Hahaha i can't blame you. I like japanese food but not many of my friends can even eat japanese food. Well.. i vomid when the first time i ate nattou though *sorry for bad english
Oh my, Japanese food is one of my favourite. But I guess we all have different taste. How about trying Japanese food that's not raw? Maybe Tonkatsu or Ramen? If you like Chinese food then I think ramen is similar.
Some Ramen is OK, but I always like the Americanized version better than the traditional bowls because Japanese versions always seem to add something that ruins the whole dish.
I call it the "one ingredient too many" principle; I'll be on board with a Japanese food until they add a final ingredient to it (usually something really fishy or moldy tasting) that ruins it for me.
And have you ever had natto? OMG! To me the taste, the consistency, AND the appearance are all so yucky I honestly can't figure out how anyone likes it, but like you wrote, we all have different tastes, which keeps life interesting.
I think natto is similar to Chinese cheese? But I love it especially good if you eat with boiled rice. This makes life so interesting, indeed
I love Japanese art, stories, clothes, shrines, the people, even their politics, but for some reason Japanese food is one of my least favorites.
I adore Indian, Ethiopian, Chinese (especially Sichuan), Italian, Thai, etc...
So it's not like I'm picky. But whenever I had to eat at the home of a friend whose mom is Japanese, I dreaded it.