Japan isn’t known for its meat, aside for Kobe beef, but one thing that I’ve come to love–and ironically despise from the States–is the hamburger. Japanese places around Okinawa and mainland Japan can make really good burgers.
The meat that they use is similar to the run-of-the-mill ground beef, but the way it is cooked makes a big difference. The Japanese people take great care in keeping food less satuarated in oils while maintaining flavor. Not only that, but the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and buns that add up to an overall burger are fresh. No deflated, dry buns. No soggy lettuce and tomatoes. Basically, you get a burger that looks like the picture.
Although A&W is a nice burger joint, I would suggest trying the smaller mom-and-pop shops around Japan. Recently, my husband and I found a great though tiny burger place called B.B. Burger. They have great-tasting burgers with curly fries, bacon, or ham added between the buns, and they always look like the pictures. What I appreciate about this place besides the burgers is their reasonable price. But you have to be careful–you won’t see burgers the same when you go back to the States.