There are certain things the Japanese just seem to really like for reasons that are difficult for foreigners to understand. Like the Carpenters, whose music seems to be far more popular here than in the U.S. Or Colombo, whose crime-solving gruffness is popular enough that he can still be seen regularly on TV here. Or novels by Sydney Sheldon, who has large number of fans in Japan. Another thing the Japanese like a lot is…mayonnaise! It’s true: the Japanese eat it all the time, putting it in salads, on traditional Japanese dishes like Okonomiyaki, and even on pizza. When you order french fries at a Denny’s, they’ll bring you two little dishes, one containing ketchup and the other mayonnaise, and you can dip the fries in whichever condiment you like, or go for both (which is my own preference).
A popular way to eat mayonnaise. Yech!
