FWIW, while eating Sunday lunch at an Italian restaurant, at the Urawa Isetan, I thought to myself "I'd rather eat Italian food made by Japanese, than Japanese food made my Italians." Note: I wouldn't normally choose Italian restaurants, during my short visits to Japan, it was my friend's idea (and her treat). By dinner time, we made it back to Tokyo and I treated her to my favorite Ueno under-the-tracks kaiten sushi place.