raw foods: and will it be impolite if a guest treats me (without me knowing of course) to some sushi and I declined? I'm not very good with raw food, I easily get amoeba due to poor stomach strength.|||The fish used in sashimi and put on some sushi is very high grade. There's little to no risk from amoeba. That doesn't mean you have to try it. And if someone drags you into a sushi bar there's normally a variety of sushi available, including some very bizarre cooked toppings and vegetarian friendly versions. Look at what you select, before touching it of course, and ask your companion if it's raw or cooked. Explain that you have a very dodgy stomach and you want to enjoy your time in Japan as much as possible so you're trying to avoid irritating your stomach. Don't imply that the fish might be contaminated. That would offend people. Not wanting to risk your dodgy tum won't.|||You have to be who you are. Now I've never heard of someone that has a problem with amoeba due to poor stomach strength, it's just not something I have heard of. But the fact that you don't want to try it will work. They won't push you. May think it a little strange since they do it all the time and don't know of anybody having problems with amoeba due to poor stomach strength. But you just decline. It won't exactly please them, as they were trying to introduce you to a part of Japanese culture, but they aren't going to pull out swords and attack either. You have to stand up for who you are. I'm not all that sure of the amoeba thing, but who knows? Have you tried it before and had problems? Or is this just your excuse for not eating raw fish and having a problem with sushi? Just asking. My father visited and said he would never try sushi, but liked the tuna. Didn't go all wild about it, but liked it. But it's your choice. If you have a medical problem, tell them and be done with it.|||MOST Japanese food(s) are well cooked. People think Japanese eat sushi everyday. This isn't true. I was a VERY fussy eater when I was much younger. Now I regret missing out on a lot of many different foods for so many years. Try it !|||if you're afraid of eating sushi because it isn't cooked and may contain bacterias; it's okie, just dip it in wasabi mixed with soy sauce and that'll neutralize any living thing on it.|||Not everyone in Japan likes or even eats sushi. I get asked all the time by people from abroad, "Hey you eat sushi today?" I'm not even a big sushi fan. As mentioned, most Japanese food is "cooked".