Staying slim the Japanese way

Living in Tokyo again, I went through reverse cultural shock. Between the walking-intensive Tokyo lifestyle and my mother's home cooking, the extra 10 kilograms began to miraculously melt away. I didn't do anything conscious to lose the weight; I simply went back to my mother's Tokyo kitchen and the Japanese urban way of life. And suddenly one day I found I could easily fit into all my old clothes.

After a stint at Tokyo Disneyland, I went to work at Grey Advertising in Tokyo, where I thought I might enjoy a profession that combines commerce and creativity. I did enjoy it, but I missed life in the United States.

My first apartment in Manhattan had a tiny kitchen with a big refrigerator, a big oven, a sink and cupboards. There was no space to chop or prepare foods and no ventilation for cooking fish. I asked a colleague at the office, 'What's up with these Manhattan kitchens? They don't give you any space to prepare food. And what am I supposed to do with this refrigerator?'

She said, 'Well, most of us in New York go out to eat, bring a doggy bag home, put it in the refrigerator and heat it up in the oven the next day.' Wow, that makes sense, I thought. I like the efficiency!

When I went back to Tokyo to visit my family, my mother, in her typical fashion, asked, 'Are you eating well?'

'Of course, Mum, I live in New York! Lots of fabulous restaurants and take-away places. Plus, I have a microwave oven!'

'What do you mean you have a microwave oven?' My mother despaired. 'Does it mean that you do not have pots and pans? That you're only eating take-away? That you do not cook?'

When I turned around, my mum was shoving a frying pan in my suitcase, exclaiming, 'Take this with you!' I said, 'Mum, I can buy a pan in America too!'

But the difference between what I was used to at home in Tokyo and in my New York life went beyond home-cooked versus take-away and microwaved meals. From childhood, Japanese people are accustomed to eating portions that are a third or even half smaller than American portions. And while Americans often eat until they feel completely satiated (or beyond), there is a Japanese mother's saying that recommends, 'Hara hachi bunme' - or 'Eat until you are 80 per cent full.'

In Japan, food is meant to be eaten slowly and every bite should be savoured. But here's the beautiful part - after a good Japanese-style home-cooked meal, you shouldn't feel hungry at all!

The basic foundations of Japanese home-cooked food presentation are:

• Never completely fill up the plates
• Never serve a big portion of any item
• Each item is served in its own dish
• Less is always more
• Each item is arranged to showcase its natural beauty
• Food should be garnished and dressed - lightly
• Fresh is best

Japanese Women Don't Get Old Or Fat, by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle, published by Vermillion, is available to buy from www.rbooks.co.uk