Things I didn't try early on: Cooking more Japanese food

When I first moved to Japan, I hadn't really eaten a ton of Japanese food before in my life. Because of that, my cooking repertoire was pretty Western (or Western-adjacent, like Tex-Mex), and I found myself often scouring international supermarkets like National Azabu and Kinokuniya trying to find familiar items.

A pretty rookie move, really, since when you look at the prices at those places, you realize that all that nice international stuff comes with a hefty markup because it's imported.

One thing I got into after realizing I needed to broaden my horizons was cooking classes. I think they are such a valuable way to not only learn a bit more about what you like eating, but getting to try out recipes with the help of someone who has cooked them hundreds of times before, and make friends at the same time.

With another foreigner friend I made at a cooking class in Tokyo!

If you're new to Japan and a bit like I was at the start, this would be one of my biggest recommendations to you.