Taiwanese media outlet ETtoday reported on September 30 that a Taiwanese man working at a Japanese supermarket advised, "You shouldn't think Japanese food is invincible."

According to the article, the man recently exposed secrets about Japanese supermarkets on Taiwan's SNS, Dcard. He had been working in IT in Japan, but took over the supermarket business because his wife's parents, who owned it, fell ill. However, once he actually started working in the supermarket, he realized things he hadn't known before.

Regarding the fresh food (seafood) department, the man posted, "I can't go into detail," but added, "If I were to give some advice as a friend... refrain, refrain, refrain. You shouldn't think Japanese food is invincible." He warned, "Salmon is inherently a fish with many parasites, but bonito is the true king of parasites."

He also noted that Japanese supermarkets need to make a large number of ready-made bento boxes every day, and his impression after actually making them was, "If you only compare the taste, Taiwanese bento boxes are more delicious." As for the reason, he stated, "Japanese bento boxes often combine many cold dishes and pickles with their preservation period in mind, which is very different from the cooking methods of freshly made Taiwanese bento boxes."

On the other hand, he praised Japan's food labeling as "very detailed." He explained that all ingredients, including ketchup and yakiniku sauce used in bento boxes, are listed, allowing consumers to clearly know what they are eating. He also explained that although Japanese bento boxes contain many fried foods, the calories per meal are lower than Taiwanese bento boxes, attributing this to the fact that Taiwanese bento boxes use a lot of oil during cooking.

Regarding the atmosphere in the kitchen, he said that Japanese cooks are more educated than those in Taiwan, stating, "There's no rushing and panicking like in Taiwan, no banging pots, or yelling at assistants for moving slowly." However, he also pointed out that while Japanese people prioritize workplace atmosphere and communicate a lot, their efficiency in problem-solving is very low. He remarked, "Taiwanese people are very efficient at solving problems, and their methods of proposing solutions and their logic are also superior."

According to the article, Taiwanese netizens showed a great deal of interest in the description of fish in this post, with comments such as, "I was a bit shocked after seeing the part about raw fish consumption," "I want to see Part 2 about raw food," "Should I avoid salmon sushi?", "I love Japanese sashimi, but could you explain more?", "I want to know more about raw fish. Every time I go to Japan, I see cheap sashimi and want to buy it," and "Knowing about parasites makes me lose my appetite."

In addition, other comments included, "Interesting. It clearly shows the differences between supermarkets in both countries," "Looking forward to a sequel," "I think Japanese bento boxes are much more delicious than Taiwanese ones. At least they're consistently good with no misses," "Japanese bento boxes are covered after cooling. We pack ours while they're still hot. A difference in customs. But Japanese rice is definitely more delicious," "I've worked in both Japan and Taiwan, so I understand well. The atmosphere in Japanese workplaces is good, and people cooperate as a team. Colleagues are generally easy to talk to, but few try to solve problems," and "Are Japanese people basically the type to just follow instructions? Do people who propose solutions then end up being 'solved (fired)'?" (Translation/Editing by Kitada)