Couldn't tell ya that... Never been to Japan and never been to a Japanese steak house in America (husband not interested) :-(
Robin

Japanese steak houses can be a lot of fun, as they cook everything right in front of you. Many of the chefs will juggle items like their salt and pepper shakers, toss an egg and catch it on their hat, and perform other amusing tricks.

When I described Japanese steakhouses to my friends in Japan, they looked very perplexed.

If you look at the Benihana website, you can see the history of that steak house. I have no idea if that's how others started, but it appears the founders of that steak house decided to market their food to the United States in an entertaining way and that this was not something done in Japan.

Maybe there aren't any Japanese Steakhouses in Japan because they don't serve Japanese food. Or at least according to my cousin's wife, who he married while in Okinawa. She and her husband went to one of those and she got up and walked out in the middle of the meal claiming to be insulted that they would call that Japanese food.

I personally love them. The food, the atmosphere and the entertainment make for a great special occasion dinner.

Everyone in my family loves a good Japanese steakhouse (even the youngest ones). We got our introduction to hibachi dining while living in Ft. Walton Beach, FL... a great little place called Yamato's, just a few blocks from our house. In all our military moves, the only place that has come close to matching their food (and may have even exceeded it) is Kobe steakhouse in Omaha, NE. We settle for Benihana right now.

I can't answer such "complex questions"...ask me a knock knock joke, and we're good to go! ha ha! All I know is I LOVE LOVE LOVE Japenese Steak Houses!! YUM!! Well pretty much any type of food works for me! ;)