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A standard teishoku-style tempura set with rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables at Itto Gokoku.

A standard teishoku-style tempura set with rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables at Itto Gokoku. (Bryce S. Dubee / S&S)

A standard teishoku-style tempura set with rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables at Itto Gokoku.

A standard teishoku-style tempura set with rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables at Itto Gokoku. (Bryce S. Dubee / S&S)

A standard teishoku-style set of fish, rice, miso soup, tofu and pickled vegetables at Itto Gokoku.

A standard teishoku-style set of fish, rice, miso soup, tofu and pickled vegetables at Itto Gokoku. (Bryce S. Dubee / S&S)

For anyone who has recently arrived in Japan, getting used to the culture, especially the food, can be a challenge. Even more overwhelming is the sheer variety of food and flavors available.

If you’re new to Japan and getting tired of the limited selection of a base food court, but not quite ready to dive into the deep end of Japanese cuisine, there are still options.

One great place to start near Yokota Air Base is Itto Gokoku, a restaurant located outside the East Gate in the Food Museum at the nearby Aeon Mall.

Offering a variety of traditional Japanese dishes, Itto Gokoku is a tasty, inexpensive and convenient choice.

The menu is not in English, but there are pictures of everything and the waitstaff is very friendly, helpful and most importantly, patient with foreigners trying to make up their minds.

Prices hover around 1,000 yen per set meal. A set generally includes rice; pickled vegetables, known as tsukemono; miso soup and a variety of side dishes called okazu. These side dishes run the gamut from fried tempura vegetables to grilled fish or tofu, depending on what set you order.

The food is served on several small bowls and dishes and allows patrons to sample several different types of Japanese cuisine without having to order a lot of food.

It’s also important to note that the food is served relatively quickly, making Itto Gokoku a great place to grab lunch or kill an hour waiting for a movie show time in the theater upstairs. And if you still have room afterward, Cold Stone Creamery is right around the corner.

Itto GokokuLocation: Musashimurayama, Japan

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., last order at 10:20 p.m.

Prices: Set meals average between 1,000 and 1,400 yen, most are closer to the 1,000 yen price point.

Specialties: Tempura, grilled fish and other traditional Japanese-style food.

English menu: No, but the menu has pictures.

Dress: Casual clothes — what you’d wear to the mall.

Clientele: A mix of Japanese and American locals of various ages.

Directions: Take a left out of Yokota’s East Gate and take a right at the first light. Follow the road along until you reach highway 59. Take a left on 59. Aeon Mall is on the right-hand side. The Food Museum is in the central part of the mall on the first floor. Itto Gokoku is two restaurants past Cold Stone Creamery and has a large yellow flower on its sign.

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