The statement “What the heck is wrong with Japanese people?” strikes me as Orientalist at best, racist at worst. It would be more appropriate to ask, “What the heck is wrong with Pizza Hut, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc.?”

There are better ways ways to express astonishment at wacky Japanese products without making sweeping generalizations about a whole race of people.

Orientalist? Racist?

Sounds pizzaist to me.

Sounds like a Japanese marketing award. “And the 2008 Best Pizzaist, embodying the sauciness and tang, is…”

Hot dog pizza in China. . . With real dog. . .

I have very rarely sent food back..but my damned mother-in-law insisted on eating at this horrid archi-porn quasi-Italianate pizza palace out in the “real” beyond-the-beyond boonies of Gunma..

I paid (I repeat) I paid!! as a gentleman does, but as we left I shouted some rather terse comments in rural Sicilian and gave them the accompanying Evil Eye hand sign.

Q: what the frott is a Chicago Pizza?

remora

Ah, Japanese pizza, good ol’ standby for gaijin to express the zaniness and silliness of the Japanese. One day I hope that such people will realize that they are not the target market for this, or corn/mayo on pizza, and thus stop laughing about it. That, or realize that maybe leaving home wasn’t really such a good idea.

As an American, I have to agree - most Americans are ridiculously conservative when it comes to food.

This all goes back to the “Japanese aren’t creative” stereotype. And when they are creative, it becomes “the Japanese are weird/crazy/zany.” Can’t win.

Aside from that, I wonder how this squares with the typical more expensive pizza in Japan - such an expression of minimalism that I feel lucky that they even have a crust. Seems there are 2 distinct markets for pizza in Japan.