Traveling in Japan without speaking any Japanese is surprisingly easy, thanks in part to many bilingual signs, an amazing train system and friendly people, but also because of one of my favourite discoveries here: auto-ramen restaurants. These are different than buying ramen from a vending machine, which, while user-friendly, is gross. No, these restaurants just make ordering food very easy to do because the entire ordering process is automated and full of helpful, helpful pictures.
newVideoPlayer("vendingramen_gawker.flv", 475, 376);Here in Japan, if you want a hot cup of ramen noodles in soup, you don’t need to go to a restaurant or even to your kitchen. No, you just need about $2.50, a lack of respect for your taste buds, and to be near a vending machine. That’s right: you can get hot ramen in a can from a vending machine. Sound gross? It is. I tried it so you don’t have to. You’re welcome.
