Tsukiji Market in Tokyo to the local varieties of ramen that can be found across the nation’s 47 prefectures. And yet you would be mistaken if you believed that Japan was only capable of producing high-quality local fare, as there is a long tradition of western food in this country. Particularly, and perhaps surprisingly, it’s pizza.

The concept of yoshoku dates back to the Meiji period and refers to Japanese dishes that take heavy inspiration from western countries. This encompasses local recipes such as curry rice and Hamburg steaks, which the average British person or American would find not dissimilar to their own versions of curries and Salisbury steaks. Yoshoku is